History of South Korea

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History of korea
Prehistoric Korea
Antiquity
Proto-three realms
Time of the Three Kingdoms
Northern and Southern states
Later three realms
States of imperial unity
Colonial times
Division of Korea

The history of South Korea deals with the political, social and economic developments in the Republic of Korea , which was proclaimed in 1948 south of the 38th parallel on the Korean Peninsula . The history of South Korea and the history of North Korea as a whole correspond to the history of Korea since the end of World War II .

Independence from japan

After the Second World War came to an end in 1945 with the surrender of Japan , the Chosen Province , which corresponded to the area of Korea , which had been incorporated and colonized by the Japanese Empire since 1910, was divided into two zones of occupation by the victorious powers along the 38th parallel .

As early as 1943, the USA , the United Kingdom and China had announced at the Cairo Conference :

"[...] aware of the enslavement of the Korean people, [we are] determined that Korea should become free and independent in due course."

The Soviet Union agreed to this in 1945. At the Yalta Conference from February 4 to 11, 1945, it was decided to divide the Chosen Province along the 38th parallel when Japan surrendered in order to disarm and withdraw the Japanese soldiers from Chosen in their respective zones. Later, a joint trusteeship of the USA, China, Great Britain and the Soviet Union was to be set up in order to bridge the time until the establishment of Korean government and administrative bodies. As planned, however, only the surrender of the Japanese was carried out; the trusteeship never came about.

Instead, military governments were established in the northern and southern parts of Chōsen by the Soviet Union and the Americans, respectively, to ensure the administration of the country until national elections were held. A Soviet-American commission met in Pyongyang in 1946 and in Seoul in 1947 to promote the unification of the two parts of the country, but in the emerging Cold War no agreement was reached and talks did not continue.

First republic

In 1947, the UN General Assembly decided to hold elections across the entire Korean Peninsula . The Soviets, however, rejected elections in their sector. Therefore the elections in May 1948 could only be held in the south. The first national assembly that emerged from this election passed the constitution in July, and three days later Syngman Rhee , who was already president of the Korean government-in-exile during the Japanese colonial period, was elected president . Active and passive women's suffrage was introduced on July 17, 1948. On August 15, 1948, the Republic of Korea was founded . Like the Democratic People's Republic of Korea ( North Korea ), which was founded in Pyongyang a month later , it was seen as the only legitimate government in the entire Korean Peninsula. Both also announced that they would also fight to gain control over the other sector.

In mid-1949 the Russians and Americans had withdrawn from Korea. North Korea was able to quickly rebuild its industry with the help of Russia and China. During the occupation, the Japanese settled industry mainly in the resource-rich north and agriculture in the south, which meant that neither of the two zones was initially self-sufficient. However, North Korea was ultimately in a better position to build a powerful army. On the border between the two countries, there was more and more fighting.

The Korean War

A Sherman tank fires at a North Korean bunker (May 1952)
A Korean girl carries her brother past a broken down tank (June 1951)

On June 25, 1950 , the North Korean People's Army crossed the border at the 38th parallel and thus initiated the Korean War. The American President Harry S. Truman had already sent some troops to South Korea again, but they were by no means sufficient to compensate for the material superiority of the North Koreans over the South Korean army . The capital Seoul fell after just three days, and around a month later the North Koreans were already controlling the entire Korean peninsula except for a narrow strip in the south around Busan . Only here did the South Koreans succeed in stabilizing the situation; but the situation remained dangerous.

In resolution 85, the UN Security Council decided in the absence of the Soviet Union, which was entitled to veto , to intervene on the side of South Korea. With the landing near Incheon in mid-September 1950, the UN troops, 90% of which consisted of US troops, succeeded in ending the success of the North Koreans. On September 30, South Korean troops crossed the 38th parallel to reunite Korea under its own flag. In November, the first sections of the Yalu river border with China were reached. This feared that the troops could cross the border, as General Douglas MacArthur , who was responsible for the UN operation, had called for, and then intervened with a "volunteer army" in the Korean War. The UN troops were pushed back beyond the 38th parallel, where the situation hardened.

