SEOUL, Oct 22: Former South Korean president Choi Kyu-Hah, a civilian who briefly held office between two military dictators, died on Sunday. He was 87. Choi was in a coma early on Sunday when he was taken to Seoul National University Hospital where he was pronounced dead, hospital officials said. He had been suffering from heart disease in recent years.
“The direct cause of death has turned out to be heart failure,” Choi Hung-Sun, chief secretary to the ex-leader, told journalists at the hospital.
Choi began his career as a government official in 1946. He was foreign minister from 1967 to 1971 and prime minister from 1976 to 1979, the year then president Park Chung-Hee was assassinated by his security chief.
Park’s authoritarian 1961-79 rule had been marked by dramatic economic achievements but also by a severe clampdown on dissent.
After the October assassination Prime Minister Choi took over and in December that year became the country’s 10th president. As acting president he had repealed Park’s emergency decree banning criticism of the constitution and released major opposition leaders and dissidents from prison or house arrest.
But Choi’s days as civilian leader were numbered. The same month he officially took office, Major-General Chun Doo-Hwan and close allies effectively staged a coup against his government.
They soon removed the army chief of staff and by early 1980 virtually controlled the administration.
In April 1980, under increasing pressure, Choi appointed Chun as head of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency.
In May Chun declared martial law and became de facto ruler. Pro-democracy protests culminated in the Gwangju Massacre of May 1980 in which more than 200 civilians were killed by troops.
Choi resigned soon afterwards and Chun became president on Sept 1, 1980.—AFP
