Reischauer Says Policies Doomed Park

South Korean President Park Chung Hee was probably asssasinated because his colleagues believed his repressive policies were alienating U.S. support, Edwin O. Reischauer, University Professor, said yesterday.

It would be "absurd" to believe official Korean reports that the assasination was an accident, Reischauer, an expert on East Asia, said. He added, however, that it is, still too early to tell how many people were involved, although it is "rather improbable" that it was the work of only one man.

Loyal Sons

The people involved are probably "loyal South Koreans" who "want a successful South Korea, who considered Park unwise and bad for South Korea in the long run, and who got together and decided 'He has to go," Reischauer added.

The South Korean government changed its story yesterday and said the head of the South Korean Central Intelligence Agency shot Park because he feared he would lose his job.

Intelligence and military leaders had good reason to believe that Park's increasing political and social repression was alenating both American and domestic support, Reischauer said, adding that the recent student riots were "really extraordinary" and reflected the growing dissatisfaction of the educated public.

Prime Minister and acting president Choi Kyu-hah is "a stooge at best, a bureaucrat with no power whatsoever," Reischauer said, explaining that Choi is merely one of a basically moderate leadership which shares the public's desire for more democracy.

Park's death has "opened the door to the possibility of things getting better," Reischauer said. But he emphasized that it is still not clear who has seized power; and if no clear-cut leader emerges, or if the leadership acts unwisely, "the whole thing could go to pieces." New leaders could relax restraints too quickly, or not relax them at all, Reidchauer said.

Carter's human rights policy "did not contribute at all" to the South Korean perception of ebbing U.S. support, Reischauer said. Carter "flubbed" his human rights policy in both South Korea and the Philippines by "doing nothing," he said, explaining that by visiting Park, Carter gave him a sign of approval which made all previous scolding meaningless.

Reischauer said an assasination had become more likely recently as the only way to depose Park. Although the South Korean opposition party beat Park in last December's election, Park's 1972 constitution enabled him to retain control of the national assembly. Reischauer also pointed out that a popular uprising was impossible as long as the military supported Park.

South Korea's economy grew faster than any other nation's in the last decade, and Reischauer said this led to some popular support of Park, but ultimately his rule relied on military power.

Looking to the future Reischauer said prolonged instability and disorder could provoke North Korean aggression. He added, however, that such aggression is unlikely because of Carter's assurances of continued U.S. support.

U.S. relations with South Korea will definitely grow stronger if the new regime does relax social and political controls and move toward genuine democracy, Reischauer predicted.