The Military Revolution

eee PLANS for the military coup were drawn
- after the-notoriously rigged elections by the Syngman
Rhee regime in 1960. However, the April 1960- Student’s
Revolutions brought about the downfall of the corrupt
Rhee administration, and everyone, including the mili-
tary leaders, expected that an era of honest. and effici-
ent government would follow.

When, contrary to these great expectations, it became
obvious that the Chang Government was equally corrupt
and in addition so weak and inept that it was incapable
of governing, the leaders of the Armed Forces were
faced with a gravely deteriorating political, economic,
and social situation.

Consequently the original group of nine officers who
had planned overthrow of the Rhee regime met again
to discuss and evaluate the problem. Later, the small
group was enlarged to include about 250 officers of all
ranks. These Officers were faced with every serious
problem involving duty, ethics, and patriotism.

Very simply, the principal problem was this: Was it
their duty to maintain their constitutional posture aloof
from politics, while the nation drifted slowly through
chaos toward Communism? Or was it their real duty
to take swift and positive action to save the country
before it was too late?

They decided that their. real duty was to serve the
nation at all costs, disregarding the political figures who
had brought the country to the verge of irretrievable

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