On August 15, 1974, the National Theater of Korea was crowded. Park Chung-hee led hundreds of civil and military officials to hold a grand Liberation Day event.
Suddenly, several piercing gunshots rang out from the audience. Park Chung-hee has been practicing his reaction in the military for many years, and subconsciously leaned over to avoid the bullet, but his wife Lu Yingxiu next to him was tragically shot in the head.
If meeting Roh Young-su in 1950 was the beginning of Park Chung-hee's life transfer, then in 1974 this fatal projectile took away all his good fortune.
This day is still five years away from the bullet that shot at the heart of the Restoration.
01 Echoes of History
The post-war reshuffle of the world industrial pattern has probably gone through three rounds of window periods.
1.The post-war recovery period of the fifties.
2.The Asian Tigers of the Seventies.
3.China rose after the eighties.
In the first window of the fifties, Western Europe had the Marshall Plan, and Japan relied on North Korea for special needs. The red camp also has the construction of socialism under the support of Big Brother.
In this wave, the north side of the peninsula relied on the advantage of the camp to decisively seize the window, while the south side grabbed the air under the leadership of Dr. Li. By the time Park Chung-hee took over, the per capita GDP of the north was three times that of the south, and at that time, East Germany praised North Korea as a model of industrialization comparable to Japan, while South Korea in the south was a typical poor country with many bad people.
If it weren't for Park Chung-hee's withstanding internal and external pressure, squeezing South Korea's resources to the limit and forcibly laying the foundation for industrialization, South Korea would not have been able to seize the second round of windows and become one of the four Asian tigers.
And if you miss this window, after the 80s, the industrial maniac next door will be online. In the face of sheer scale and strength, any effort is futile.
If South Korea wants to engage in export-led industrialization counterattack, it will have to wait until today, 40 years later, like a certain Southeast Asian country that has exploded in the past two years, to find a new round of window in the gap of geopolitical games.
So in this sense, the 516 mutiny of 1961 was indeed a successful gamble. That night, Park Chung-hee gambled on the scepter of the Blue House. South Korea, on the other hand, bet on Park Chung-hee.
02 Bad cards are played
After the war, there were many fierce people in Asia, Africa and Latin America who came to power by mutiny. Among them, there are a lot of crumbs who play a good hand of cards, but there are few who can play a bad hand of cards alive, and Park Chung-hee belongs to the latter.
And how he played a bad hand alive.
To put it simply, there are two sentences: use the right people, spend the right money.
Due to the original sin of "winning the country and not doing justice", Park Chung-hee has been chasing him like a bullet since he got up from power. Therefore, he must rely on economic development to maintain his legitimacy.
Unlike Dr. Lee's kind of addiction to food, Park Chung-hee knew from the beginning that he was strong at arresting people with guns, but he still had to listen to experts when he pursued industrial development.
Two months after the 516 Mutiny, he established the Economic Planning Institute, which brought under his command a large number of top economic and technical experts in South Korea, represented by Kim Jong-yeon, Choi Hyung-sub, and Oh Won-chol.
Under the planning of these thinkers, Park Chung-hee built the framework for South Korea's industrialization step by step through the implementation of the "Five-Year Plan". As a military leader, he does not have the limitations of civilian officials and politicians, and once the policy is formulated, it can be resolutely implemented under the escort of the gun.
For example, in 1967, he listened to a report by Dr. Kim Yo-hee from Columbia University and became interested in the emerging electronics industry at the time. However, the initial investment risk of this emerging industry is large and the results are slow, and the Korean industry is generally afraid of difficulties.
So Commander Park set an example and asked his daughter Park Geun-hye to apply for the Department of Electronic Engineering of Sogang University. The boss shouted, and the younger brothers could only jump even in the fire pit, so the electronics industry began to take root in this barren land.
Later, after the assassination of Lu Young-so, Park Geun-hye took over the role of first lady. She used her major to actively campaign for the Korean electronics industry, and contributed a lot to the early foundation laying of major electronics manufacturers such as Samsung LG. Of course, these big factories later reciprocated decisively, and after more than 30 years, they single-handedly supported Princess Park to return to the Blue House.
