SOUTH KOREA

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005641944
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: June 24, 2015
• Document Release Date: March 29, 2011
• Case Number: F-2010-00766
• Publication Date: May 16, 1961

16 May 1961
Copy No. C -
 CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN
16 May 1961
DAILY BRIEF
deputy commander of the Second Army,
he is working for a compromise which would avoid further
armed conflict. In any event, the real leader and chief
planner of the coup appears to be Maj. Gen. Pak Chong-hui,
of Seoul, and possibly Taegu, it is still questionable whether
the coup leaders have sufficient support to retain power.
The "military revolutionary committee," which claims
to be anti-Communist, pro-US, and pro-UN, has been is-
suing proclamations over the name of Army Chief of Staff
Lt. Gen. Chang To-yong. Early on 16 May Chang asked the
commander of UN forces in Korea, US General Magruder,
for the assistance of American forces in putting down the
revolt, and the revolt leaders may be merely using his name.
Chang has, however, since been in contact with the coup
leaders, and his present position is not known; it is possible
committee" set up shortly after the coup claims that it con-
trols the entire country, and evidently does control the city
in the revolutionary activity; which way they will throw thei
support is not clear. Although the "military revolutionary
*South Korea: (Information available as of 0500 EDT)
The only military units thus far identified with the military
coup staged in Seoul in. the early morning hours of 16 May
are elements of the South Korean Second Army and some
marine units. The rest of the army, the air force, and
most navy elements reportedly have not thus far participate
The whereabouts of Prime
11
j
minister Chang yon is not known; but he apparently escaped
ment officials are under house arrest in Seoul.
when the coup leaders tried to capture him and is now in
hiding. According to press reports, a number of other govern--
r A yr .]rfs-t-
 Major General Pak Chong-hui was court-martialed in
1948 on charges of being a Communist and was sentenced
to 10 years in prison. At the outbreak of the Korean War in
1950, he was recalled to service, and subsequently was
pardoned because of his war record. He is not known to have
re-established contacts with the Communists or to have been
connected with South Korean leftist groups since 1948. How-
ever, because of alleged efforts to stir up discontent among
officer elements following the revolt which toppled Rhee in
April 1960, there was some question of his loyalty and whether
he would soon be dropped from the Army.
The South Korean Second Army is largely composed of
training and logistical units. It is not known whether units
of the First Army--South Korea's combat ready force de-
ployed along the Demilitarized Zone facing North Korea--
support the uprising. First Army support for the coup could
ensure its success. Although a proclamation: of the: "revolution-
ary committee" has named the First Army commanding general
Yi Han-lim as "martial law commander" in the front line areas,
In a six point. proclamation the insurgents, who have pro-
claimed martial law, have announced that they intend to strength-
en anti-Communist measures, observe the UN charter, wipe
out government corruption, rehabilitate the economy, work for
Korean unification, and eventially return the government to
civilian authority when their mission is accomplished. How-
ever, Pak and his sup-
porters had no definite plans for administering the government
after they seized power. There also were indications that the
Pak group was discontented over the loss of the privileged po-
sition enjoyed by the military under the Rhee regime. In the
year since Rhee's ouster, many senior officers have been
cashiered from the service, a civilian committee has been set
up to investigate military affairs, and the press has been per-
mitted to criticise the armed forces.
Army Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Chang To-yong was one of
those widely criticized in the press for his support of the Rhee
regime and accused of acquiring an illegal fortune through
J6..1.[\L.`Z_
16 May 61 CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE .B..ULLETIN Page 1
 graft and corruption. Chang knew that Pak was planning a
coup, but claimed last month that he lacked sufficient evi-
dence to arrest the plotters. It is possible that Chang now
may be playing both sides of the fence in an effort to. assure
his position whatever the outcome.
The North Korean regime has not yet commented on to-
day's events in South Korea.. The only Communist bloc re-
action noted thus far has been a Moscow TASS item, and this
essentially was a repeat of American press reports.
16 May 61 CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE BULLETIN Page 2