Chang Do-yong (Korean: 장도영; Hanja: 張都暎; 23 January 1923 – 3 August 2012[1][2]) was a South Korean general, politician and professor who, as the Army Chief of Staff, played a decisive role in the May 16 coup and was the first chairman of the interim Supreme Council for National Reconstruction for a short time until his imprisonment.

Chang first learned of the coup from Park Chung Hee on 10 April 1961, who wanted him to lead the new government so that the entire military would support it.

[10] Through May 1961, he attempted to gain recognition of the new government from the United States, meeting with John F. Kennedy on 24 May and promising a transfer to civilian control by 15 August (a priority for the US and president in name only Yun Posun, who Chang wanted to remain in office[11]) on 31 May.

These moves quickly made him unpopular with the rest of the military leaders, who saw him as a threat to their power and the goals of the coup.

[12] In June, after winning the acceptance of the US, Park and his followers turned the tide against Chang by implementing laws to restrict his influence.

On 3 July 1961, Chang, the ten MPs posted around him for security, and 44 other officers were arrested on charges of conspiring to execute a countercoup.

Chang claimed that he had visited South Korea in 1968 and met with Park as well as troops who participated in the Vietnam War.