146. Editorial Note

On May 15, presidential elections were held in the Republic of Korea. Syngman Rhee was reelected President with a popular majority of 55.6 percent. Rhee’s principal opponent. Democratic Nationalist Party leader Sin Ik-hui, died shortly before the election. In a closely-contested election. Democratic candidate Chang Myon was elected Vice President over Liberal Party candidate Yi Ki-pung.

After the election. President Rhee reorganized the government and upper levels of the military establishment. Yi Ki-pung continued as Liberal Party Chairman and Speaker of the Assembly, but Yi Ik-hung replaced Kim Hyong-gun as Home Minister. Kim Yong-u replaced Admiral Sohn Won-il as Defense Minister; In Tae-sik was appointed Minister of Finance; former Finance Minister Kim Hyon-chol became Minister of Reconstruction and Economic Coordinator; and Paek Tu-chin, the former Economic Coordinator, was dropped from the government. In the upper ranks of the military, the most significant change was the appointment of General Yi Hyung-kun to the post of Chief of Staff of the Army. General Yi replaced General Chong Il-kwon, who was appointed to Yi’s former position as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.