In the country's industrial development, talent is the brain, and money is the blood. If Park Chung-hee's selection of talents is still an inspirational drama, then the process of making money is simply a history of blood and tears.
At that time, South Korea's finances were heavily dependent on the blood transfusion of Mei Dad, but Mei Dad, who was busy fighting with Su Shi on the world, had no food to spare. In order to expand financial resources, Park Chung-hee first thought of monetary reform. This trick is simple and crude, by forcibly exchanging the old and new currencies in proportion, you can gather the free funds of the people into the treasury.
But the results of this reform proved one thing, South Korea was really poor as a beggar at that time. It's just for food, and even if you scavenge it, it's not worth a few dollars.
There is no way, Commander Park can only pick up his clothes and go overseas to eat big households. In 1964, Park Chung-hee led a delegation to visit West Germany, the second largest capitalist household. At that time, seeing the prosperity of the Rhine miracle, Koreans were envious of their drooling, but people can't give you money in vain, and the monk has to recite a few verses.
But there is nothing to exchange for in South Korea, and only people can come out. So a large number of highly educated young Koreans plucked out their eyes and plunged headlong into the dimly lit mines of the West Drur region. With a hoe and a hoe, blood and sweat, in exchange for precious foreign exchange for their country.
At the end of this visit, West German Chancellor Erhard said this meaningfully to Park Chung-hee:
Let's shake hands with Japan, we fought with the French for more than 40 years, and finally reconciled."
Hearing this, Park Chung-hee showed a complicated expression on his face, and his thoughts were suddenly pulled back to the militaristic boy he was at the beginning.
03 Small country game
For Japan, Park Chung-hee has mixed feelings.
On the one hand, he was born in the era of Japanese occupation and grew up under the plaster. The "Showa flavor" on the devil's body is engraved in his blood and bones.
But on the other hand, the national hatred and family hatred of the three thousand miles of rivers and mountains made him very jealous of being labeled as pro-Japanese.
As early as 1961, when Park Chung-hee came to power, he arranged for his confidant Kim Jong-mi to visit Japan to communicate and establish diplomatic relations. At that time, the speaker of Nagata Town was the first generation of the Koikekai to be Yuto Ikeda, and the person who led the negotiations was none other than the famous Toei blunt cow Ohira Masayoshi.
The negotiations went on extremely hard, and the main focus was on the South Korean side wanting both money and an apology. The Japanese side insisted that it was okay to give money, but apologized and did not do it. In the end, although there was no negotiation, under the active mediation of the two Hongchi Association bigwigs, the two sides signed the "Daping Jin Memorandum". The basic framework was laid for subsequent negotiations.
After returning from a visit to Germany, Park Chung-hee could no longer suppress his eagerness for economic development, and he decided to make major concessions to Japan and bring about the establishment of diplomatic relations as soon as possible.
On February 17, 1965, Japanese Foreign Minister Etsuzaburo Shiina visited South Korea to negotiate the establishment of diplomatic relations. When the concierge convoy was about to arrive at the hotel, the guest car at the front of the queue was suddenly covered by rotten eggs thrown by passers-by.
Shiina sitting in the car was embarrassed and pale, but South Korean Foreign Minister Lee Dong-won, who accompanied him, was extremely calm. He explained blithelessly:
Your Excellency, don't panic, in our Korea**, eggs are used as a courtesy to welcome distinguished guests, and if they don't like you, then the greeting is a bullet."
In the same year that the two foreign ministers were fed eggs by enthusiastic citizens, South Korea and Japan formally established diplomatic relations after years of marathon negotiations. Japan provided $800 million in aid and interest-free loans to South Korea, a huge sum of money for South Korea, which had a GDP of only $3 billion at the time.
More importantly, since then, a large amount of Japanese capital and technology have begun to pour into South Korea, and the industrial specifications and corporate culture left over from the Japanese occupation era have seamlessly integrated the economic cooperation between the two countries, and have become the most valuable accelerant for South Korea's economic take-off.
It's just that the ordinary people of South Korea couldn't understand these at that time, and because the Blue House made many concessions on historical issues, a large-scale ** wave was set off across South Korea. But the people can only smash eggs but have no eggs, because the boss of this Blue House is famous for his love of catching people.
