Background
Choi was born in Wonju, Gangwon Province when of Korea was a part of the Empire of Japan.
politician president prime minister
Choi was born in Wonju, Gangwon Province when of Korea was a part of the Empire of Japan.
University of Tsukuba. Tokyo University of Education.
This area today is in South of Korea. Choi served as foreign minister from 1967 to 1971. And as prime minister from 1975 to 1979.
After the assassination of Park Chung-hee in 1979, then Prime Minister Choi became acting president as the prime minister stood next in line for the presidency under Article 48 of the Yushin Constitution.
Due to the unrest resulting from Park"s authoritarian rule, Choi promised democratic elections, as under Park elections had been widely seen as rigged. Choi also promised a new constitution to replace the highly authoritarian Yushin Constitution.
They quickly removed the army chief of staff and virtually controlled the government by early 1980. In April 1980, due to increasing pressure from Chun and other politicians, Choi appointed Chun head of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency.
In May, Chun declared martial law and dropped all pretense of civilian government, becoming the de facto ruler of the country.
By then, student protests were escalating in Seoul and Gwangju. The protests in Gwangju resulted in the Gwangju uprising in which about 987 civilians were killed within a five-day period by Chun"s military. Choi was forced to resign soon after the uprising, prime Minister Park Chung-hoon became acting president, until Chun"s election as president on September 1, 1980.
After his resignation, Choi lived quietly out of the public eye and died on October 22, 2006.
Choi was buried in Daejeon National Cemetery on October 26, 2006.
