A Post-War Nation

A Post-War Nation

The Korean War, which broke out in June 1950, was the defining event that shaped post-war South Korea. It was not merely a local conflict — it became a proxy war of the Cold War era, with the two superpower blocs backing opposite sides. South Korea received support from US-led United Nations forces, while North Korea was supported by communist China. The war lasted three years and ended in July 1953 with an armistice agreement, not a peace treaty. Korea remained divided along essentially the same lines as before.

The human and material cost of the war was staggering. Massive losses of life and property occurred on both sides. The war also set back South Korea's economic and political development. Inflation struck as national expenses rose and the government issued more currency during the war, causing prices to shoot up suddenly. Industrial facilities built during the Japanese colonial period had been destroyed entirely. With its productive base in ruins, South Korea had no choice but to depend heavily on economic assistance from the USA.

South Korea's first president, Syngman Rhee, had been elected in 1948 through a democratic process. But after the war, he extended his administration twice through illegal constitutional amendments. His grip on power became increasingly authoritarian. In April 1960, citizens protested against a rigged election in what came to be known as the April Revolution. The protests forced Rhee to resign.

The revolution released a pent-up wave of popular energy. The spirit of the people, which had been suppressed throughout the Rhee administration, erupted in the form of demonstrations and demands. However, the Democratic Party administration that took power after Rhee's resignation failed to respond properly to these citizen demands. Internal divisions and conflict within the party paralysed it. …