[Politics That Day] 'Unstoppable Straight Path' 1993 Kim Young-sam... Swift Purge of Hanahoe

Targeting Hanahoe Immediately After 1993 Presidential Inauguration
"We Will Never Stop Advancing for Reform"
Even Successful Coups Punished, Leaving Lessons for History

Editor's Note‘On That Day in Politics’ is a series planning corner that looks back on Korean politics through the ‘recollection of memories’ related to notable scenes, events, and figures.

"I want to make it clear that I will never stop advancing reform. Under no circumstances will there be even an inch of retreat."

On March 8, 1993, President Kim Young-sam declared this at a luncheon with broadcasting and newspaper company presidents. That day is recorded as an important turning point in modern history. President Kim Young-sam’s message at the time was not made lightly.

On March 8, President Kim Young-sam made a significant decision. It was a resolution that would have been difficult for any wavering politician to make. It was the purge of the core of the military, known as the ‘Hanahoe,’ which was perceived as a collective of absolute power.

President Kim Young-sam waves to the attendees before leaving the venue after the inauguration ceremony.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

After winning the 1992 presidential election as the candidate of the Democratic Liberal Party (DLP), Kim Young-sam was inaugurated as president in February 1993. The DLP was a party that inherited the lineage of the Democratic Justice Party (DJP), often called the ‘Chun Doo-hwan party.’

The main current of the DLP was the Minjung faction. The Chun Doo-hwan military forces rose to the pinnacle of power in South Korea after the December 12 military coup in 1979. At the center of this was the military’s private organization, Hanahoe, mainly composed of graduates from the 11th class of the Korea Military Academy.

Chun Doo-hwan, a graduate of the 11th class of the Korea Military Academy who was favored by former President Park Chung-hee, later became president of South Korea, and his classmate Roh Tae-woo succeeded him as president. The circumstances under which they seized power are detailed in ‘Seoul Spring,’ currently the hottest topic in theaters.

Following President Roh Tae-woo, the next key figure in the Blue House was President Kim Young-sam. President Kim Young-sam surprised everyone with his relentless forward movement. On March 8, 1993, just 11 days after his inauguration, he abruptly dismissed Army Chief of Staff Kim Jin-young and Defense Security Command Commander Seo Wan-soo.

'Seoul Spring' displayed at a movie theater in Seoul on the 26th of last month [Image source=Yonhap News]

President Kim Young-sam summoned Defense Minister Kwon Young-hae and asked when he could replace the Army Chief of Staff and others. Minister Kwon reportedly replied, “Whenever the president exercises his command authority, it is possible.” Then President Kim Young-sam replaced the key military posts of Army Chief of Staff and Defense Security Command Commander.

It was not only the military that was shocked by that day’s decision. At the time, the ruling and opposition parties, as well as various sectors of society, were all on edge about President Kim Young-sam’s bold actions. Those who had witnessed the regime change through the 1979 military coup were worried about possible incidents.

However, President Kim Young-sam continued his straightforward approach. After March 8, he drove forward the purge of Hanahoe. The dismissal of the Hanahoe-affiliated Army Chief of Staff was only the beginning.

Former Presidents Roh Tae-woo and Chun Doo-hwan attending the sentencing trial for the May 18 Incident [Image source=Yonhap News]

Generals affiliated with Hanahoe were successively removed from their posts, and the repercussions extended down to field-grade officers. Those affiliated with or connected to Hanahoe were sidelined in military personnel matters, and their positions were filled by non-Hanahoe personnel.

Hanahoe, which once controlled South Korean power, had no choice but to walk the path of extinction as politician Kim Young-sam became president. There was some resistance, but President Kim Young-sam judged it as a backlash against military reform and responded even more thoroughly.

The power structure of the 1990s was very different from that of the 1980s. Under the sharp blade of the civilian government, the shadow of military dictatorship lost its strength. The trials related to the military coup incidents involving two former presidents during the Kim Young-sam administration ended with the historic lesson that ‘even a successful coup can be punished.’