CURRENT INTELLIGENCE WEEKLY REVIEW

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005632700
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: June 24, 2015
• Document Release Date: March 29, 2011
• Case Number: F-2010-00766
• Publication Date: May 18, 1961

(b)0
U`RRENT
REVIEW
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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
OFFICE OF CURRENT INTELLIGENCE
 CURRENT INTELLIGENCE: WEEKLY REVIEW
A force of some 3,606 army
troops and marines, led by Maj.
Gen, Pak 'Chong-hui, deputy com-
mander of 'South Korea's Second
Army, seized Seoul an 16 May
and deposed-the' government of
Prime Minister Chang Myon.
Pak's group professes friend-
ship-for the United States and
a desire to eliminate official
corruption and strengthen the
national economy, after which
it will purportedly return the
government to civilian authority,.
Pak, a former officer in
the Japanese Army, joinedthe
South Korean Army in 1946, Two
years later he was sentenced to
ten years' imprisonment for
Communist activities, but he
was recalled-to service at the
outbreak of the Korean war in
1950. He is note known to have
re-established hisformer Com-
munist contacts.
The revolutionary junta
has declared martial law and
named a temporary all-military
cabinet. All major population
centers are believed quiet, and
the city of Taegu reportedly his
been returned to civilian au-
thority.. In Seoul, leftist news-
papermen reportedly have been
arrested and all . suspected Com-
munists ordered taken into custody,
Lt.;Gen.Yi Han-lim,com-
manding general of the First
Army, which is, deployed along
the Demilitarized Zone facing
North Korea, is holding his men
in position and has declared
that he 'and all his officers
and men support the military
Army Ch:
Gen. Chang To-yong has accepted
the chairmanship of Pak's Mili-
tary Revolutionary Committee,
Chang said he did so with the
understanding that there would
be no mass punishment or vio-
lence against individuals, that
a new cabinet wouldbe formed
composed of the best men avail-
able, and that troops would be
withdrawn from the capital city
"at the earliest opportunity."
He noted that the committee
agreed to the last condition
provided troops remained until
the position of the United
States toward the coup was clear.
Following the takeover,. Prime
Minister Chang failed to rally
any support for his administra-
tion.on 18 May he announced the
resignation of his government
over Seoul radio. This action
has provided a cloak of legality
for the coup and opened the way
for transitionalmeasures within
a constitutional framework.
With the cooperation of
:President Yun Po-sun, Lt. Gen.
Chang appears to be working for
a transfer of power to a nonparty
government composed of civilians
and some military officers. There
is,someindication that Pak Chong-
hui might agree to such an ar-
rangement.
Initial Communist propaganda
reaction reflected a lack of
first-handinformation on the
coup--North Korea, for example,
announced the event some six
hours after it had taken place
and then was forced to rely on
Seoul press statements as news
sources. Subsequently,, however,
Pyongyang denounced'the coup
leaders as "flagrantly reaction-
ary" in a statement expressing
hope that things may yet develop
to the Communists' advantage.
While hailing Chang Myon's down-
fail., the statement depicted
SouthKorean troops as "deceived
and misled" and urge.. them to
take "internal problems firmly in
their hands," Moscow and Peiping
also have fabled the coup group re-