Yun Po-sun (; or ; August 26, 1897 – July 18, 1990) was a
South Korean politician
A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...
and activist who served as the second
president of South Korea
The president of the Republic of Korea (), also known as the president of South Korea (often abbreviated to POTROK or POSK; ), is the head of state and head of government of the Republic of Korea. The president leads the State Council, and is ...
from 1960 to 1962. He was the only president of the parliamentary
Second Republic of Korea
The second Republic of Korea was the government of South Korea from April 1960 to May 1961.
The Second republic was founded during the April Revolution mass protests against President Syngman Rhee, succeeding the First republic and establishing ...
.
Having entered politics after
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, Yun served as Secretary to Korea's
Chief of Staff
The title chief of staff (or head of staff) identifies the leader of a complex organization such as the armed forces, institution, or body of persons and it also may identify a principal staff officer (PSO), who is the coordinator of the supporti ...
in 1947; and was
Mayor of Seoul
The Mayor of Seoul () is the chief executive of Seoul Metropolitan Government, Seoul being the capital and largest city of South Korea.
The position is historically one of the most powerful in the country, charged with managing an annual budget ...
in 1948. He served as
Commerce Minister
A Commerce minister (sometimes business minister, industry minister, trade minister or international trade minister) is a position in many governments that is responsible for regulating external trade and promoting economic growth (commercial poli ...
for the newly liberated Korea from 1949 to 1950. In 1955, Yun helped establish the South Korean Democratic Party. He was forced to resign the presidency by
Park Chung-hee
Park Chung-hee (, ; 14 November 1917 – 26 October 1979) was a South Korean politician and army general who served as the dictator of South Korea from 1961 until his assassination in 1979; ruling as an unelected military strongman from 1961 ...
as a result of the
May 16 coup
The May 16 military coup d'état () was a military coup d'état in South Korea in 1961, organized and carried out by Park Chung-hee and his allies who formed the Military Revolutionary Committee, nominally led by Army Chief of Staff Chang Do ...
in 1961.
Early life
Yun Po-sun was born in Dunpo-myeon,
Asan
Asan () is a city in South Chungcheong Province, South Korea. It borders the Seoul Capital Area to the north. Asan has a population of approximately 300,000.
Asan is known for its many hot springs and is a city of spas.
Asan has grown into th ...
,
South Chungcheong Province
South Chungcheong Province ( ko, 충청남도, ''Chungcheongnam-do''), also known as Chungnam, is a province of South Korea. South Chungcheong has a population of 2,059,871 (2014) and has a geographic area of 8,204 km2 (3,168 sq mi) located in ...
in 1897. He was a son of Yun Chi-so (윤치소, 尹致昭, 1871–1944) and Lady Yi Beom-suk (이범숙, 李範淑, 1876–1969). Yun Chiso is the second son of
Yun Yeong-ryeol (윤영렬;尹英烈). Yun Yeong-ryeol is an 8th generation descendant of the prominent Joseon scholar-official
Yun Doo-su
Yun Du-su ( ko, 윤두수, 尹斗壽; 1533–1601) was a Korean scholar-official of the Joseon Kingdom. He was a politician, poet, writer, scholar, and part of the Yi Hwang school among Westerners (Hangul: 서인, Korean: Seoin). Among many othe ...
(윤두수;尹斗壽). Yun studied in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
, graduating with a
Master of Arts
A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...
from the
University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...
in 1930. He returned to Korea in 1932.
Political career
Yun entered politics in 1945 following
Gwangbokjeol
The National Liberation Day of Korea is a holiday celebrated annually on 15 August in both South and North Korea. It commemorates Victory over Japan Day, when the United States and the Soviet Union liberated Korea from 35 years of Japanese ...
(Liberation Day). The first
Doctor of Philosophy
A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common Academic degree, degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields ...
from Princeton University in Korea, as well as first President of South Korea, Dr.
Syngman Rhee
Syngman Rhee (, ; 26 March 1875 – 19 July 1965) was a South Korean politician who served as the first president of South Korea from 1948 to 1960.
Rhee was also the first and last president of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Ko ...
, was his
mentor
Mentorship is the influence, guidance, or direction given by a mentor. A mentor is someone who teaches or gives help and advice to a less experienced and often younger person. In an organizational setting, a mentor influences the personal and p ...
. By 1947, Yun was serving as Secretary to the Korean Chief of Staff. In 1948, Rhee appointed Yun to the position of mayor of
Seoul
Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 ...
