Park Chung-hee
1917–1979 · South Korean (Gumi / Seoul) · Cold War, South Korean Development
Known for: Military dictator who transformed South Korea from one of the world's poorest countries into an industrial powerhouse
Park seized power in a coup in 1961 and ruled for 18 years, transforming South Korea from an agricultural backwater poorer than Ghana into a newly industrialized economy. He promoted the chaebol (Samsung, Hyundai, LG), built highways and factories, and achieved 10% annual economic growth—the 'Miracle on the Han River.'
He was also an authoritarian who suppressed democracy, tortured dissidents, and kidnapped opposition leader Kim Dae-jung from Japan. He was assassinated by his own intelligence chief in 1979 at a dinner party.
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