Skip to main content
Support
Article

Dong-a Ilbo: Why North Korea did not criticize South Korea when it declared the Yushin Constitution in October 1972 revealed

A recent article in the Dong-a Ilbo cites evidence obtained and disseminated by NKIDP to explain why North Korea did not criticize South Korea following the declaration of the Yushin Constitution in October 1972.

A recent article in the Dong-a Ilbo cites evidence obtained and disseminated by NKIDP to explain why North Korea did not criticize South Korea following the declaration of the Yushin Constitution in October 1972.

According to the article, despite the historic July 4, 1972, Joint Communiqué that marked a high point in inter-Korean relations, later that year in October, President Park Chung Hee of South Korea declared the Yushin Constitution. Both the friendly US and the hostile DPRK remained remarkably silent regarding this development.

According to documents released by the Woodrow Wilson Center’s North Korea International Documentation Project in cooperation with the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, North Korea revised its initial plan to criticize the South Korean government because it wanted to maintain its leverage for the peaceful reunification of the Korean Peninsula through dialogue. It chose to continue its aggressive peace offensive strategy to eventually establish a unified communist Korea.

The United States, on the other hand, did not intervene for the sake of stability on the Korean peninsula. The US government did not want to undermine Park Chung Hee and make him susceptible to North Korean criticisms or attacks.

The article was published in the Korean, Japanese, Chinese (Simplified), and Chinese (Traditional) versions of the Dong-a Ilbo.

To view the article in Korean, please see the following link: http://news.donga.com/Politics/3/00/20121016/50132794/1

Related Programs

North Korea International Documentation Project

The North Korea International Documentation Project serves as an informational clearinghouse on North Korea for the scholarly and policymaking communities, disseminating documents on the DPRK from its former communist allies that provide valuable insight into the actions and nature of the North Korean state. It is part of the Wilson Center's History and Public Policy Program.  Read more

Hyundai Motor-Korea Foundation Center for Korean History and Public Policy

The Center for Korean History and Public Policy was established in 2015 with the generous support of the Hyundai Motor Company and the Korea Foundation to provide a coherent, long-term platform for improving historical understanding of Korea and informing the public policy debate on the Korean peninsula in the United States and beyond.  Read more