[2017-05-23]









It has been 56 years since Park Chung Hee launched the May 16 military coup at the instigation of the US master.
Clearly worried about the growing calls in south Korea for independent and peaceful reunification and anti-fascist democracy since the April 1960 popular uprising, the US manipulated Park Chung Hee behind the scenes to stage a military coup on the early morning of May 16 1961 and start military fascist dictatorship.
The military coup stamped out the reunification zeal which raged fiercely with the April 19 uprising as a momentum, and the dark age of the most brutal military dictatorship began in south Korea.
Park Chung Hee unhesitatingly threw away the great reunification programme agreed upon by the north and south and persistently sought confrontation with the fellow countrymen while arguing for “confrontation existing with dialogue” in a bid to perpetuate the division of the nation.
As soon as he agreed on the July 4 joint statement, he overturned the agreements saying “they cannot stake their fate on a piece of paper” and went against the nation’s desire for reunification advocating “confrontation existing with dialogue” and “co-existence with dialogue”.
He argued “the UN is not outside force” and “the longer the US forces are present, the better” in order to deny the principle of national independence on which both sides agreed to resolve the reunification issue by the nation’s own efforts without relying on any foreign forces. He begged for eternal US’ presence in south Korea and challenged the principle of peaceful reunification with confrontation and war preparations and that of great national unity with vicious “anti-communist” rackets.
He even published a “special statement” arguing for a simultaneous entry of both sides into the UN soon after the signature of the joint statement, openly revealing his intention to keep national division going.
He turned his back on the fair and aboveboard five-point policy for national reunification the DPRK put forward to overcome grave obstacles standing in the way of national reunification. He was bent on fixing a two-Korea policy saying “the tragedy of reunification is greater than that of division”. He persisted in the provocation for war against the north on the pretext of “threat of southward invasion”.
Finally he was shot to death by his close associate, which shows clearly how miserable fate awaits those who are against the national desire for reunification.
Park Geun Hye revived Yushin dictatorship after taking power and plunged inter-Korean relations into the worst ever crisis by insisting on heinous confrontation with the fellow countrymen while dreaming of a “system unification”, but she was also given a stern judgment like her father for her anti-reunification crimes.
The fall of Park Chung Hee and Park Geun Hye is a natural outcome of their thrice-cursed crimes of completely rupturing inter-Korean relationship by following foreign forces and conducting reckless acts of confrontation with the fellow countrymen running against the nationals’ wish for independent reunification.
Dialogue and confrontation are incompatible.
It is self-evident that détente and improvement of relations are impossible while inciting antagonism and confrontation, and national independence and peaceful reunification can never be achieved by following foreign forces that want the division of Korea and war of aggression.
Confrontation is division and following of foreign forces is anti-reunification.
The anti-reunification crimes of the Yushin dictator should never be repeated on this land and south Koreans should bid farewell to the old era when they mistrusted and were hostile to the fellow countrymen, following outside forces.
It is high time that both sides of Korea shook hands as partners of reunification, improved relations in the spirit of By Our Nation Itself and from the viewpoint of national independence and opened a broad avenue to reunification.
If they want inter-Korean fence-mending and national reunification, all nationals, whatever they are, should draw a serious lesson from the heinous crimes of the Yushin dictator and start with a clean slate in response to the patriotic initiative calling for opening a broad avenue to independent reunification.
 
By Choe Yong Nam PT