Honorable Opposition

Cantankerous old (83) Syngman Rhee does not like political opposition, but in the ten years since Korea's independence, and at the insistence of the U.S. and the U.N., has learned to accept it. Police harassment of antigovernment politicians has slackened steadily, and last week when the republic named 233 members to the unicameral National Assembly, its election was the most orderly yet.

On a spring day Koreans, who believe in dressing up to vote, went to the polls 8,500,000 strong, the men in baggy white pantaloons and high black horsehair hats, the women in gay skirts and blouses. Minor rural attempts at voter intimidation were reported, but the freedom of the franchise was registered when the opposition Democrats took 14 out of 16 seats in Seoul, and it was clear that a two-party system was beginning to take hold.

Result: Rhee's Liberals won 122 seats, Vice President John M. Chang's Democrats 77, Independents 27. The result was a victory for Rhee's heir-apparent, Lee Ki Poong, 61, Speaker of the Assembly, who last year gave his 20-year-old son to Rhee for adoption. But Rhee's Liberals failed to win the two-thirds majority they sought, which would have enabled Rhee to amend the constitution so as to prevent U.S.-educated Vice President Chang, 58, from succeeding if Rhee dies during the remaining two years of his term.

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