Word: week
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 1970-1979
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...Last week Seoul government circles quietly leaked a third, more elaborate version of the murder story, this one involving General Chung. According to this widely circulated, "semiofficial" account, Kim tried to persuade Chung to join the conspiracy, declare martial law and mobilize certain military forces, presumably for the purpose of taking over the country. According to these reports, Chung refused and ordered the arrest of Kim and his coconspirators...
Chung is indeed reputed to be an incorruptible officer who never meddled in politics. But was he as innocent as this story suggested? Last week sources familiar with the events told TIME yet another version. It was that Kim had indeed planned a coup, but that he had developed his plot with "full support and knowledge" of some of the top South Korean army brass, including General Chung. The coup plan, which was incomplete at the time of the assassination, was aimed at removing Park from power but did not envision killing him; in fact, according to a TIME source...
...week's end there were rumors in Seoul that the top army brass had secretly agreed to scrap South Korea's 1972 constitution, under which Park was empowered to serve as President indefinitely, appoint one-third of the National Assembly and exercise emergency powers to detain his political opponents. It was not determined what mechanism for forming a government might replace the constitution, or how its abrogation would affect the political fortunes of the two most likely candidates to succeed Park. One was Kim Jong Pil, 53, a National Assembly member who helped organize Park...
...week's end South Korea buried Park with a somber, five-hour state funeral punctuated by wailing sirens. Secretary of State Cyrus Vance and President Carter's son Chip joined representatives from 42 countries. The presence of the opposition party leader Kim Young Sam was evidence that the mourning period had brought South Koreans a time of political truce. A traumatic bloodbath was behind them, but they had every right to be apprehensive about its uncertain consequences...
...announced a crash program of political reform. Though it quickly won support and a pledge of "significant aid" from the U.S., the five-man junta may fall apart before the program is carried out. Rumors of a countercoup by right-wing military officers swept through the capital last week, together with reports that the oligarchy was prepared to pay as much as $20 million to any group that could restore the country to military control...