Reagan in Asia...especially Korea

[rpannier]

I've lived in Korea for a while and to say people in Korea loved and respected Reagan would be a lie (this is not limited to just the young). In 1980, shortly after Reagan took office, a military coup was staged in Korea lead by Gen. Chun Doo-hwan. Chun imposed martial law. Went to the National Assembly, had many members of the opposition arrested, including it's leader, Kim Dae-jung. Protests broke out all over the country. Chun had them ruthlessly oppressed. The worst of these was in Gwangju. A deal was brokered between the US where the new government would not execute Kim if the US would recognize the new government.
Chun would later say, he staged the coup because he was sure Reagan would do nothing. Had it been Carter, he never would have done it because Carter wouldn't have stood for it.
If Reagan had told him to end the coup and restore the democracy he would have.
Yep...yep...yep. Reagan...that visionary, that champion of freedom.