Second Republic of Korea

South Korea’s parliamentary republic, established in 1960 after the April Revolution and ended by a military coup led by Park Chung Hee in May 1961.

Parliamentary system: A system of government in which the executive depends on the confidence of the legislature. The Second Republic replaced the presidency-centered First Republic with cabinet government responsible to the National Assembly.
April Revolution: The 1960 South Korean uprising that forced President Syngman Rhee from power. Its success made the Second Republic possible.
May 16 coup: The 1961 military coup that overthrew South Korea’s Second Republic. It ended the republic and transferred power to a military junta.
Presidential system: A system of government in which a president leads the executive independently of legislative confidence. The Second Republic rejected the presidential arrangement that had concentrated power under Rhee.
Prime Minister of South Korea: The head of government and cabinet in South Korea’s parliamentary system. Prime Minister Chang Myon led the government during the Second Republic.
Syngman Rhee: South Korea’s first president, who ruled from 1948 until his resignation in 1960. His authoritarian rule and disputed reelection provoked the uprising that preceded the republic.
Park Chung Hee: South Korean military officer and politician who seized power in 1961 and later became president. He led the coup that ended the parliamentary republic.
Fourth Republic of Korea: South Korea’s authoritarian constitutional order from 1972 to 1981, established under Park Chung Hee. Its highly centralized presidency contrasts with the Second Republic’s cabinet-led government.
National Assembly of South Korea: South Korea’s unicameral national legislature, which enacts laws and oversees the government. The Assembly became the central institution of the republic’s parliamentary order.
March 15 election: South Korea’s 1960 presidential election, widely condemned as fraudulent and manipulated for Syngman Rhee’s benefit. The election’s rigging sparked demonstrations that grew into the April Revolution.

Linked from 6 pages