SOUTH KOREAN ELECTION

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP79R00890A001200030026-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 23, 2003
• Sequence Number: 26
• Publication Date: March 16, 1960
• Content Type: BRIEF

Approved For Relea
NSC BRIEFING 16 March 1960
SOUTH KOREAN ELECTION
I. President Rhee has won a landslide victory for a fourth term
in an election on Tuesday considered the most violent in South
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Korea's 12 year history;' ai".
A. Ruling Liberal party and_Rhee administration carried out a
comprehensive plan organized down to the lowest village to repress
the opposition and rig the vote.
B. Since Rhee was unopposed (his opponent died 15 February), heavy-
handed tactics were needed primarily to assure the election of
Rhee's vice presidential running mate, National Assembly
Speaker Yi Ki-pung.
1. Yi defeated by the incumbent vice president Chang Myon in
1956. Political observers generally expressed the opinion
Chang would have again defeated Yi in a fair election.
II. Voter intimidation and fraudulent voting methods gradually provoked
widespread resentment throughout the country which erupted into
violent disturbances and open clashes at several cities between
opposition demonstrators and the police.
A. Most serious clash, involving an estimated 5,000 persons occurred
at Masan city west of Pusan in which possibly 10 were killed
and an unknown number were injured.
B. South Korean Army Chief of Staff requested UN Command to
release Army troops for use in restoring order and permission
granted.
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The ruling party organized the voters into teams who showed
their marked ballots to each other in violation of voting safe-
guards, stuffed the ballot boxes, and tampered with the
clocks in declaring the polls open and closed.
C. Administrative trickery was used to prevent the registration
of Democratic poll, watchers; offices at which the Democrats had
to register were closed when they presented themselves or the
registration officials were absent.
D. The anti-Communist Youth Corps supplied young hoodlums who
attacked Democratic campaigners and killed at least two prior
to election day.
IV. The Democratic party late on election day challenged the validity
of voting and asserted the party would resort to legal means to
declare the election invalid.
A. Demo ats have momentarily seize d a st a to cast doubt at a
time w en there is internati al interest n election results;
their bo cott of votin and vote counting ma have lost them
sentiment.
the opporIVn,ity show the true size of the opposition
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V. Rhee will soon be 85 years old. His grip on domestic politics
is slipping and he is unable to grasp the realities of new
situations in foreign affairs. Rhee still in good physical
condition for man his age, but periods of lucidity becoming
increasingly rare.
A. New Vice President Yi Ki-pung suffering creeping paralysis
and can stand for only a few minutes and speaks with great
difficulty.
1. It would be impossible for him to assume effectively the
burdens of the presidency if he were called upon to do so.
B. Possible dissipation of the organized opposition and disillu-
sionment with democratic practices as demonstrated in the elec-
tion may force the growing opposition sentiment to express
itself in subversive channels.
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