From 1951 onwards, with the mediation of the Soviet Union, ceasefire negotiations began. The armistice was decided on July 27, 1953 ; It was signed by the UN, North Korea and China. The President of South Korea Syngman Rhee refused to sign the contract. The establishment of a four-kilometer-deep demilitarized zone approximately at the 38th parallel and negotiation rooms in Panmunjeom was planned . The demilitarized zone is still the border between the two Korean states. A peace treaty has not been signed to this day, although several attempts have been made to achieve it.

The consequences of the Korean War were dramatic. Estimates of Koreans killed range between one and three million; far more had been expelled. The Korean infrastructure was in ruins. The psychological consequences were just as bad. The fear of a new invasion still affects politics in both countries, albeit less and less.

After the Korean War

After the Korean War, South Korea's economy barely improved despite Western development aid. As a country without major mineral resources, South Korea was dependent on imports; the few industrial plants and the entire infrastructure were also destroyed. The mismanagement of President Syngman Rhee is largely responsible for the initially sluggish development. In 1948 he had been elected President by the National Assembly; but to improve his chances, he had numerous opposition politicians arrested under martial law in 1952 and passed a constitutional amendment through which the president was directly elected by the people. Another constitutional amendment in 1956 allowed him to run for any number of terms. In the presidential elections in 1960, the election fraud could hardly be overlooked. The economic development was disappointing, corruption clearly visible and the style of government in Rhee became more and more autocratic . There were nationwide student demonstrations against him, which found increasing support from the population. On 26. April 1960 Rhee stepped eventually returned and went into exile in Hawaii , where he died five years later.

Second republic

A constitutional amendment changed the presidential system of government into a parliamentary one. Therefore, power lay with Prime Minister Chang Myon rather than Rhee's successor, Yun Bo-seon . But even this government failed to get the deteriorating economy under control.

Military government

On May 16, 1961 , the military, led by General Park Chung-hee , seized power. Parliament was dissolved and replaced by a military government headed by Park.

Third Republic

Both foreign policy pressure from the Kennedy government in the United States and domestic pressure resulted in a free election in October 1963 , in which Park narrowly prevailed against the previously deposed Yun, as was the election in 1967 . A constitutional amendment in 1969 allowed him to run for a third term, and another amendment in 1971 overruled essential democratic rights. Among other things, the president was now allowed to run for any number of six-year terms, appoint a third of the members of parliament and govern by ordinances.

In the 1972 election, Park was able to assert himself against the new, popular leader of the opposition, the future President Kim Dae-jung . In order to cope with the loud protests, martial law was imposed and a decree forbade criticizing the president or his policies. Education and the media have been increasingly influenced and even censored by politics.

Fourth republic

The Fourth Republic began with the promulgation of the Yushin Constitution , which gave Park control of Parliament.

During this time, South Korea made significant economic progress. Several five-year plans and a close connection between politics and business enabled the rapid development of large industries. In 1969 South Korea overtook North Korea economically; the gross national income rose from just under USD 60 in 1955 to USD 1,000 in 1977, and in 1995 to USD 10,500. The so-called Jaebeol corporations, conglomerates that are active in almost all areas, date from this time . During this time, South Korea changed from an agricultural state to a modern, export-oriented industrial state. This also improved the Koreans' standard of living. Education was improved and made accessible to a broader population, and the Saemaeul Undong ( New Village Campaign ) also improved the situation of the rural population.

Assessing the Parks era is difficult. Although civil rights were curtailed dramatically during this period, Park is widely recognized as the architect of the Korean boom. International relations were improved, and the normalization of relations with the former colonial rulers Japan also fell during this period. He has also received a lot of criticism for this, recently also because he was included in a list published in 2005 with around 3,000 collaborators from that time. North Korean agents tried to assassinate him twice in 1968 and 1975 ; his wife fell victim to the second attack. Park's end came unexpectedly on October 26, 1979 , when Park was shot and killed by his own intelligence chief Kim Chae-kyu during one of his notorious drinking bouts.

