Word: changing
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Dates: during 1960-1969
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...first, Pak hoped that Premier John Chang, victor in South Korea's first honest elections, would sweep out the graft and inefficiency and rebuild the creaking Korean economy. Instead, corruption continued, and Premier Chang's bold economic plans made little progress. Heedless of the damage they were doing to South Korea's frail democracy, politicians selfishly fought for personal gain. Seoul's irresponsible newspapers exulted in their new freedom by jabbing at Premier Chang on every issue. President Posun Yun, supposedly a figurehead outside the political maelstrom, sniped openly at the struggling Premier...
...Angry Generals. Premier Chang had long been aware that the greatest threat to his regime was the huge army. Nevertheless he pushed ahead with his campaign promise to trim 200,000 men out of the 600,000-strong armed forces, whose maintenance takes over half of the entire South Korean budget. That angered the generals; General Magruder and visiting Pentagon brass declared their grave concern at the troop cuts...
...make matters worse, Premier Chang forced some prominent ROK officers into early retirement. But, lacking the crafty sophistication of Syngman Rhee, who used to reshuffle his officer corps with drastic regularity to make plots difficult, Chang left too many of his military opponents in their old jobs. When Plotter General Pak set his military revolt in motion last week, only 3,600 soldiers were needed to bring the government down and send Premier Chang into hiding...
...Premier Chang proved to be no fighter. After two days in hiding, he turned up at the State Council building to surrender to General Chang. Then he went before the press to announce that he and his Cabinet had resigned, appealed to the nation to stand behind the new military regime. After the Premier's resignation came that of President Yun himself, who, following Korea's tradition of repentance after defeat, declared: "I regret that I made so little contribution to the nation that a military revolution has occurred ... I feel nothing but sorrow." But next...
What Next? Now the military chiefs could get down to the task of running the country. Announcing a new, isman Cabinet of army, navy, air force and marine officers, General Chang became Premier and Defense Minister as well. The junta was opposed by no one; with utter apathy or unconcern, the Korean people watched in silence...