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derivative filename/jpeg
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363-05907 to 363-05910.pdf
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Digital Object Identifier
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363-05907 to 363-05910
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Title
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Article about the Korean May 16 Coup
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Description
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Article by Beverly Keever written for the AP about the May 14th Korean Coup
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Transcript
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APR 112
Mayba
KOREAN COMMENT
BY BEVERLY DEEPE
on world frame wire
SEOUL, MAY 20 (AP)-KOREANS WITH WHOM I TALKED SATURDAY SEEMED TO
GREET THE MILITARY COUP D'ETAT WITH GENUINE RELIEF. BUT THEY ALSO
REFLECTED AN INCREASING SENSE OF INSECURITY MIXED WITH INFLATED HOPES
FOR THE FUTURE.
SOME PERSONS STANDING ALONG THE TRAFFIC-FRENZIED STREETS WERE EAGER
TO DISCUSS THE LATEST HAPPENINGS. THEY JUSTIFIED THE MILITARY
SEIZURE IN A NEGATIVE WAY--BY VOICING MULTIPLE CHARGES OF CORRUPTION,
WEAKNESS AND INEFFICIENCY AGAINST OUSTED PREMIER JOHN M. CHANG.
NONE I TALKED WITH CRITICIZED HIM FOR BEING TOO SOFT ON COMMUNISM.
"THE PEOPLE DON'T GIVE A TOOT FOR THE MILITARY," SAID ONE STUDENT.
"WE JUST FIGURE IT CAN'T BE ANY WORSE THAN IT WAS WITH CHANG AS PREMIER.
A SECOND SAID: "JOHN CHANG WAS SO WEAK. HE WAS JUST AN EXTENSION
OF THE (SYNGMAN RHEE ADMINISTRATION. IF THE MILITARY HADN'T GOTTEN
RID OF HIM. THE STUDENTS WOULD HAVE DEMONSTRATED AGAIN."
STUDENT LED DEMONSTRATIONS BROUGHT THE DOWNFALL OF THE RHEE REQUIRE
IN APRIL, 1960.
SOME PERSONS WERE FEARFUL OF EXPRESSING THEMSELVES FREELY.
"IT'S BETTER FOR ME IF I KEEP MY MOUTH SHUT," SAID ONE YOUNG STUDENT
IN A DIMLY LIGHTED TEA ROOM.
AND AS A YOUNG OFFICER WORKER USHERED ME TO A COFFEE SHOP, HE SAID,
"YOU NEVER KNOW WHO'S BEHIND YOU. YOU HAVE TO GET OFF THE STREET.
MARTIAL LAW IS IN FORCE NOW, YOU KNOW."
THE HIGH HOPES THE PEOPLE HOLD FOR THE FUTURE SEEM TO DUPLICATE
THEIR UNATTAINABLE EXPECTATIONS AFTER THE APRIL, 1960, REVOLUTION, WHEN
AS ONE MISSIONARY EXPRESSED IT," IN SEVERAL WEEKS THEY EXPECTED KOREA
TTO UTAUEN."
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APR 113
SEOUL -FIRST ADD KOREAN COMMENT X X X INTO HEAVEN.
錄
MOST PEOPLE SEEMED TO ASSUME THAT THE NEW MILITARY REGIME WOULD
SHORTLY HOLD FREE ELECTIONS RETURNING THE GOVERNMENT TO CIVIL CONTROL.
ONE MAN THOUGHT THE ELECTIONS WOULD BE HELD IN A MONTH, A SECOND SAID
IN JULY, A THIRD SAID IN SEPTEMBER.
BUT MORE IMPORTANT, THEY EXPECT A SUBSTANTIALLY IMPROVED WAY OF
LIFE. THOUGH THEY ARE OFTEN VAGUE ABOUT THIS, THEY SEEMED TO BELIEVE
THAT CURBING CORRUPTION IN THE GOVERNMENT INSURES THE ECONOMIC
ADVANCEMENT OF THE PEOPLE AND GREATER EFFICIENCY OF THE AMERICAN FOREIGN
AID DOLLAR IN KOREA.
CHARGES OF CORRUPTION IN GOVERNMENT ARE UNDISPUTED BY EITHER KOREANS
OR AMERICANS WORKING HERE. BUT THE ECONOMIC PROBLEMS INFLATION AND
UNEMPLOYMENT IN THE POOR AGRICULTURAL COUNTRY SEEM A FORMIDABLE
TASK EVEN FOR AN EFFICIENT GOVERNMENT.
"OUR COMPANY NEVER BENEFITED FROM THE (JOHN M.) CHANG GOVERNMENT,
SAID AN OFFICE WORKER IN AN IMPORT-EXPORT FIRM.
"IT TOOK TWO DAYS TO GET A PERMIT FROM THE GOVERNMENT. APPROVAL BY
THE SECTION CHIEF, THE BUREAU CHIEF AND THE VICE MINISTER WAS NECESSARY.
AND THERE WAS ALWAYS BRIBERY ALONG THE WAY."
HE WAS CONFIDENT THE MILITARY RULE WOULD MAKE THE WORK OF HIS
COMPANY SIMPLER AND LESS EXPENSIVE. BUT SOME PEOPLE EXPRESSED DOUBTS.
