Chun dies without apologies for scars left in Gwangju

Former President Chun Doo-hwan, center, reads a statement refuting the prosecution's charges against him during a press conference in front of his house in Yeonhui-dong, Seodaemun District, Seoul, in this Dec. 2, 1995, file photo. Yonhap

Gwangju citizens express anger at Chun, who never admitted responsibility for Gwangju Massacre

By Nam Hyun-woo

Chun Doo-hwan's political career will be remembered for his desire for power and the people's resistance against his military coup, which was symbolized by the 1980 pro-democracy movement in Gwangju.

Despite continued demands for him to apologize for the brutal military suppression of the uprising, Chun remained unrepentant for the past 41 years. He passed away on Tuesday, leaving behind the unhealed scars of victims and their families in the southwestern part of the country.

Following authoritarian President Park Chung-hee's assassination on Oct. 26, 1979, hopes started to grow in Korea for a democratic government, with then-acting President Choi Kyu-hah calling for a constitutional amendment to have democratic presidential elections.

The group of military generals who participated in a coup on Dec. 12, 1979, pose at the Defense Security Command in Seoul. Front row fifth from left is then-Major General Chun Doo-hwan, and fourth from left is Roh Tae-woo, who was later elected president after Chun. Yonhap

However, this hope was dashed by Chun, then a military general, who staged a military coup on Dec. 12 of that year to seize control of the country's military and core government functions. As this coup resulted in pro-democracy protests among university students across the country, Chun on May 17 expanded military martial law across the country, which prohibited political activities and shut down universities temporarily.

This move triggered a large-scale pro-democracy protest in Gwangju, and Chun's military junta brutally cracked down on the city. During the 10-day protest, 193 people, including 166 civilians, died, while an additional 376 people reportedly died as a direct result of the incident in the aftermath.

After the massacre, Chun officially rose to power in September of that year and ruled the country with an iron fist by extending his presidencies with indirect elections until 1988.

After leaving office, Chun continued to deny his involvement in the bloody suppression of the Gwangju movement. On Dec. 31, 1989, he testified at the National Assembly to deny his responsibility for the deaths, and said in 1995 that he had "wrapped up the past issue with his 1989 testimony," while refuting prosecutors' charges against him.

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Despite his claim, he was found guilty on charges including treason, murder and bribery in 1996. He was sentenced to death, which was later commuted to life in prison, but was then released on a presidential pardon in 1997.

Regarding the massacre in Gwangju, he remained unapologetic toward the victims. In a 2002 interview with broadcaster SBS, Chun said "it (the protests in Gwangju) was a riot by armed people. So there was no choice but for martial law and the army to clamp down on it."

In his 2017 memoir, he wrote: "There is no expression to describe the May 18 uprising as anything other than a riot." In the three-book memoir, Chun claimed he did not order soldiers to open fire on protesters, while denouncing a Catholic priest, who testified about witnessing shootings from helicopters during the conflict, calling him a "devil" and "liar." Due to these comments, Chun was on trial for defamation at the time of his death.

In this Dec. 31, 1989, file photo, Rep. Lee Chul-yong of the Peace Democratic Party thrusts his finger at Chun Doo-hwan as he testifies during a National Assembly hearing. Korea Times file

Over the bribery charges, Chun in 1997 was also ordered to return 220 billion won ($185 million) to the state, but he claimed that he "only has 290,000 won in (his) bank account," which triggered public anger. Since the ruling, the government has been tracking down Chun's embezzled fortune, but more than 90 billion won remains uncollected as Chun hid most of the money in accounts under the names of others.

Chun Doo-hwan, center, leaves the Gwangju District Court after appearing at his defamation trial, Aug. 9. Korea Times photo by Seo Jae-hoon

When asked, Tuesday, about Chun's intention to apologize when he was alive, his former press secretary, Min Jeong-ki called the question "wrong" and said, "People should demand an apology only after finding whether Chun ordered the shooting on protesters."

As Chun passed away without apologizing for his acts of wrongdoing, civic groups related to the Gwangju movement expressed their anger at Chun's unrepentant attitude.

"Chun, who ordered the shooting of civilians and the secret burial of the victims, died without apologizing," said Kim Young-hoon, head of a group for those who lost loved ones in the May 18 event. "The investigation to uncover the truth of the massacre is not over. We will do our best to have those who followed Chun's orders face due punishments before their deaths."

Cho Jin-tae of the May 18 Memorial Foundation also said: "As Chun died without making any apology, the public must be feeling hopelessness. … Even though he died, the crimes he committed did not disappear."

Chun Doo-hwan, right, and his successor Roh Tae-woo, hold hands as they stand trial, Aug. 26, 1996, for their roles in the 1979 military coup and brutal suppression of a 1980 pro-democracy movement in Gwangju. Korea Times file

While Chun's desire for power made him one of the most detested public figures in Korea's modern history, he earned some credit for laying the ground for the country's economic growth in the 1980s.

Boosted by a weak dollar and low oil prices, the country's economy logged double-digit growth rates in four of the seven years of Chun's authoritarian rule. At the same time, the Chun administration managed to bring under control the country's consumer prices, dropping the inflation rate to 3.4 percent in 1983 from 21.4 percent in 1981.