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Jang, Myeon (Chang Myon) 1899- 1966

When the First Republic fell and the National Assembly adopted a new constitution in August 1960, Jang was chosen as prime minister.

Biography

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JANG MYEON (1899-1966). Educated in the United States, Jang taught at a secondary commercial school during the Japanese colonial period. Following the liberation of Korea in 1945, he served as a member of the Representative Democratic Connell
and a member of the South Korean Interim Legislative Assembly. He was elected to the Constituent Assembly in May 1948 as a moderate nationalist. Jang was sent to the United States by President Syngman Rhee as ambassador in 1949. In 1950 he served as head of the South Korean observer mission to the United Nations. After serving as prime minister in 1951 , he resigned from the post and became a prominent opposition leader, forming the Democratic Party in 1955 in cooperation with Shin Ik-hui. Elected in 1956 as vice president of the Republic, Jang was shot and slightly wounded by a would-be assassin in September, in one of many political assassination and assassination attempts during this period.

Jang was nominated by the Democratic Party as vice presidential candidate for the March 1960 presidential elections, but was defeated. In the heat of the April 1960 Student Uprising, Jang resigned the vice presidency although his term of office did not expire until May. When the First Republic fell, and the National Assembly adopted a new constitution, in August 1960 Jang was chosen as prime minister by the National Assembly. The Military Revolution of 16 May 1961 forced him to resign on 18 May 1961. Jang was purged by the military junta and retired from politics.

All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of the publisher. (Historical Dictionary of the Republic of Korea, by Andrew C. Nahm and James E. Hoare, published by RLPG Books, appears by permission of the author and publisher).

Popular Documents

May 21, 1961

Cable from the Chinese Embassy in North Korea, 'Contents of the May 18th North Korean Party Central Standing Committee Meeting'

A Chinese report on a Meeting of the Central Standing Committee in which the North Koreans negatively reflected on the Park Chung Hee coup in South Korea.

July 25, 1960

Journal of Soviet Ambassador in the DPRK A.M. Puzanov for 25 July 1960

Kim Il Sung and Puzanov discuss the events in South Korea and the establishment of a Central Bureau for South Korean Issues in the DPRK.

May 20, 1961

Cable from the Chinese Representative Office in the UK, 'Britain’s Reaction to the South Korean Military Coup'

The Chinese Diplomatic Representative's Office in Britain reports that the US had no prior intelligence about the South Korean military coup, which the British public believes to be a result of repression under Jang Myeon and growing corruption rather than American interference. While Britain doubts that the coup clique will be able to run South Korea, it has no power to intervene because South Korea falls within the United States' 'sphere of influence.'

May 17, 1961

Cable from the Chinese Embassy in Sweeden, 'Swedish News Publications’ Comments on the South Korean Coup'

The Chinese Embassy in Sweden summarizes the reaction in the local press to the coup in South Korea.

May 24, 1960

Journal of Soviet Ambassador in the DPRK A.M. Puzanov for 24 May 1960

Pak Seong-cheol provides Puzanov with a thoroughgoing analysis of the situation in South Korea and the Korean question at the United Nations following Syngman Rhee's removal from power.