Second Republic

The Second Republic of South Korea, established after the April Revolution, was a parliamentary system that lasted only nine months. Power was concentrated in the office of the Prime Minister, Chang Myon, who was elected by the lower house. Despite efforts at reform, the government struggled with widespread social and economic issues and was plagued by political factionalism. This internal strife weakened the ruling Democratic Party and prevented the implementation of a full economic reform program before the republic's collapse. The division of Korea into North and South occurred after World War II, with the United States and the Soviet Union agreeing to a temporary division at the 38th parallel. This division eventually led to the establishment of two separate republics in 1948: the Republic of Korea in the South and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in the North.123