Shortly after he seized power in a 1961 coup, South Korea's President Chung Hee Park revised the constitution, limiting the chief executive's tenure to two terms. Park wanted to make certain that there could never be another marathon reign like that of former President Syngman Rhee, who ruled for 13 years. Last week, after eight years in power, Park declared his intention to alter the constitution to allow himself to run in 1971 for a third term. If successful, Park would be in office until 1976—one year longer than Rhee.
Park's opponents have long feared that he was plotting to...
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