ABSTRACT
This chapter covers the socioeconomic and political background of the rise of the military dictatorship, a tyranny which suppressed all socialist tendencies, including the Socialist Party and trade unions, to prevent resistance to the military coup. Another key factor that challenged the socialist movement in Korea was the repression carried out by the military regime. There were several similarities between Latin American and Korean politics during the state-building process. The Park regime's repressive policies toward the Left were aimed at the leadership and the major supporters of the socialist movements. The Social Mass Party(SMP) was established under the leadership of Yoon Giljung. The resistance against the Park regime was exacerbated by other ordeals, namely economic turmoil and pressure from the international community. The military regime adopted another strategically important policy, economic modernisation, which was employed to rationalise the authoritarian regime. The first generation of the socialist movement was destroyed during the military dictatorship, and socialism in Korea experienced a complete breakdown.
