South Korea: Breaking a Promise

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In the closing days of his 1987 electoral campaign, South Korean President Roh Tae Woo made a surprising pledge. If he won the country’s first free elections in nearly two decades, the handpicked successor to ex-General Chun Doo Hwan promised to submit his administration to an interim vote of confidence — giving wary voters, in essence, a chance to change their mind. But last week, citing the danger of “social chaos,” Roh broke his campaign promise and indefinitely postponed the long-awaited referendum.

Roh also ordered a sharp crackdown on dissidents, arming police divisions with M-16 rifles and abandoning a policy that prohibited firing on protesters. The move sparked violent demonstrations in six cities. Ironically, Roh’s original decision to cancel the referendum had won widespread support, including that of opposition leaders, who feared a positive vote would damage their own chances in the elections scheduled for 1992.