In the same year that South Korea and Japan established diplomatic relations, Park Chung-hee also opened up a channel to make money on the other side of the sea.
In 1965, he formally agreed to send troops to Vietnam by the United States.
There is only one side requirement: you have to add money.
As long as the money is in place, the festival is all broken. "Your Excellency" waved the flag of 300,000 Korean mercenaries, and took the salary of Mei Dad to the Southeast Asian rainforest.
At a cost of nearly 20,000 yuan, he earned back one billion US dollars. Later, there was a steady stream of military orders. Since the bitter fall into the tower, South Korea-US relations have entered a honeymoon period.
In 1966, when Johnson visited South Korea, Park Chung-hee held a grand banquet at Walkerhill, the best hotel on the peninsula at that time, and slapped the sycophants of the boss of Washington.
It is said that Commander Park also specially arranged a special "small office" at that time, but it was not done due to the obstruction of the wives. However, it did not affect the joy of the guests and hosts, and a large number of military aid orders were signed.
And in the same year, a former deputy of Washington also visited South Korea. Foreign Minister Li Dongyuan specially reminded that although this person is not in his current position, he cannot be neglected. Even if you don't specifically arrange a small office, the big office on the scene must be meaningful.
As a result, how could Commander Park have the delicate thoughts of these civil officials, he directly waved his pen and gave it away, and finally sent it away with a cold meal.
Only two years later, Commander Park repented for his recklessness at that time, because the former deputy ** actually turned over in 1968, and his name was Nixon.
After Nixon came to power, relations between South Korea and the United States took a sharp turn for the worse. With the improvement of Sino-US relations, Washington's strategy in the Asia-Pacific region has shrunk, and the reduction and withdrawal of US troops stationed in South Korea has been put on the agenda in full swing.
Under the strong existential crisis, the Blue House began to secretly hold on to nuclear bombs. As a result, it was detected by the CIA and touched the bottom line of the Americans. Since then, the relationship between Park Chung-hee and Washington has become more and more stiff. And it was from this moment that the bullet that had been chasing him from behind began to accelerate sharply.
04 Light and Shadow
From the laborers of West Germany, to the concessions to Japan, to the participation in the Vietnam War. Park Chung-hee has been full of the sadness of starting a business in a small country along the way.
Grab a bad handful of cards, and all that can be taken out is human life and dignity. So he can only put these two kinds of stud on the gambling board of the great power game. Luckily, this time he won again.
During the Park Chung-hee era, South Korea's economy grew at an average annual rate of nearly 10 percent, and its per capita GDP was only $87 when he took over the baton, and by the time he handed over the baton, it had risen to $1,546.
What's more, he was under pressure and almost paranoid to protect national industry. South Korea has seized the precious window period of global industrial transfer, and has laid a solid foundation and built a certain moat in key industrial fields such as chemicals, metallurgy, automobiles, shipbuilding, and electronics. This is also the most important reason why South Korea was able to build a country by manufacturing and become a developed country.
But where there is light, there is shadow. Behind the "miracle of the Han River" are the blood and tears of countless sweatshop laborers, as well as the wails of unjust cases in the KCIA interrogation room.
There have always been two main legs that have supported Park Chung-hee**: one is the development of the economy mentioned above, and the other is authoritarian and high-pressure.
After the success of the 516 mutiny, Park Chung-hee rewarded a large number of 516 cadres and helped them to high military and political positions. This included his niece-in-law, the first KCIA minister, Kim Jong-mi. and Cha Ji-cheol, who smashed the Hangang Bridge with the butt of a gun on the day of the mutiny.
In addition, there is a group of people who did not catch the car on the day of 516, but they successfully made up the ticket at Your Excellency by making up for the vote later. Among the representatives was Kim Jae-gyu, who used ruthless tactics to suppress opponents. After 516, Chun Doo-hwan, who took the lead in rebelling against the principal at the South Korean Army Non-commissioned Officer School and led the cadets to march on the streets to support General Park.
With these cadres as a team, Park Chung-hee built an intelligence network centered on three powerful organizations: the KCIA, the Security Command, and the Blue House Guardhouse.