ALONG THESE LINES:
"THE MILITARY IS TRYING TO STOP CORRUPTION AND INJUSTICE--BUT THEY
ARE AS CORRUPT AS THE GOVERNMENT. WHO'S WRONG?
"THE MILITARY MEN RISKED THEIR LIVES FOR THEMSELVES--NOT THE
COUNTRY. THESE YOUNG COLONELS FIGURE THEY'LL GET A STAR. BUT THEY HAVE
PRINCIPLES."
NO
CONCERN AND UNEASINESS SEEMS TO BE MOUNTING.
"THIS IS THE BEGINNING--NOT THE END," SAID ONE YOUNG MAN. "THERE
WILL BE BLOOD PURGES. THE MILITARY ISN'T UNIFIED."
DEEPE 2012HT/HO
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APR 114
SEOUL SECOND ADD KOREAN COMMENT X X X ISN'T UNIFIED.
A SECOND SAID: "THIS WON'T SOLVE OUR PROBLEMS. ONE REVOLUTION
BREEDS ANOTHER. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IN KOREA HISTORY WE'VE HAD
A KOREAN MILITARY JUNTA RULE US."
A THIRD SAID "KOREA NEEDS ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL STABILITY, BUT
WE'LL HAVE TO WAIT TO SEE IF GENERAL CHANG GIVES IT TO US. IT DEPENDS
ON WHAT KIND OF MAN HE IS."
MILITARY RESTRICTIONS PROVED INCONVENIENT AND FRUSTRATING TO THE
DAILY LIVES OF THE KOREANS, THOUGH SOME SAID THAT "SMALL TROUBLES SHOULD
BE SACRIFICED FOR GREATER THINGS."
"I FEEL LIKE I'M IN A CAGE IN A ZOO," SAID ONE YOUNG WOMAN "I WANT
TO DO SOMETHING AND THEY SAY NO, NO.""
THE 10 P.M. CURFEW HAS BEEN THE MOST RESTRICTIVE MEASURE ON THE
GENERAL PUBLIC. U.S. MILITARY PERSONNEL HAVE BEEN PUT ON A GREEN ALERT,
CONF IN ING THEM TO THEIR QUARTERS.
BUSINESS HAS BEEN AFFECTED. SHIPMENTS OF IMPORT-EXPORT TRADE WERE
DETAINED BECAUSE OF BLOCKADES AGAINST DOMESTIC SHIPPING LINES. TOURIST
BUSINESS FOR BOTH FOREIGNERS AND KOREANS HAS BEEN HIT.
THE PRICE OF RICE SKYROCKETED THE DAY AFTER THE REVOLUTION FROM-
19,500 HWAN TO 22,000 FOR A STRAW BAG OF 187 POUNDS. THE OFFICIAL RATE
OF EXCHANGE IS 1,300 HWAN TO ONE U.S. DOLLAR.
A 55-YEAR-OLD RICE DEALER SAID THE NUMBER OF CUSTOMERS THE DAY AFTER
THE REVOLUTION WAS ALMOST THREE TIMES MORE THAN ORDINARY DAYS BECAUSE
PEOPLE WERE AFRAID OF A RICE SHORTAGE.
THE RICE PRICE NOW HAS BEGUN LEVELLING OFF. THE MILITARY ANNOUNCED
SEVERE PENALTIES FOR PERSONS RAISING PRICES DURING THE NATIONAL CRISIS
AND IT HAS RELEASED TO THE MARKET GOVERNMENT-HELD RICE.
THE MILITARY-CENSORED PRESS REPORTED THAT SATURDAY'S RICE PRICE OF
19, 500 HWAN WAS THE SAME AS THAT OF MAY 15. HOWEVER, THE ACTUAL PRICE
IN THE MARKET PLACES WAS 20, 500-A DIFFERENCE OF 1,000 HWAN.
THE ACTUAL PRICE OF OTHER ESSENTIAL COMMODITIES--SALT, SUGAR, BARLEY,
SOYBEANS AND WHEAT FLOUR--WAS UP MODERATELY OVER THE PRICES PUBLISHED
IN THE MAY 15TH ISSUES OF KOREAN NEWSPAPERS.
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ASKED ABOUT FUTURE RELATIONS WITH THE UNITED STATES, MOST PEOPLE
SEEMED TO ASSUME CONTINUED AMERICAN MILITARY AND ECONOMIC SUPPORT.
"I DON'T EXPECT AMERICAN AID TO STOP," SAID ONE OFFICE WORKER. "IF
IT DOES, IT MEANS AMERICA HAS GIVEN UP A FREEDOM-LOVING NATION.
2022HT/HO
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Date
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1961, Apr. 20
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Subject
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Democracy--Korea (South)--History; Korea (South)--History--May Revolution, 1961
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Location
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Seoul, South Korea
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Coordinates
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37.5666; 126.9782
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Size
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20 x 26 cm
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Container
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B174, F2
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Format
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dispatches
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Collection Number
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MS 363
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Collection Title
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Beverly Deepe Keever, Journalism Papers
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Creator
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Keever, Beverly Deepe
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Collector
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Keever, Beverly Deepe
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Copyright Information
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These images are for educational use only. To inquire about usage or publication, please contact Archives & Special Collections.
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Publisher
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Archives & Special Collections, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries
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Language
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English
