MILITARY CONTROL IN KOREA STRONGER

Press, Volume C, Issue 29516, 18 May 1961, Page 15

MILITARY CONTROL IN KOREA STRONGER

Cabinet Named; Ousted Ministers Arrested (R.Z. Press Association—CopyrighD SEOUL, May 17. The leaders of the South Korean military coup strengthened their hold on the Government today, naming 24 officers to a temporary Cabinet. An Army general took command of the national police, while a colonel took over the Seoul police force, the Associated Press reported. The leader of the coup, Lieutenant-General Do Yung Chang, conferred with President Po Sun Yun in an apparent attempt to resolve the crisis. The whereabouts of the Prime Minister, Dr. John Chang, who disappeared when the military forces moved into Seoul, was unknown, but he was believed to be safe.

AU the Cabinet and subCabinet posts were filled by colonels or lieutenantcolonels, The revolutionary military committee said the appointees were temporary. Yesterday, the military council threatened to take "forceful measures” against the ousted Prime Minister and his Cabinet if they did not “come out of hiding” and voluntarily resign their posts, Reuter said. There w-as no indication this morning that the Prime Minister and his colleagues intended to accept the invitation. which was repeated in a radio broadcast last night by President Po Sun Yun.

But at Pusan, in southern Korea, military forces earlier today arrested two members of Dr. Chang’s Cabinet—Jai Chun Cho, Minister of Home Affairs, and Wi Yung Oh, Minister without portfolio, the British United Press reported. Three other Ministers are reported to have been detained.

A.P. reported that the military junta ordered the rest of the deposed Cabinet, without exception, to appear at a State council room for a meeting. The announcement, in the name of the revolutionary military - committee, said the Ministers’ safety would be “absolutely guaranteed.”

A.P. said heavily-armed revolutionary troops, estimated by the United Nations

command at 3600. were reported to be guarding Seoul’s boundaries.

The British United Press said the troops today dug trenches and set up machinegun positions to the north of Seoul as an apparent precaution against attack by counter-revolutionary forces. However, there was no indication that such an attack was imminent. Tanks which had stood on guard in the streets of Seoul after the coup yesterday also left the city and moved north to the defence positions. However. Reuter reported, a few troops remained to guard key points, such as important road junctions and marshalling yards, and Sherman tanks were reported to be covering roads to the south. Martial law was still in effect, but schools and banks were reopened. Government employees had been ordered back to work, said A.P. Reuter said General Chang had made his first broadcast

to the people last night. Appealing to them for co-opera-tion, he promised to hand powe- back to a civil administration when complete order had been secured. At the same time he relinquished his post as martial law commander, handing it over to Lieutenant-General Chang Kook Chang, who is no relation to himself or to the deposed Prime Minister. After issuing decrees concerning banking, the price of commodities, and other matters last night, General Chang today ordered all 'Korea’s 35,000 national police to report to work. The police were disarmed by revolutionary troopS .yesterday. All political activities were suspended by the revolutionary council’s order today, although political parties were not outlawed. Reuter said revolutionary troops began digging antitank ditches, trenches and machine-gun nests on the main road to Seoul from the north.