. A year later, he was made Minister of Commerce and Industry. However, Yun soon began to disagree with Rhee's authoritarian policies.
While serving as president of the
Red Cross Society
The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, the world's largest group of non-governmental organizations working on humanitarian aid, is composed of the following bodies:
*The ''International Committee of the Red Cross'' (ICRC), a comm ...
, he was elected to the National Assembly in 1954. A year later, he co-founded the opposition South Korean Democratic Party. In 1959, he became a representative to the Supreme Council of the Democratic Party.
Presidency (1960-62)
Rhee's government was ousted by a student-led, pro-democracy uprising in 1960; and Yun was elected president by the newly elected parliament on August 13, with
Chang Myon
Chang Myon (hangul: 장면; hanja: 張勉; August28, 1899June4, 1966) was a South Korean statesman, educator, diplomat, journalist and social activist as well as a Roman Catholic youth activist. He was the only prime minister of the parliamenta ...
as Prime Minister. In response to the authoritarian excesses of Rhee's regime, South Korea had switched to a parliamentary system; thus, Yun actually served merely as a figurehead.
Following
Park Chung Hee
Park Chung-hee (, ; 14 November 1917 – 26 October 1979) was a South Korean politician and army general who served as the dictator of South Korea from 1961 until his assassination in 1979; ruling as an unelected military strongman from 1961 ...
's coup in 1961, Yun stayed in his post in order to provide some legitimacy to the new regime, but resigned on March 22, 1962. In the following years, Yun received suspended sentences several times for anti-government activities. He opposed Park's authoritarian rule
and ran for president twice, in 1963 and 1967, losing each time.
Yun retired from active politics in 1980 and focused his life on cultural activities until his death on July 18, 1990.
Awards
*
Grand Order of Mugunghwa
The Grand Order of Mugunghwa ( ko, 무궁화대훈장) is the highest order awarded by the government of South Korea. It is awarded to the President of South Korea, and it may be awarded to their spouse, heads or former heads of state of South K ...
* In-Cheon Cultural Award
[Note: The ]Kim Seong-su
Kim Seong-su (김성수, 金性洙; October 11, 1891 – February 18, 1955) was a Korean educator, independence activist, journalist, entrepreneur, politician and calligrapher, and the second vice president of South Korea from 1951–1 ...
Memoriam
See also
*
Yun Chi-ho
Yun Chi-ho ( Korean: 윤치호, hanja: 尹致昊, 1864 – 1945) or Tchi ho yun was an important political activist and thinker during the late 1800s and early 1900s in Joseon Korea. His penname was Jwa-ong (좌옹, 佐翁); his courtesy name w ...
*
Yun Chi-Oh
*
Yun Chi-Young
Yun Chi-Young (Korea:윤치영, hanja:尹致暎, February 10, 1898 – February 10, 1996) was an independence activist, journalist, and politician, diplomat of South Korea. He was the first Interior Minister (1948), 2nd Republic of Korea Ambass ...
*
Chang Myon
Chang Myon (hangul: 장면; hanja: 張勉; August28, 1899June4, 1966) was a South Korean statesman, educator, diplomat, journalist and social activist as well as a Roman Catholic youth activist. He was the only prime minister of the parliamenta ...
*
Chang Chun-ha
*
August 1960 South Korean presidential election
*
1963 South Korean presidential election
*
1967 South Korean presidential election
References
Further reading
* "Road of Thorns; The National Salvation"; autobiography; (구국의 가시밭길)》 (1967)
* "Select the Days of Lonely"; (외로운 선택의 나날들)》 (1991)
External links
Official website
Papyeong Yun clan websiteYun Posunat Heonjeonghoe
Yun Posunat
Encyclopedia of Korean Culture
The ''Encyclopedia of Korean Culture'' is a Korean language encyclopedia published by the Academy of Korean Studies and DongBang Media Co. The articles in the encyclopedia are aimed at readers who want to learn about Korean culture and histor ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Yun, Po-sun
1897 births
1990 deaths
People from South Chungcheong Province
Presidents of South Korea
South Korean civil rights activists
Korean independence activists
Government ministers of South Korea
Alumni of the University of Edinburgh
South Korean democracy activists
Kim Kyu-sik
Leaders ousted by a coup
Democratic Party (South Korea, 1955) politicians
South Korean anti-communists
South Korean Presbyterians
Korean revolutionaries
Liberal Party (South Korea) politicians
Mayors of Seoul
Korean nationalists