Born: 14 November 1917 · Died: 26 October 1979 · Age at death: 61
How old was Park Chung-hee when he died?
Park Chung-hee died aged 61. He was born on 14 November 1917 and died on 26 October 1979.
President of South Korea who led the country's rapid industrialisation
Did you know?He survived an assassination attempt in a theatre that tragically killed his wife instead.
Quick facts
Date of birth14 November 1917
Date of death26 October 1979
Age at death61
Cause of deathGunshot wound
NationalitySouth Korean
BirthplaceGumi, South Korea
Occupationpolitician, army officer
Editor's Take:
Park Chung-hee turned South Korea from one of the world's poorest countries into an industrial power. He did it through tight state planning and support for big business groups. The price was political freedom. He rigged rules to stay in power, jailed opponents and used torture. His own intelligence chief shot him dead at a dinner in 1979. South Koreans remain sharply divided over his legacy. Some admire the growth while others recall the dictatorship.
Key Milestones
1961: Seizes power in a military coup
1963: Becomes President
1972: Imposes the Yushin Constitution
1979: Assassinated by his intelligence chief
Park Chung Hee (Korean: 박정희, pronounced; 14 November 1917 – 26 October 1979) was a South Korean politician and army officer who seized power in the May 16 coup of 1961, and served as the third president of South Korea from 1962 until his assassination in 1979.
