KOREA: Death Casts a Vote

For the second time in four years, death removed President Syngman Rhee's only opponent in mid-campaign—and so assured Rhee's unopposed re-election for a fourth term as South Korea's President.

Dr. Chough Pyong Ok, 65, Rhee's Democratic Party opponent, died suddenly last week in Washington's Walter Reed Hospital of coronary thrombosis following an abdominal operation. For Rhee, it was a lucky thing that the death occurred in Washington, since his opponents could not charge him with having engineered it.

Democrat Chough was a disciple of Rhee's from 1911—when they met in the Seoul Y.M.C.A.—until 1952, when Rhee had Chough beaten up and...