History

President Park

Chunghee Park Chunghee started his military career in the Japanese army and then rose through the ranks of the new South Korean army after Korea's independence from Japan at the end of World War II.

Park seized power in 1961 with a military coup and was elected President in 1963. He initiated economic reforms and is largely credited with transforming South Korea from an undeveloped country into an industrial power. He did so, however, with an authoritarian rule that became more dictatorial over the years. He was reelected in 1967 and again in 1971 after a constitutional change that allowed a third term. In 1972 Park declared martial law and rewrote the constitution to give himself unlimited power. In August 1974 Park's wife was killed during one of several assassination attempts against Park.

In October 1979, large protests by students and workers erupted in the Southern cities of Pusan and Masan. Park quickly and violently suppressed the demonstrations. There was debate within Park's inner circle on the sources of the protests and the best methods to control the opposition.

On the evening of 26 October 1979, President Park was drinking and dining in a private room at the KCIA Safehouse not far from the Blue House, the President's residence. With him were his three closest confidants: Chief Presidential Secretary Kim Kyewon, Chief of Presidential Security Cha Jichol, and Kim Jaegyu, Director of the KCIA.

General Chung Seunghwa , Army Chief-of-Staff, was also at the Safehouse. General Chung was summoned by Director Kim and was now waiting for Kim to finish his dinner with the President.

President Park and his three confidants were drinking, singing and dancing with two female guests, a singer Shim Soobong and Shin Jaesoon, a college starlet. KCIA Director Kim then pulled out a gun and shot President Park dead. Kim then shot dead Security Chief Cha. Outside the private room, Kim's KCIA agents shot dead four President Security Bodyguards.

An emergency cabinet session was held and Secretary Kim revealed that KCIA Director Kim had shot and killed the President. Director Kim was arrested and Prime Minister Choi Kyuha declared acting president.

General Chun Doohwan headed up the subsequent investigation and KCIA Director Kim and six of his agents were executed. Soon after General Chun staged a military coup and seized power.

Korean Central Intelligence (KCIA)

Established in 1961, the KCIA is the equivalent of the US CIA and FBI rolled into one. The KCIA had unlimited power to investigate and detain any person accused of antistate behavior. Dissidents, opposition figures, reporters and student demonstrators were routinely arrested and tortured in the 70s and 80s. in 1973 the KCIA abducted opposition leader (and future Korean President) Kim Daejung in a Tokyo hotel. The US CIA saved Kim from being dumped overboard in the sea of Japan. Kim Jaegyu became the KCIA Director in 1977.

After 1979 and the assasination of President Park by Kim Jaegyu, the KCIA was purged and temporarily lost much of its power. General Chun Doo Hwan became acting KCIA head in April 1980 while investigating the assinastion before leading a military coup and becoming President in later that year.