Derek Burney: My strange three years amid the craziness of South Korean politics
First there were protests, then the president was assassinated. The last time I saw his replacement, he had me frog-marched out of the building
Published Dec 10, 2024
A South Korean army tank patrols the streets of Seoul on Oct. 27, 1979, after martial law was declared following the assassination of president Park Chung-Hee. Derek H. Burney was Canada's ambassador in Seoul at the time. Photo by Kim Chon-Kil / The Associated Press
The recent failed attempt by President Yoon Suk Yeol to impose martial law in South Korea evoked eerie memories of another highly tumultuous time in Korean history, while I was serving as Canada’s ambassador in Seoul (1978-80).
In October 1979, president Park Chung-Hee, who had seized power in a military coup in 1961 and who ruled authoritatively for 17+ years, was assassinated by the director of...
