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Choi Kyu-hah

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In this Korean name, the family name is Choi.

Choi Kyu-hah
Official portrait, 1979
4th President of South Korea
In office
6 December 1979 – 16 August 1980[a][1]
Prime Minister
Preceded byPark Chung Hee
Succeeded byPark Choong-hoon (acting)
Chun Doo-hwan
12th Prime Minister of South Korea
In office
19 December 1975 – 12 March 1976 (acting)
PresidentPark Chung Hee
DeputyNam Duck-woo
Shin Hyun-hwak
Preceded byKim Jong-pil
Succeeded byHimself
In office
13 March 1976 – 5 December 1979[b]
PresidentPark Chung Hee
Preceded byHimself
Succeeded byHan-bin Lee (acting)
Shin Hyun-hwak
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office
30 June 1967 – 4 June 1971
PresidentPark Chung Hee
Preceded byChung Il-kwon
Succeeded byKim Yong-shik
Personal details
Born(1919-07-16)16 July 1919
Genshū-gun, Kōgen-dō, Korea, Empire of Japan
Died22 October 2006(2006-10-22) (aged 87)
Mapo, Seoul, South Korea
Resting placeDaejeon National Cemetery
PartyIndependent
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1935; died 2004)​
Tokyo Higher Normal School
Kangwon National University (Honorary Doctor of Laws)
Signature
Korean name
Hangul
최규하
Hanja
崔圭夏
RRChoe Gyuha
MRCh'oe Kyuha
Art name
Hangul
현석
Hanja
玄石
RRHyeonseok
MRHyŏnsŏk
Courtesy name
Hangul
서옥
Hanja
瑞玉
RRSeook
MRSŏok

Choi Kyu-hah (Korean: 최규하, pronounced [tɕʰø ɡjuha, - kjuha]; 16 July 1919 – 22 October 2006) was a South Korean politician who served as the fourth president of South Korea from 1979 to 1980. An independent politician, he served as the prime minister under the administration of President Park Chung Hee from 1975 to 1979.[2]

Early life

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Choi was born in Wonju-myeon, Wonju, Kōgen-dō, Korea, Empire of Japan (now in Gangwon Province, South Korea). Choi was born into a yangban (upper class) family; his grandfather had been a scholar at the Sungkyunkwan. During this period, Choi used the Japanese name Umehara Keiichi (梅原圭一).

After graduating from Kyunggi High School and the Tokyo Higher Normal School (today the University of Tsukuba) with diplomas in English language and literature, Choi briefly worked as a teacher at the Taikyū Public Junior High School, before moving to Manchukuo for studies at the Taidō Academy [ja]. Choi graduated in 1943; two years later he became a professor at the Seoul National University of Education.[3][4]

Choi served as Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs in 1959,[5][6] Ambassador to Malaysia from 1964 to 1967, and Minister of Foreign Affairs of South Korea from 1967 to ~1972.[7][8]

Presidency (1979–1980)

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Choi Kyu-hah
Official portrait, 1979
Presidency of Choi Kyu-hah
6 December 1979 – 16 August 1980
Cabinet
Full list
Party
Independent
Election
1979
Seoul
ConstituencyFourth Republic

After the assassination of Park Chung Hee in 1979, Choi became acting president; the prime minister stood next in line for the presidency under Article 48 of the Yushin Constitution.[9] Due to the unrest resulting from Park's authoritarian rule, Choi promised democratic elections, as under Park elections had been widely seen as rigged. Choi also promised a new constitution to replace the highly authoritarian Yushin Constitution. Choi was the sole candidate in an election on 6 December for the balance of Park's term, becoming the country's fourth president.[10][11][12]

Coup and resignation

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On 12 December 1979, Major General Chun Doo-hwan and close allies within the military staged a coup d'état against Choi's government. They quickly removed the army chief of staff and other loyalists who had sworn loyalty to Choi based on his promise of a more open society. Rejecting an arrest warrant for the chief of staff early that evening, the arrest warrant was only approved by Choi retrospectively after they had already been arrested by the morning of 13 December.[13] Chun virtually controlled the government by early 1980, with Choi rendered as a mere figurehead.

