Choongam chair calls Yoon, former defense minister 'shameful graduates'

President Yoon Suk Yeol is listening to Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun during the National Armed Forces Day parade commemorating its 76th anniversary in Gwanghwamun, Seoul, Oct. 1. Korea Times photo by Wang Tae-seok

Choongam High School Foundation Chairwoman Yoon Myung-hwa criticized President Yoon Suk Yeol and former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, both alumni, saying she wants to "label them as shameful graduates of Choongam a million times."

Her criticism came amid allegations that graduates of Choongam High School were at the center of the botched martial law declaration.

She posted on her social media account, “The school’s office is flooded with complaint calls all day, and even school bus drivers report being harassed by passersby.” She added, “There’s even a petition to change the school’s name. The school’s reputation and the country’s honor are tarnished. What kind of mental anguish must our students be enduring?”

She originally wrote, “I wonder why monsters are being nurtured here,” but deleted the comment after about an hour.

In subsequent comments, she expressed her frustration, saying, “Figures who tarnish Choongam’s name make things difficult for their juniors. The complaints keep coming. I feel sorry for the students, and the school is also bewildered. The members of Choongam School are deeply disappointed and heartbroken.”

President Yoon, who declared martial law, is an alumnus of Choongam High School. Kim, who proposed martial law, is a year ahead of him at the same school. Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min, another key figure tied to the allegations, also graduated from Choongam.

Additionally, several other prominent military figures involved in the alleged "Hannam-dong residence meetings," suspected of plotting martial law, are said to be Choongam alumni. These include Army Counterintelligence Cmdr. Yeo In-hyung and 777 Command Chief Park Jong-seon, both considered central figures in the so-called "Choongam faction."

However, during a National Assembly emergency inquiry, Lee denied such accusations.

In response to Rep. Park Jung-hyun, of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, who suggested that “Choongam High orchestrated this conspiracy, reminiscent of Chun Doo-hwan’s Hanahoe faction,” Lee said, “There was no gathering of Choongam alumni.”

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.