Plan. The Supreme Council's military government was met with instant disapproval from South Korea's main ally, the United States, and Park's early attempts to appease the Americans were disregarded. By 1962, U.S. President John F. Kennedy and his administration began to pressure Park into restoring democracy and civilian rule in South Korea. On 2 December 1962, a referendum was held on returning to a presidential system of rule, which was allegedly passed with a 78% majority. In response, Park eventually abdicated from his military position to be eligible to run as a civilian in the upcoming presidential election, despite he and the other military leaders pledging not to run for office. Park narrowly won in the presidential election of October 1963, and replaced Yun Posun as the President of Korea. Establishment The Third Republic of Korea was inaugurated on 17 December 1963, officially dissolving the Supreme Council and ending the three-year constitutional vacuum. The Third Republic was presented as a return to liberal democratic civilian government under the National Assembly, and a new powerful presidential system with the Prime Minister as the second-highest executive position under the President. In theory, President Park and his Democratic Republican Party operated through their democratically elected majority of seats in the National Assembly. However, in practice, the Third Republic was a continuation of the military dictatorship under Park and his government was predominantly composed of former members of the Supreme Council, which often exercised significant autocratic powers. In May 1967, Park was re-elected President in the 1967 presidential election, defeating Posun of the New Democratic Party with 51.4% of the vote. The South Korean constitution limited the President to two four-year terms, meaning Park was not eligible to run for re-election in 1971 upon the end of his term. However, in 1969 the Democratic Republican Party-dominated National Assembly forced through a constitutional amendment to allow him to seek a third term. Park ran in the May 1971 presidential election and defeated his New Democratic Party opponent Kim Dae-jung with 53.2% of the vote. In December 1971, Park declared a state of emergency "based on the dangerous realities of the international situation." On 4 July 1972, Park and North Korean leader Kim Il-sung issued the July 4th North–South Korea Joint Statement establishing the three principles of Korean unification as independence, peace, and nation-wide unity. Dissolution On 17 October 1972, Park launched a self-coup known as