Fifth Republic of Korea

South Korea’s authoritarian constitutional order under President Chun Doo-hwan, established in 1981 and replaced by a democratic constitutional order in 1988.

1980 Constitution of South Korea: South Korea’s constitution promulgated in 1980, which established the institutional framework of Chun Doo-hwan’s government. It set the rules that structured presidential selection and state power during the Fifth Republic.
Coup d'état of December Twelfth: The 1979 military coup in which Chun Doo-hwan and allied officers seized control of South Korea’s army leadership. It enabled Chun’s faction to dominate the state before the republic was formally established.
June Democratic Struggle: The mass protest movement in South Korea in June 1987 that forced the ruling government to accept democratic reforms. It broke the regime’s resistance to direct presidential elections.
Kim Dae-jung: South Korean opposition leader who later served as president from 1998 to 2003. His prosecution and death sentence after 1980 made him a prominent target of the regime.
Samchung Re-education Camp: A detention and forced-labor camp established by South Korea’s military government in 1980. It exemplified the coercive social-control policies inherited by the Fifth Republic.
National Conference for Unification: A South Korean body whose delegates elected the president under the constitutional system adopted in 1972. Its delegates formally elected Chun to the presidency in 1981.
May 17 coup d'état: The 1980 military takeover that expanded martial law, dissolved the National Assembly, and arrested political opponents. It cleared the way for Chun’s government and a new constitutional order.
June 29 Declaration: Roh Tae-woo’s 1987 announcement accepting direct presidential elections and a package of democratic reforms. It marked the government’s decisive concession during the crisis that ended the Fifth Republic.
Kim Young-sam: South Korean opposition politician and president from 1993 to 1998. His exclusion from politics and later role in the 1987 transition made him a central opponent.
People’s Revolutionary Party Incident: A 1970s South Korean state prosecution of alleged communist activists, later recognized as fabricated and wrongful. Its legacy highlighted the political repression and state violence preceding Chun’s rule.

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Fourth Republic of KoreaBroader topic: It succeeded the Fourth Republic after the 1980 constitutional transition.