CONTINUING UNREST IN KOREA IS FEARED

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00965R000302640106-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 26, 2012
• Sequence Number: 106
• Publication Date: May 28, 1980
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/09/26: C
ARTICLE APTEARLD'
ON PAGE
NEW YORK TIMES
28 1,2\Y 1980
CONTINUING UNREST
IN KOREA IS FEARED
U.S. Worried That Military Will Try
to Maintain Dictatorship After
Putting Down Rebellion
By BERNARD GWERTZNIAN
Special to The New YorirTunes. .
WASHINGTON, May 27 ? High-rank-
ing Administration officials said today
that the United States was deeply worried
over the possibility, that South Korean
military. leaders, having quelled a civil-
ian rebellion in Kwangju, might. try to
maintain a semblance of military dicta-
torship in South Korea.
"I view the- situation as very danger-
ous," cne senior State Department offi-
cial said. The Administration's concern
was that the South Korean population,
having been promised an end to authori-
tarian rule; would not accept a new re-
gime headed by Lieut. Gen. Chon Too
Hwan, and that further disorders were a
possibility.
In addition, American intelligence offi-
cials said that GenerarChon did not Kaye
the backing oraliThe senior officers and
that the possibility. of fragmentation
within the South 'Korean military could
not be &trussed. ..
With some 39,000 American troops sta-
tioned in South Korea, and about that
many having lost their lives in the Ko-
rean War, whose 30th anniversary falls
next month, the United States has always
had a deep interest in political develop-
ments in that strategically located coun-
try.
U.S. Concern Over Korea Is Strong
The concern about Korea has been
strong In this,Administration because of
President Carter's decision, later sus-
pended, to withdraw all combat troops,
and because of the Administration's pres-
sure on South Korean authorities to liber-
alize their society, a trend that seemed to
be picking up momentum immediately
after the assassination of President Park
Chung Hee last October.
But General Chon and his military sup-
porters took control of the military in
December and earlier ' this month im-
posed martial law throughout the country
following demonstrations protesting the
slowed-down pace of liberalization.-
IA-RDP90-00965R000302640106-3
The military operation in Kwangju was
regarded as inevitable by Administration
officials who had earlier counseled maxi-
mum restraint on the part of both civil-
ians and military to avoid heavy casual-
ties. However, one official said today that
the number of those reported killed in the
fighting yesterday was "happily on the
low side."
Publicly, the State Department said
that it regretted that the situation in
Kwangju had "reached the point that it
did." But the fact that there was now
relative calm was seen by American offi-
cials as providing a chance to find ways
of ending the domestic crisis. .1
?
-.4Spirit of Reconciliation'
The State Department said that "it is
most ? important that the underlying
issues be addressed in a spirit of recon-
ciliation of 'all elements of Korean soci-
Since the imposition of martial law 10
days ago, many prominent civilian politi-
cians have been arrested, much to the
United States' concern. These include
Kim Dae Jung, the opposition leader, who
is from South Cholla province of which
Kwangju is the capital, and Kim Jong Pil,
Prime Minister under President Park,
who is the leader, of the ruling Demo.
cratic Republican Party.
The State Department said that it
wanted "progress to be resumed toward
establishment of a broadly based civilian
government." There seems, however, to
be little inclination at this time by the
United States to do more than exhort the
South Koreans to accept its advice. One
senior official, asked today what the
United States was going to do, replied,
"Do you have any ideas?"
Firm U.S. Action Urged
Korean-Americans seeking a more lib-1
eral government in South Korea have
urged Washington to act more firmly, but
the Administration for the moment does
not want to do anything that might con-
tribute to instability in South Korea.
If the United States is seen as directly
opposed to General Chon, officials said, it
could touch off disorders within the Ko-
rean military. The hope here is for a mix-
ture of private and public persuasion to
turn the South Koreans back toward civil-
ian rule.
Meanwhile, officials said there were
still no signs that North Korea was
prepar'og any action against South
. Korea, though North Korean forces were
reported on maximum alert. One official
said there were some signs of increased
efforts by North Korea to infiltrate
agents into the South, perhaps to capital-
ize on the disorders.
STAT
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/09/26: CIA-RDP90-00965R000302640106-3