The White House put the squeeze on the Blue House last week, and South Korea's month-long political crisis vanishedfor the moment. Bowing to Washington's wishes, General Park Chung Hee, who occupies Seoul's blue-roofed presidential mansion, agreed to let civilian politicians have their say until next autumn.
The victory belonged in large part to the man who relayed the U.S. pressure, short, wiry, U.S. Ambassador Samuel D. Berger. Called "Silent Sam" by the Korean press for his reluctance to make public pronouncements, Careerist Berger, 51, is a discreet, effective, behind-the-scenes diplomat. When General Park last month imposed a new ban on civilian...
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