In April 1980, due to increasing pressure from Chun and other politicians, Choi appointed Chun head of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency. He attempted to press ahead with new elections laws as part of the so-called Seoul Spring.[14] In May, Chun declared martial law and dropped all pretense of civilian government, becoming the de facto ruler of the country and reducing Choi to a figurehead. By then, student protests were escalating in Seoul and Gwangju. The protests in Gwangju resulted in the Gwangju uprising in which at least 200 civilians were killed within that period by Chun's military.

Persuaded by Kim Chung-yul,[15] Choi was forced to resign, stating he wished to "leave behind a precedent of peaceful transfer of power."[16][17] Prime Minister Park Choong-hoon became acting president, until Chun's election as President on 1 September 1980.

Post-presidency (1980–2006)

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After his resignation, Choi lived quietly out of the public eye and died on 22 October 2006.[18] His funeral was held on 26 October 2006, and was attended by President Roh Moo-hyun, first lady Kwon Yang-sook, Prime Minister Han Myeong-sook, and former presidents Chun Doo-hwan, Kim Young-sam and Kim Dae-jung. Choi was buried in Daejeon National Cemetery.[19]

Honours

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National

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Foreign

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Order of King Abdulaziz (Saudi Arabia)
Order of Mubarak the Great (Kuwait)

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The 2023 South Korean movie 12.12: The Day portrays President Choi under the pseudonym "Choi Han-gyu".[20]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Acting: 26 October 1979 – 6 December 1979
  2. ^ Shin Hyun-hwak served as acting prime minister from 15 to 22 November 1979.

References

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  1. ^ Cortez, Laura (31 October 1979). "Korean presidential aide arrested in connection with assassination". The Battalion.
  2. ^ "Seoul, Republic of Korea Joint Communiqué Issued at the Conclusion of Meetings With President Park". www.presidency.ucsb.edu. 1 July 1979.
  3. ^ Hyun-woo, Nam (31 January 2016). "Choi Kyu-hah: the president who was more bureaucrat than politician".
  4. ^ Halloran, Richard (27 October 1979). "Park's Faithful Successor".
  5. ^ Jong-jin, Won (22 October 2006). "비운의 대통령 최규하" (in Korean).
  6. ^ Jae-young, Choi (23 October 2006). "최규하 前대통령 '역사의 진실' 끝내 가슴에 묻고…" (in Korean).
  7. ^ "Former Ministers". www.mofa.go.kr.
  8. ^ YOUNG-GI, CHUN; BONG-MOON, KIM (25 July 2015). "How Lee Hu-rak did 1972 end run to North Korea". Retrieved 17 December 2025.
  9. ^ Times, Richard Halloran Special to The New York (27 October 1979). "Park's Faithful Successor". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331.
  10. ^ Times, Henry Scott Stokes Special to The New York (10 November 1979). "SOUTH KOREA CALLS PRESIDENTIAL VOTE". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331.
  11. ^ Times, Henry Scott Stokes Special to The New York (21 December 1979). "Korean President Assumes Office; Doubts Democratic Shift Before '81". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331.
  12. ^ "President Choi's Chance in Korea". The New York Times. 10 December 1979. ISSN 0362-4331.
  13. ^ "Tough General Who Appears in Control of Seoul". The New York Times. 18 December 1979.
  14. ^ Times, Henry Scott Stokes Special To the New York (17 April 1980). "Seoul Pressing Ahead on New Charter; New Election Laws Planned Finland's Charter Cited". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331.
  15. ^ "[삶과추억] 신현확 전 국무총리". 중앙일보 (in Korean). JoongAng IlBo. 27 April 2007.
  16. ^ Times, Henry Scott Stokes Special To the New York (16 August 1980). "President Resigns in South Korea To Make Way for Army Strongman; President Had Little Influence President Resigns in Seoul to Make Room for General". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331.
  17. ^ "최규하 대통령 하야". 중앙일보 (in Korean). JoongAng Ilbo. 16 August 1980.
  18. ^ "Obituary: Choi Kyu Hah, 87, led S. Korea in turbulent era". The New York Times. 22 October 2006. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  19. ^ "Daejeon National Cemetery Timeline". Daejeon National Cemetery. Retrieved 28 September 2014.
  20. ^ Lim, Jeong-won (2023). "2023.11.23 Now Playing". Korea Joongang Daily. Retrieved 5 December 2023.
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