Evening star., 1960-04-25
KOREA
KOREA
New Violence Flares in Seoul
AS 5000 Renew Vote Protest
Continued From First Page

NOhSAhACO EEOIH HSt age
plans to bring political peace
to South Korea.
Mr.. Rhee has promised to
run the country as a nonparti-
san president. surrendering his
lee sdsrship of the Liberal Party,
but he showed no inclination
to give up his autocratic
powers. He is under heavy
criticism for failing to call new
elections.
Much of the Koreans anger
Is directed at the vice president
el' It. who. under pressure from
Mr. Rhee and the public, is
sued statement yesterday
that he would retire from pub
lie life. He was elected March
Is by a landslide which many
Koreans say was brought about
by fraud.
The army, though it used
tear gas today, also tried to use
diplomacy. Street crowds wildly
Cheered the 200 professors as
the march started, the ranks
swelling swiftly on the route
to the Parliament grounds. just
before dark. Police and troops
at first did not interfere.
Go back to headquarters"
some in the crowd shouted.
Several jeeploads of soldiers
on guard at the Assembly build
ing fell back. Then about 100
infantrymen fired tear gas
shells. The crowd halted in
confusion. and some shouted
TO the soldiers: You are on our
side"
The soldiers continued to lob
occasional tear gas shells over
the crowd. but seemed in no
hurry to drive the demonstra-
tors back.
Hours after the march began
to the Assembly building. more
than 1000 remained massed in
the area, guarded by a Gordon
,of about 300 infantrymen with
fixed bayonetS. In the distance.
tanks could be seen blocking
the streetse toward the capitol
and Mr.. Rhee's presidential
palace.
The crowd cheered the troops,
sang military songs and some
yelled for the resignation of
Mr.. Rhee, whose government
today bowed to a demand of
the National Assembly and
eased martial law temporarily.
AS the crowd milled back and
forth in front of the Assembly,
Mr.. Rhee's Office announced the
first three ministers appointed
by the president to a new
cabinet.
Former Acting Premier Huh
Chung, an independent, was
named foreign minister and
senior member of the cabinet.
He is "a. Lee Ho was named I
home minister and Kwon
Soong-ul justice minister.
Holds to Autocratic Power
Mr.. Rhee's old Liberal Party
cabinet resigned last Thursday
IN what the president said was
a move to assume responsibility |,
for the April 19 anti-govern-
,ment uprising. which the police
quelled with heavy bloodshed.
The Rhee government had
eaSed martial law, from "emer- b,
gency' to security" status,
meaning that the troops were
to stay in the background while ,
still retaining control of Seoul
and of four other turbulent
cities, Pusan, Taegu, Kwangju /
and Taejon.
But public pressure mounted ,
against the tough old Presi-
dent. The opposition Democrat ,
Party submitted a National As ,
sembly resolution demanding ,,
he step down and take respon- ,
sibility for rigging the March
elections which were the fuse O.,
for last weeks violence. The
Democrats said that while Mr..
Rhee had resigned as head of
the Liberal Party, his RESPONSE
bility for the bloodshed should
not be as party leader but as
head Of the nation.
Chang Taik-sang, an inde- ,
pendent leader, also called
upon Mr.. Rhee to resign and ,
proclaim new elections. Mi
nority parties issued similar
statements. !,
Majority Threatened