Park Chung Hee

Park Chung Hee was born on September 30, 1917, in Kumi, North Kyŏngsang province, Korea. He later became a South Korean general and politician, serving as the president of South Korea from 1963 until his death in 1979.

Park Chung Hee was born on November 14, 1917, in Sangmo-dong, Gumi, Keishōhoku-dō (North Gyeongsang Province), Korea, Empire of Japan. He was the youngest of five brothers and two sisters, born into an extremely poor family that consistently lacked food.

Park was selected for two years of training at the Tokyo Military Academy, which strongly affected his thinking when he ruled South Korea.

In 1932, Park was admitted to Taegu Normal School, a prestigious secondary school that trained elementary school teachers. Despite the prestige and free tuition, his mother had reservations due to the financial burden it would create for the family.

In 1934, Park began secretly dating Yi Chŏng-ok while his father arranged a marriage to Kim Ho-nam, leading to a complex situation. Despite marrying Kim and having a daughter, Park was still in love with Yi, and the marriage was strained due to the family's poverty.

Park faced financial difficulties and academic challenges while attending Taegu school, where he participated in militaristic training programs and excelled in activities such as kendo and playing the trumpet. His dire economic situation and family hardships affected his academic performance and attendance.

After graduating fifth in the class of 1944, Park was commissioned as a lieutenant into the army of Manchukuo, a Japanese puppet-state, and served during the final stages of World War II as aide-de-camp to a regimental commander.

After Japan's defeat in World War II, Park joined a communist group, the South Korean Workers' Party, in the American occupation zone, which later became South Korea.

In early 1949, Park was arrested, convicted of treason, and sentenced to life in prison for his involvement in a conspiracy to remove President Syngman Rhee.

After the Korean War in 1950, Park Chung Hee was promoted to the rank of general, solidifying his position as a key military figure in Korean history.

Major General Park led a military coup on May 16, 1961, which resulted in the resignation of Prime Minister Chang Myon and his cabinet.

The SCNR promulgated the Law Regarding Extraordinary Measures for National Reconstruction on June 6, which led to the stripping of General Chang's posts of Defense Minister and Army Chief of Staff. This marked a significant transfer of power into Park Chung Hee's hands.

The Korean Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA) was established on June 10, under the direction of Kim Jong-pil, becoming Park Chung Hee's central power base throughout his leadership of South Korea.

On July 3, General Chang was arrested on a charge of conspiracy to carry out a counter-coup, and the June 10 law was amended to allow Park Chung Hee to assume the office of chairman both of the SCNR and its Standing Committee.

Park Chung-hee served as the president of South Korea from 1961 to 1979. He played a significant role in rapidly modernizing the country through export-led growth and protecting it from the communist North with the assistance of U.S. forces. However, he also faced criticism for his harsh authoritarian rule.

On July 20, a policy programme aiming at the forced retirement of almost 41,000 'excess' bureaucrats and the reduction of the number of civil servants by 200,000 was announced, marking a significant development in state building and consolidation of Park's developmental regime.

Park Chung-hee assumed office as the 3rd President of South Korea on March 24, 1962, following his role as Chairman of the Supreme Council for National Reconstruction. He held the presidency until October 26, 1979, and his leadership had a significant impact on the economic development of South Korea.

Park Chung-hee is elected president of South Korea by a narrow margin.

Riots erupted in 1964 when Park Chung Hee established diplomatic relations with Japan, causing significant unrest in South Korea.

The Park administration and the government of Japan signed the treaty, normalizing relations between Japan and South Korea for the first time since Korea's decolonization and division at the end of World War II.

On October 17, 1967, Park Chung-hee was sworn in as president, marking the inauguration of the Third Republic.

On January 21, 1968, the 31-man Unit 124 of North Korean People's Army special forces commandos attempted to assassinate Park, but were stopped just 800 meters from the Blue House by a police patrol.

Park pushed through a constitutional amendment in 1969, permitting him to run for a third term as the President of South Korea.

On April 22, 1970, Park Chung-hee's proposal to abolish two-term limitations on the presidency was ratified by a national referendum.

Park Chung-hee won his third term in the presidential elections, which were reported to be rigged.

Park enacted the Emergency Financial Act of August 3rd, which banned all private loans and supported chaebols further, impacting the economic policies of South Korea.

Park Chung-hee stages 'Yushin coup d'état,' leading to the end of the Third Republic.

The Yushin Constitution is ratified by national referendum, consolidating Park Chung-hee's power.

During a speech at a ceremony to commemorate the 29th anniversary of South Korea's liberation from Japan, a young North Korean agent and Korean resident of Japan fired shots at Park from the aisle of the National Theater. Park's wife was struck by a bullet and died hours later. Park, despite the incident, resumed reading his prepared speech, displaying his determination and responsibility.

In 1975, in preparation for South Korea's bid to host the 1988 Olympic Games, President Park ordered a social cleansing campaign to expel beggars, vagrants, street vendors, and dissidents. Thousands of people were sent to camps, subjected to forced labor, torture, and abuse.

On September 26, 1978, the successful first launch of Nike Hercules Korea-1 took place, as part of President Park's efforts to develop missiles to strengthen the military.

A Korean resident of Japan attempted to assassinate Park Chung-hee, resulting in the death of Park's wife.

Park Chung Hee was fatally shot by the director of the KCIA, leading to a period of political turmoil and power struggle in South Korea.

Everyone involved in the assassination was arrested, tortured, and later executed as part of the investigation.

Park Chung Hee was accorded the first South Korean interfaith state funeral in Seoul and buried with full military honors at the National Cemetery.

The Coup d'état of December Twelfth, also known as the 12.12 Military Insurrection, was a military mutiny that occurred on December 12, 1979, in South Korea. It involved the unauthorized arrest of General Jeong Seung-hwa by Republic of Korea Army Major General Chun Doo-hwan.

Kim Jae-gyu, the assassin of Park Chung Hee, was hanged after being arrested, tortured, and later executed.

In 1999, TIME magazine recognized Park Chung-hee as one of the 'Most Influential Asians of the Century,' highlighting his impact as a leader and his contribution to South Korea's economic progress.

The government of the Republic of Korea uncovered 1,200 pages of diplomatic documents of the 1965 treaty, revealing details about the compensation negotiations between Japan and South Korea during the Japanese colonization of Korea.

Kim Dae-jung, a pro-democracy opponent of Park Chung Hee, was kidnapped by the Korean Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA) with tacit backing from Park Chung Hee. This event was later admitted by South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) in 2007.

Park Geun-hye, the eldest daughter of Park Chung Hee, was elected as South Korea's 18th and first female president in 2012.