SWEEPING SOUTH KOREAN GOVERNMENT CHANGES

Created: 5/19/1960

OCR scan of the original document, errors are possible

CURRENT INTELLIGENCE WEEKLY REVIEW0

SOUTH KOREAN GOVERNMENT CHANGES

South Korean Acting Chief of State Huh Chung Is Bakingpersonnel changes ln the government, but at the same time Is trying to, minimize the adverse effects on government operations. There have been increasing arrests and shifts

of government personnelwith the old regime, which bas tended to mollify public opinion.

Martial law commander Lt. Gen. Song Yo-chan has warned that the government must soon

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CURRENT INTELLIGENCE WEEKLY REVIEW

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firing police officials If the police organization's ictlveness le to be restored.

New Defense Minister Lt. General YI Chong-chan hasthat all militaryincluding tbe chiefs of the three services, will be punished If they are found to have been Involved in election Irregularities. Yi appears to be particularly concerned over the part played in the elections by Song, who Is also army chief of staff, although Yiis willing to delayaction until tbe political situation is store settled.military observers fssl that South Korea's defensivewould be damaged should implementation ofave ofand retirements of sbls senior officers.

Passageonstitutional amendment greatly reducing ths powers of the president anda cabinetrime minister responsible to the legislature appears likely to be enacted about mid-June despite threats by Rhse'smajority Liberal party to resign from the legislature unless "illegal" retaliations

against local Liberal leaders are halted. Should thsdents manage to hold uplon, public disorder andmight be renewed.

Prospects for Improved relations between Seoul and Tokyo have been dimmed by Huh Chung's firm opposition to the present program for the repatriation of Koreans ln Japan to North Korea. Huh hits publicly warned that cessation of tbe program is an essential conditioninalof outstandingbut statsd that its continuation does not preclude resumption of negotiations.

Subsequently, however, he "forcefully and explicitly" told Ambassador McConaugby that so long as theto North Korea continues, negotiations with Japan cannot be resumed.

Japanese officials have indicated that it is impossible for them to stop theprogram. Vice ForeignYamada has stated that there would be very seriousif tbe government were to reverse its position on the right of voluntaryand terminate the program. He pointed out that new estimatss Indicatedotal ofKoreans may go to North Korea.

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Original document.

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