Choe KyuhaDecember of 1979, Acting President Choe was formally elected President by the electoral college. He formally lifted Park's Emergency Decree No. 9, which forbade criticism and dissent. Recently freed Kim Dae-jung called for popular elections but Choe's hands became tied by a coup within the military led by General Chun Doo-whan. After Choe was formally inaugurated President, Kim Chae-gyu and four KCIA accomplices were tried and sentenced to death, and General Chun Doo-whan became acting director of the KCIA while continuing as head of the Army Security Command. President Choe was rapidly losing control to General Chun.
 Choe Kyu-Hah began his 20-year diplomatic career in 1951 as director of the Economic Affairs Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. With much political experiences, Choe was sworn in as the 10th President of the Korean nation on December 21 following his election December 6 by delegates to the National Conference for Unification.
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History of Korea