Politics14 September 1969

Third-Term Amendment

An amendment allowing a president three terms was pushed through by ruling-party members alone in an annex of the National Assembly.

Citing growth and security, the Park government sought an amendment allowing three consecutive terms. Opposition parties and students campaigned against it, but before dawn on 14 September 1969 ruling-party members gathered in an Assembly annex and passed it irregularly; a referendum confirmed it in October.

In the 1971 presidential election Park defeated Kim Dae-jung of the New Democratic Party to win a third term.

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States and rulers at the time: South Korea — President Park Chung-hee

People

Park Chung-hee1917 – 1979
leader · 5th–9th President (1963–1979). Led the May 16 coup, the five-year economic plans and the Yushin system; killed in the October 26 incident
Kim Dae-jung1924 – 2009
related figure · 15th President (1998–2003), the first transfer of power to the opposition by election. Steered recovery from the currency crisis and held the first inter-Korean summit; Nobel Peace Prize 2000

Before and after

Earlier: 1968 January 21 Incident
Later: 1970 Saemaul Movement