Fifth Republic

The Prime Minister Choi Kyu-ha first became interim president and emerged victorious from the election by an electoral body on December 6, 1979 . But on December 12 , the military again put on a coup against the government, this time under the leadership of General Chun Doo-hwan . The year 1980 was marked by great uncertainty. People from all walks of life called for real democracy, and demonstrations spread across the whole country. Due to the troubled situation, the military feared an invasion of the north and took particularly tough action. In one of the protest strongholds, in Gwangju , an example was made in May 1980 and the uprising was brutally suppressed. Depending on the source, between 154 and 2,300 civilians were killed and an unknown number injured in this Gwangju uprising .

In the years that followed, the situation gradually calmed down. It was clear since 1981 that the 1988 Summer Olympics would take place in South Korea. In 1981 martial law was withdrawn, and a year later the midnight to 4 am curfew, which had been in place since 1961, was also lifted. Censorship has been relaxed but not completely abolished. Economic development picked up again and the quality of life of Koreans increased significantly. The country has now been able to afford to renovate and rebuild more cultural sites. Nevertheless, the demands for democracy grew louder. There were often student demonstrations and strikes, some of which were suppressed. Chun pursued the goal of carrying out the first peaceful change of power since the founding of South Korea by keeping his promise and, according to the constitution, wanted to resign at the end of his term in 1988. The autocratic manner with which he arranged his successor led to open protest after years of simmering discontent among the population. A coalition of students, workers and churches organized demonstrations that culminated in the June 1987 battle . Chun was faced with the choice of either brutally suppressing the second major popular uprising of his tenure or giving in to the protesters' demands.

Sixth Republic

Reign of Roh Tae-woo

Chun's designated successor, ex-general Roh Tae-woo , made a surprise offer in June 1987 to amend the constitution in favor of genuine democratic reforms. For the first time since 1961, the president was to be re-elected directly by the population; the term of office was shortened to five years. Freedom of expression, freedom of the press and the right to physical integrity should be enshrined; Unions are approved. After the constitutional amendment in October, the presidential election was held in December 1987. The two opposition leaders Kim Young-sam and Kim Dae-jung had not been able to agree on a candidate in advance and instead ran against each other. Because of the split opposition, less than 37% of the vote was enough for Roh to win the election. He was sworn in on February 25, 1988 . In 1988, as previously planned, South Korea hosted the Summer Olympics , which is why the recently pacified “ tiger state ” appeared on the scene of many Europeans and Americans for the first time. The Eastern Bloc countries also took part in the games again, which brought the boycott policy of the past decades to an end.

Democracy in Korea made significant progress during Roh's tenure, and many reforms were passed, especially social reforms. For the first time in history, the President's party did not emerge as the strongest power in the election of parliament, and it was only the third strongest power after the unification of the parties of Kim Young-sam and Kim Jong-pil in 1990.

Much happened internationally during the early 1990s. South Korea opened diplomatic relations with (former) Eastern Bloc countries, including the Soviet Union (1990) and the People's Republic of China (1992). In 1991, 38 years after the end of the Korean War, a non-aggression pact was signed between North and South Korea, and both countries joined the United Nations .

Reign of Kim Young-sam

By merging his party with that of Roh Tae-woo to a conservative party, Kim Young-sam was able to prevail against Kim Dae-jung in the 1992 election . Kim Young-sam was the first president since Park Chung-hee who had no military background and was even suppressed by the military dictatorships. One focus of his policy was the fight against corruption and the investigation of public misconduct. In 1996, the former presidents Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo were sentenced for the coup in 1979 and the Gwangju massacre in 1980, and Chun even to death. Both were later pardoned.

In November 1997 South Korea was hit by the Asian crisis . After the country had grown economically in the double-digit range for a long time, the gross domestic product shrank by 6.7% in 1998. The won lost so much in value that foreign currency loans from banks, corporations and the state rose by around 60% within a few weeks. With the help of an IMF loan of around US $ 21 billion, however, the crisis was overcome. As early as 1999, GDP grew again by over 10%, and part of the debts could even be repaid before the loans were due.

