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Maybe you know more about the history of South Korea, but the time between the USAMGIK and the Sixth Republic, but calling South Korea free - even "-ish"- sound
by kelseyfrog 3y ago
Maybe you know more about the history of South Korea, but the time between the USAMGIK and the Sixth Republic, but calling South Korea free - even "-ish"- sounds like a stretch.
The Fifth Republic was a military dictatorship that promised democratic reforms that never materialized. The June 29 Declaration specifically called for the holding of direct presidential elections and restoration of civil rights - two items which don't exactly scream free.
- leereeves 3y agoI don't think this should be downvoted. I don't know anything about the post-war history of Korea, but your comment led me to look it up, and according to Wikipedia, between 1948 and 1987, South Korea was ruled by a succession of corrupt authoritarian elected governments and military dictatorships. Not a great triumph of America's professed values, but consistent with America's actual support for anti-communist dictators around the world. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fifth_Republic_of_Korea https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fifth_Republic_of_Korea
- rich_sasha 3y agoMy point of reference is North Korea. I don't know much about SK internal politics, but I know which one I'd rather live in.
- kelseyfrog 3y agoCan't we choose any country to compare it to NK and say it's free? I have standards and they say that living under a dictator with civil rights suspended isn't free even if the neighbor is worse. What are your standards?