1960年南韓政局衝擊與臺灣威權政府的反對黨運動對策

Impact of the 1960 Collapse of Syngman Rhee’s Regime and Taiwan’s Authoritarian Countermeasures Against Opposition Movements

本文探討1960年南韓總統李承晚因群眾強烈抗議而垮臺對臺灣島內政情造成之衝擊，以及臺灣威權統治當局之回應，並透過此一討論突顯臺灣威權體制之重要特性。
臺灣地方菁英自1950年代就計畫組織反對黨，並與《自由中國》集團外省菁英合作，但一直未能付諸實踐。1960年南韓政情激變，使反對運動人士大受鼓舞，認為美國政府介入此事顯示其政策出現轉變，因此決心組織反對黨。臺灣威權當局提高警覺、動員情治機關、提出各種因應對策。
本文發現，南韓大規模的群眾抗議令臺灣情治機關極為不安，深怕暴亂蔓延臺灣，將使省籍關係、臺獨運動等議題浮出檯面。情治機關對美國政府高度不信任，更忌憚動用軍隊武力鎮壓，因為軍中臺籍士兵佔多數。因此，情治機關早早做成「政治消弭、減少暴亂」、「避免流血」、「疏導、分化、瓦解」等處置對策。
面對反對黨運動，臺灣威權當局採取收編對手、施壓反對者、動員媒體抹紅反對黨運動等對策。最後，統治當局逮捕了雷震等人，成功化解危機。此一過程顯示臺灣與南韓威權體制極大差異之處在於，國民黨政府是以少數統治多數的外來集團，為避免與本土社會正面對決，因此講求以細緻複雜手腕以維持社會控制。

This article examines the impact of the 1960 collapse of South Korean President Syngman Rhee’s regime, triggered by widespread mass protests, on Taiwan’s domestic situation and the response of its authoritarian government. Through this analysis, I highlight the key characteristics of Taiwan’s authoritarian system.
Since the 1950s, Taiwanese local elites had planned to form an opposition party and sought to collaborate with mainlander elites from the‘Free China’group. However, they never put these plans into action. In 1960, the political upheaval in South Korea emboldened opposition activists in Taiwan, who believed that U.S. intervention in South Korea signaled a shift in American policy. This belief prompted them to form an opposition party. In response, Taiwan’s authoritarian regime closely monitored their activities, mobilized intelligence networks, and implemented a range of countermeasures.
This study reveals that the mass uprising in South Korea deeply unsettled Taiwan’s intelligence agencies. They feared that similar unrest could spread to Taiwan, potentially bringing sensitive issues such as Taiwanese-Mainlander relations and the Taiwan independence movement to the forefront. Furthermore, the intelligence agencies harbored deep distrust toward the U.S. government. At the same time, they were wary of the risks associated with using military force to suppress uprisings, as the majority of the military consisted of Taiwanese soldiers. Instead, the intelligence agencies devised strategies in advance to‘depoliticize and reduce unrest,’‘avoid bloodshed,’and implement tactics such as co-opting, dividing, and disintegrating opposition forces.
To counter the opposition movement, Taiwan’s authoritarian regime adopted a multifaceted strategy of co-opting opponents, suppressing dissent, and mobilizing the media to discredit the movement. Ultimately, the authorities arrested Lei Zhen and others, successfully resolving the crisis. This process highlights a key difference between the authoritarian systems of Taiwan and South Korea. As an external minority ruling over a majority, the Kuomintang government avoided direct confrontation with local society. Instead, Taiwan’s authoritarian regime relied on meticulous and sophisticated methods to maintain societal control.