Reign of Kim Dae-jung

In the election on December 18, 1997, Kim Dae-jung won the presidency. Kim Dae-jung had already lost to Rhee Syng-man in the presidential elections in 1954 and to Park Chung-hee in 1971, which was followed by a long period of exile , house arrest and a death sentence that was later converted into prison. After that, Kim Dae-jung ran unsuccessfully for the 1987 and 1992 elections.

The focus of his policy was on reconciliation with North Korea, the so-called sunshine policy . Two railroad lines that were interrupted during the Korean War were rebuilt, but have not been reopened to this day. Other projects, such as the Kaesŏng industrial region , an industrial area just across the border where South Korean companies produce with North Korean workers, have been more successful. The highlight was a meeting of Kim Dae-jung with the North Korean leader Kim Jong-il in Pyongyang in June 2000. Kim Dae-jung was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for this policy in the same year .

In 2002, South Korea and Japan hosted the 17th World Cup . It was the first time that two countries had jointly hosted this sporting event, which was all the more significant given the tense relationship with Japan. The success of the South Korean national soccer team was one of the big surprises of this tournament. South Korea hadn't won a single game in the five world championships in which they had previously qualified. In 2002, however, it defeated Poland and Portugal and drew against the USA in the preliminary round. The South Koreans defeated Italy in a dramatic match in the round of 16, Spain in the quarter-finals and were only stopped by Germany in the semi-finals. In the game for third place they lost to Turkey 2: 3 and finished fourth.

Reign of Roh Moo-hyun

In the presidential election on December 19, 2002, Roh Moo-hyun emerged victorious from the same party as Kim Dae-jung. He tried to continue the policy of his predecessor and political role model, Kim Dae-jung, towards North Korea. This was made more difficult , however, by the escalation of the conflict between North Korea and the United States that followed after George W. Bush's election as US president. North Korea announced in early 2003 that it would aim to build nuclear weapons . Even so, Roh tried to normalize intra-Korean relations. He advocated more transparency in companies and continued reforms in education and taxation. He received a lot of criticism for his decision to send Korean soldiers to Iraq , especially after a Korean was kidnapped and beheaded by a terrorist group in Iraq.

On March 12, 2004, he was removed from office by Parliament for violating his duty of neutrality, but on May 14, the Constitutional Court ruled that the allegations were insufficient. His efforts to relocate the capital of South Korea to a new planned capital in Chungcheongnam-do were initially unsuccessful. The constitutional court ruled that the relocation of the capital was an important national decision that could not be made without asking the population. Now a smaller version is to be implemented, which will officially leave the capital in Seoul , but will relocate twelve ministries and numerous organizations to the planned city of Sejong City, which has not yet been built . This is also still controversial under constitutional law.

Reign of Lee Myung-bak

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Lee Myung-bak , elected in December 2007, advocated a stronger market orientation in the economy and a more uncompromising line towards North Korea. Towards the end of his term in office, in spring 2013, relations between the two countries reached a new low point due to the North Korea crisis in 2013 .

Reign of Park Geun-hye

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Park Geun-hye , elected in December 2012, was the daughter of the former military dictator Park Chung-hee. She initially campaigned for social reforms and cautiously for rapprochement with North Korea. However, North Korean nuclear tests and other incidents thwarted this policy and increased tension between the countries. In terms of foreign policy, she achieved various successes with other countries, including an improvement in relations with China and Japan. Her involvement in a corruption scandal overshadowed her remaining, therefore shortened, term of office from October 2016, she resigned after major demonstrations in 2017 and was sentenced to long prison terms.

Reign of Moon Jae-in

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Moon Jae-in , elected in May 2017, became known for a policy of mutual understanding with North Korea. In the context of an initial conversation between Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump, he organized several inter-Korean summits with North Korea.

swell

  1. ↑ Cairo Declaration , December 1, 1943 (English)
  2. ^ Mart Martin: The Almanac of Women and Minorities in World Politics. Westview Press Boulder, Colorado, 2000, p. 215.

Web links

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