By Kang Hyun-kyung
Park Chung-hee, the late President who rose to power through a military coup on May 16 in 1961, was assassinated by the head of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency in 1979, to end his eventful political career.
But his legacy still lives on.
On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the coup, conservative commentators provoked “a benign dictator” debate over Park’s legacy.
They put emphasis on the late President’s accomplishments in rescuing the then newly-independent nation from devastating poverty.
From the liberals’ point of view, Park was a military man mainly responsible for the retreat of democracy in the country as the late President repressed democracy fighters while in power.
Professor Rhee Young-hoon of the Department of Economics at Seoul National University said in an interview with Yonhap that the “current political leadership that lacks the capability to resolve social divisions” caused the eruption of so-called Park Chung-hee nostalgia.
“The May 16 event was basically all about a military coup. But the coup became a milestone event that initiated the nation’s modernization,” the conservative economist said.
Liberals’ interpretation of the May 16 coup is very different.
Rep. Park Jie-won of the main opposition Democratic Party called it the most tragic event in Korea’s modern history, saying the coup paved the way for 36 years of military rule in the nation.
The DP lawmaker also played down the late President’s role in industrialization.
The military coup took place a year after the April 19 popular uprising led by young students attending high schools and colleges in 1960.
The anti-government protests overthrew the Syngman Rhee government. Rhee resigned after feeling mounting pressure from nationwide rallies.
But the new ruling Democratic Party had neither the experience nor the capability to lead the nation.
“The high hopes and unrealistic expectations that followed the student revolution soon turned into despair and frustration,” said political scientist Kim Choong-nam in his book “The Korean Presidents.”
“The Chang Myon government was staffed by men with the same background, attitudes and programs as their predecessors in the Rhee administration. The failing administration of the Chang regime convinced many Koreans that changing the government from one headed by the Liberal Party to one led by the Democratic Party would achieve nothing.”
Kim noted there was virtually no resistance when elements of the military seized control of the country.
