The Yushin Constitution: Park Chung-hee's Dictatorship

We explore the dark side of the Miracle on the Han River, focusing on the Yushin Constitution enacted by President Park Chung-hee in 1972. After consolidating power through the October Struggle and dissolving the National Assembly, Park established an authoritarian regime that lasted until his assassination in 1979. We examine how this constitution allowed him to rule by decree, suppress dissent, and manipulate elections, all while South Korea experienced rapid industrial growth. The episode highlights the human cost of this stability, including the arrest of opposition leaders like Kim Dae-jung and the rise of student protests. We also look at the global context, where Western powers turned a blind eye to Park's dictatorship because South Korea was a crucial anti-communist ally during the Cold War. This is the story of how economic miracles can coexist with political repression, and why the legacy of Yushin still shapes modern Korean democracy today.

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