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Person1899 – 1966

Chang Myon

Elected vice president in 1956; prime minister under the parliamentary system after the April Revolution (1960–1961)

In 1948 he led the Korean delegation to the UN General Assembly, working to win recognition for the Republic of Korea, and later served as the first ambassador to the United States and as prime minister. He helped found the Democratic Party in 1955 and led its New Faction. On Sunday 28 February 1960, students in Daegu were ordered to school to keep them from his campaign rally, sparking the 2·28 Daegu Student Protest. The Chang Myon Cabinet passed retroactive laws to punish those behind the rigged election and drew up a five-year economic plan, but amid feuding between the Democratic Party's New and Old Factions it fell to the May 16 Military Coup.

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3 related events

  1. 1
    19602·28 Daegu Student Protestrelated figure

    Ahead of the 15 March presidential and vice-presidential election, high school students in Daegu protested against being ordered to school on a Sunday.

  2. 2
    1960 – 1961Chang Myon Cabinetleader

    After the April Revolution the constitution was changed to a parliamentary, bicameral system, and Chang Myon of the victorious Democratic Party became prime minister.

  3. 3
    1961May 16 Military Couprelated figure

    Soldiers led by Park Chung-hee seized power. After rule by the Supreme Council for National Reconstruction, Park was elected president in 1963.

People who appear alongside

  • Yun Po-sun1897 – 1990

    4th President (1960–1962), elected by the National Assembly under the parliamentary system after the April Revolution; resigned after the May 16 coup

  • Heo Jeong1896 – 1988

    Politician who led the caretaker government after Syngman Rhee resigned in the April Revolution, overseeing the parliamentary-system amendment and the 29 July election

  • Park Chung-hee1917 – 1979

    5th–9th President (1963–1979). Led the May 16 coup, the five-year economic plans and the Yushin system; killed in the October 26 incident

Themes this person appears in

  • Changing Unification Policies1948 – 2018

    From “march north” to the Panmunjom Declaration — inter-Korean relations from confrontation to dialogue, through joint statements and agreements to summits (up to 2018)

  • DaeguAD 689 – 1960

    Dalgubeol, where King Sinmun tried to move his capital — where the National Debt Repayment Movement and the 2·28 student protest began