Today, the South Korean military took matters to its own hands by taking direct responsibility of the government. Personally, I have even less reasons to look up on politics as a war veteran, but I am a little concerned about this reversal of fortunes. The new junta, “The Supreme Council for National Reconstruction”, said they will stabilize the political and economic situations in this country, but by the very tone of its proclamation, I think it wants to roll back the reforms the Second Republic has done.
On April 19, 1960, student and union protesters forced President Rhee Syngman to flee Korea after he consistently failed to make necessary reforms for 7 years after that terrible war. The new government was created via free elections and it managed to dole out some needed legislation, but this Second Republic was simply too overshadowed by chaos. As a plantation owner in Boseong County, the only loud chants I hear regularly are that of sparrows and swallowtails in their nests, but wartime buddies at the capital complained of how they could not sleep because of street brawls at night. Crime in the cities had hit the roof, since nobody trusted the police, the former President's henchmen, to do their job.
Maybe a brief military rule is much better than that of pro-Red college boys and kkangpae gangsters. But then again, I still remember how I retired from the military as captain 7 years ago, so that I could start all over by buying the old tea plantation in my home village and clearing my head of maimed bodies and melted toothbrushes. With my back on the army, do I really want the army facing me forward again?
On April 19, 1960, student and union protesters forced President Rhee Syngman to flee Korea after he consistently failed to make necessary reforms for 7 years after that terrible war. The new government was created via free elections and it managed to dole out some needed legislation, but this Second Republic was simply too overshadowed by chaos. As a plantation owner in Boseong County, the only loud chants I hear regularly are that of sparrows and swallowtails in their nests, but wartime buddies at the capital complained of how they could not sleep because of street brawls at night. Crime in the cities had hit the roof, since nobody trusted the police, the former President's henchmen, to do their job.
Maybe a brief military rule is much better than that of pro-Red college boys and kkangpae gangsters. But then again, I still remember how I retired from the military as captain 7 years ago, so that I could start all over by buying the old tea plantation in my home village and clearing my head of maimed bodies and melted toothbrushes. With my back on the army, do I really want the army facing me forward again?
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