The surveillance of the Royal Three Families has penetrated every inch of South Korea, but if there are words and deeds that are unfavorable to "Your Excellency", they will be invited to the private rooms of Namsan Mountain or West Ice Warehouse to enjoy Korean-style bones, and at worst, the world will evaporate and forget about each other. For example, Kim Dae-jung, who later became the commander, was almost thrown into Osaka Bay by KCIA** in 1973 and fed to fish.
Under the continuous high pressure, the shiny floor tiles of the Blue House were filled with the blood and tears of the people, the indignation of the chaebols, and the dissatisfaction of the military leaders. And Park Chung-hee also knew this, so he began to become more and more obsessed with power.
In October 1972, he launched a coup d'état, directly dissolved the parliament, and concentrated all the power in one person, and at the moment when he capped the scepter, the life of the hero began to flourish and decline.
On August 15, 1974, Moon Se-gwang, an overseas Korean in Japan, failed to assassinate Park Chung-hee, but killed Lu Yingxiu with one shot.
After the incident, the interior of the Cheong Wa Dae was purged. The former head of the Blue House Guard resigned, and Cha Ji-cheol was promoted to the new head of the guard office. Kim Jae-gyu, who is good at taking people with an iron fist, was also reused, and became the boss of the KCIA two years later.
Under the Restoration, Park Chung-hee extinguished all opposition. Roh Young-su was nicknamed the last opposition party in the Blue House. After the death of his wife, Park Chung-hee could no longer hear any adverse advice around him, and everyone would only flatter and obey.
As a result, the situation in various parts of South Korea began to spiral out of control, and in April 1979, large-scale popular protests broke out in the Masan area of Busan. This ** intensified, and in the angry roar of the people, one of the most tragic tragedies in the history of the Blue House kicked off.
05 Scarlet Dinner
On the evening of October 26, 1979, Park Chung-hee took Kim Jae-gyu, Cha Ji-cheol and several other henchmen to make an appointment with two beauties to hold a big party in Gongjeong-dong, a secret stronghold of KCIA.
Prior to this, the two of them had been fighting for favor. During the banquet, Cha Ji-cheol deliberately pushed the blame for the poor handling of the Buma protest to the KCIA led by Kim Jae-gyu, which angered Kim.
After drinking a few glasses of wine, he left for an excuse to get a pistol, and then returned to the banquet and suddenly shouted: "Your Excellency can do a good job in politics with such a worm with you."
Then he shot Cha Ji-cheol with one shot, and then without doing anything, he fired a backhand at Park Chung-hee. The bullet went through Park Chung-hee's right chest and pierced his back, and he fell on the body of the female singer next to him, covered in blood.
At this time, Kim Jae-gyu wanted to refill the gun and kill Cha Ji-cheol, but the pistol suddenly jammed. In a panic, he came to the porch, asked his subordinates for Zuo ***, and then went back to the house and killed Cha Ji-cheol, and finally shot Park Chung-hee in the head.
At this point, a generation of heroes died on the spot. And the fate of countless people was completely changed with this gunshot.
On that night, 53-year-old Kim Jae-gyu walked out of the room in a panic and got into the car of Jung Seung-ho, the chief of the army staff, and then one of his choices completely changed the fate of the two.
That night, the 48-year-old Chun Doo-hwan didn't know what was happening. But the call he gave to him by his younger brother on duty at the Blue House also completely changed his fate.
That night, Ms. Park, 27, also had no idea what was happening. By the time she got the news, the princess's fate had been changed. She moved out of the Blue House that year, and she moved back 33 years later.
Life is a box of chocolates, and if you don't eat it yourself, you never know what the next one will taste like.
If you turn the hour hand forward a little more, it will be on the morning of the Miyajeong-dong murder. Park Chung-hee took his Air Force One *** to inspect the field, and he deliberately asked the pilot to take a detour over Asan Bay, because there was the Chungmu Gong Yi Sun-sin's shrine there.
When he was young, Yi Sunsin was his idol in the army, and later Yi Sunsin became his silent fetters.
Across the time and space of the years, the chocolate of their lives has chewed the same taste, and the two of them have the same disease, neither of them expects the judgment of the contemporary, but only provokes the historical responsibility to move forward.
It's just that Park Chung-hee doesn't know at this moment that his chocolate is only the last one left.