On May 16, 1961, military officers led by Park Chung-hee and allies carried out a coup in Seoul. The coup ended the civilian-led Second Republic and opened a period of military rule focused on “reconstruction,” stability, and anti-communism.
Army Chief of Staff Chang Do-yong was installed as the first chairman of the new ruling council. His appointment helped provide a formal leadership structure, even as real influence inside the junta quickly shifted toward Park and his supporters.
In the days after the coup, the coup leaders organized a ruling junta that soon became the Supreme Council for National Reconstruction (SCNR). It ruled by decree, sidelining normal parliamentary politics and placing the military at the center of the state.
In mid-1961, the military government created the Korean Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA). It was designed to coordinate intelligence and security work, and it also became a powerful tool for monitoring and controlling political activity.
Park replaced Chang Do-yong as chairman on July 3, 1961, consolidating control of the military government. This change marked a turning point from a coalition of coup leaders toward Park’s clearer personal dominance over the regime.
In 1962, the government launched the First Five-Year Economic Development Plan (1962–1966). The plan emphasized infrastructure and industrial growth, aiming to shift the economy toward manufacturing and export capacity to strengthen state legitimacy and growth.
Although Yun Po-sun initially remained as president after the coup to lend the new regime legitimacy, he resigned in March 1962. His resignation removed a prominent civilian symbol from the top of the state during the military transition.
On June 10, 1962, South Korea reintroduced the won, replacing the hwan at a fixed conversion rate. The currency change was part of broader efforts by the military government to stabilize and manage the economy during the transition period.
On December 17, 1962, a national referendum approved a constitutional change that moved the country back toward a presidential system. This vote was an important step in the junta’s plan to end direct military rule while keeping key structures shaped by the coup period.
On October 15, 1963, South Korea held its first presidential election since the 1961 coup. Park Chung-hee narrowly won, turning military control into an electoral mandate and setting the stage for a formally civilian presidency under new political rules.
On November 26, 1963, legislative elections were held under the new constitutional framework. Park’s Democratic Republican Party won a large majority, giving the incoming administration strong control over lawmaking as the system shifted out of junta rule.
On December 17, 1963, the Third Republic was inaugurated, and the Supreme Council for National Reconstruction was dissolved. This date marked the formal endpoint of the 1961–1963 military transition, even as many institutions and policies shaped during the coup period continued under civilian government.
May 16 Coup and military transition (1961–1963)