PoliticsAugust 1960 – May 1961

Chang Myon Cabinet

After the April Revolution the constitution was changed to a parliamentary, bicameral system, and Chang Myon of the victorious Democratic Party became prime minister.

Prime Minister Chang Myon, 1961
Bureau of Public Information - 공보처 홍보국 사진담당관 · Public domain · Source

After Rhee stepped down, Heo Jeong’s caretaker government amended the constitution in June 1960 to create a parliamentary cabinet system and a two-chamber legislature (House of Representatives and House of Councillors). The Democratic Party won the 29 July election by a wide margin, and the Assembly elected Yun Po-sun president and Chang Myon prime minister.

The Chang cabinet passed a retroactive amendment to punish those behind the rigged election and drew up a five-year economic plan. But the Democratic Party’s old and new factions kept feuding, while student calls for North–South student talks ("Let’s go north, come south") and many other protests followed. It fell in the May 16 coup of 1961.

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States and rulers at the time: South Korea — President Yun Po-sun

People

Chang Myon1899 – 1966
leader · Elected vice president in 1956; prime minister under the parliamentary system after the April Revolution (1960–1961)
Yun Po-sun1897 – 1990
participant · 4th President (1960–1962), elected by the National Assembly under the parliamentary system after the April Revolution; resigned after the May 16 coup
Heo Jeong1896 – 1988
related figure · Politician who led the caretaker government after Syngman Rhee resigned in the April Revolution, overseeing the parliamentary-system amendment and the 29 July election

Before and after

Earlier: 1960 April Revolution
Later: 1961 May 16 Military Coup

Themes that include this event

Changing Unification Policies1948 – 2018
From “march north” to the Panmunjom Declaration — inter-Korean relations from confrontation to dialogue, through joint statements and agreements to summits (up to 2018)