Articles
Korean Unifi cation Problem after the 1960 April Revolution
Sea Shin
Vostok/Oriens '2013, №4
The April Revolution that took place in South Korea in 1960 had a strong impact on both sides of the Korean peninsula. It played a decisive role in the collapse of the Syngman Rhee government which suppressed free discussions of peaceful reunification prospects. After the April Revolution the South Korean society and the media became a fertile soil for a free and comprehensive discussion of the unification problems; and the political movement that called for intensifying contacts with the North was gaining ground, and spreading all over South Korea. This article, mainly based on the North Korea official publications and Russian archive materials, is focusing on the changes in the South Korean political situation in the aftermath of the April Revolution, the impact of this situation on the DPRK stance towards the South and towards the reunification of the peninsula, and the Soviet role in the certain policy shift concerning North’s position on the unification that North Korea has embarked on.
Keywords: April Revolution, confederation, student movement in South Korea, military coup, Kim Il Sung, Syngman Rhee, Jang Myong, Park Jeong-Hee, USSR
Pages: С. 50–61
