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TIME: Almanac 1990
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1990 Time Magazine Compact Almanac, The (1991)(Time).iso
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time
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040389
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04038900.022
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1990-09-22
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WORLD, Page 35World NotesSOUTH KOREABreaking a Promise
In the closing days of his 1987 electoral campaign, South
Korean President Roh Tae Woo made a surprising pledge. If he won
the country's first free elections in nearly two decades, the
handpicked successor to ex-General Chun Doo Hwan promised to submit
his administration to an interim vote of confidence -- giving wary
voters, in essence, a chance to change their mind. But last week,
citing the danger of "social chaos," Roh broke his campaign promise
and indefinitely postponed the long-awaited referendum.
Roh also ordered a sharp crackdown on dissidents, arming police
divisions with M-16 rifles and abandoning a policy that prohibited
firing on protesters. The move sparked violent demonstrations in
six cities. Ironically, Roh's original decision to cancel the
referendum had won widespread support, including that of opposition
leaders, who feared a positive vote would damage their own chances
in the elections scheduled for 1992.