Chun Doo Hwan

Chun Doo-hwan, a South Korean army general and military dictator, was born on January 18, 1931.

After graduating from high school in 1951, Chun gained entry into the Korea Military Academy (KMA), where he made several key friends among the students who would later play instrumental roles in helping Chun seize control of the country.

Chun, then a captain, led a demonstration at the KMA to show support for the May 16 coup in 1961 led by Park Chung Hee, which was a pivotal moment in the political landscape of South Korea.

In 1970, holding the rank of colonel, Chun became the commander of the 29th Regiment, South Korean 9th Infantry Division, and participated in the Vietnam War, which had significant implications for his military career.

Following the assassination of President Park Chung Hee, Chun Doo Hwan took control of the entire nation's intelligence organizations. He declared the KCIA responsible for the President's assassination and ordered all intelligence reports to be sent to his office, effectively gaining control over them.

Chun ordered the arrest of Army Chief of Staff Jeong Seung-hwa on charges of conspiring to assassinate the President without authorization. This led to a series of conflicts and arrests in the capital, consolidating Chun's control over the military.

The coup of March 17, 1980, abruptly ended the Seoul Spring demonstrations and prolonged the period of authoritarian rule in South Korea.

General Chun Doo-hwan forced the Cabinet to extend martial law to the whole nation, closed universities, banned political activities, curtailed the press, and dispatched troops. The Korean Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA) also raided a national conference of student union leaders and arrested about 2,700 people, including twenty-six politicians.

Chun ordered the immediate suppression of the Gwangju Democratization Movement, leading to a bloody massacre and the collapse of the movement. This resulted in the deaths of at least 200 Gwangju activists, earning Chun the nickname 'The Butcher of Gwangju.'

Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo ordered the National Assembly to be dissolved by deploying troops. Chun subsequently created the National Defense Emergency Policy Committee and installed himself as a member.

By May 21, 1980, around 200,000 people were in conflict with 100,000 troops during the martial law period in South Korea. Demonstrators had commandeered military vehicles and seized weapons, leading to intense clashes with the authorities.

Chun effectively promoted himself to a four-star General, solidifying his control over the military and consolidating his power.

Chun Doo Hwan was officially inaugurated as the president of South Korea on 1 September 1980, after receiving 99.96% of the votes from the National Conference for Unification on 27 August 1980.

On 17 October 1980, President Chun Doo Hwan abolished all political parties in South Korea, including Park's Democratic Republican Party, which had essentially ruled the country as a one-party state since the imposition of the Yushin Constitution.

Chun Doo-hwan established the Fifth Republic of Korea on 3 March 1981, governing under a constitution somewhat less authoritarian than the previous regime.

In 1982, Chun announced the 'Korean People Harmony Democracy Reunification Program', but due to repeated rejections from North Korea the program was unable to get off the ground.

In 1983, Chun was the target of a failed assassination attempt by North Korean agents during a visit to Rangoon, Burma. The North Korean bombing killed 17 of Chun's entourage, including cabinet ministers. Four Burmese government officials were also killed in the attack.

Noh Shin-yeong was appointed as the Prime Minister in 1985 after serving in various political and diplomatic positions, including Minister of Foreign Affairs and Director of the Security Planning Bureau.

Chun made a speech defending the constitution and announced the candidate for president from his party, sparking outrage and leading to the June Democracy Movement.

Chun stepped down as the head of the party, handing over the leadership to Roh Tae-woo, marking a significant shift in the political landscape.

Roh Tae-woo emerged victorious in the first free and fair national elections in South Korea in two decades, succeeding Chun Doo Hwan as the president.

Chun peacefully transferred power to Roh Tae-woo, marking the first peaceful transition of power in the history of South Korea.

Chun Doo-hwan apologized to the nation in a public address and pledged to give his money and belongings back to the country, following the loss of majority by the Democratic Justice Party in the National Assembly elections and the events of the Gwangju Democratization Movement.

Chun Doo-hwan left Baekdamsa, a Buddhist temple in the Gangwon-do province, after living there for several years to pay penance for his actions.

Kim Young-sam announced the beginning of a movement to enact retroactive legislation, naming the bill Special Act on 5–18 Democratization Movement, in response to growing demands about the 1979 military coup and the Gwangju Democratization Movement incident.

Chun Doo-hwan and 16 others were arrested on charges of conspiracy and insurrection, along with an investigation into the corruption of their presidencies.

The public trial of Chun Doo-hwan began in March 1996.

The Seoul District Court issued a death sentence for Chun Doo-hwan.

The Seoul High Court issued a sentence of life imprisonment and a fine in the amount of ₩220 billion for Chun Doo-hwan.

The judgment against Chun Doo-hwan was finalized in the Supreme Court, officially convicting him of various crimes.

Chun Doo-hwan's life imprisonment sentence was commuted by President Kim Young-sam, on the advice of incoming President Kim Dae-jung.

In July 2013, a team of prosecutors, tax collectors, and investigators raided multiple locations including Chun Doo-hwan's residence and his family members' homes and offices. They seized paintings, porcelain, and expensive artifacts due to Chun's unpaid fines amounting to ₩167.2 billion.

The National Assembly passed a bill called the Chun Doo-hwan Act, extending the statute of limitations on confiscating assets from public officials who have failed to pay fines. This law allowed prosecutors to collect from Chun's family members as well if it is proven that any of their properties originated from Chun's illegal funds.

On 4 August 2017, a court granted a petition to prohibit the publishing, sale, and distribution of Chun Doo-hwan's memoirs unless 33 sections containing false statements about the 18 May Movement were removed. This led to a second lawsuit when Chun reissued his memoirs in October 2017.

On 15 May 2018, the Gwangju District Court granted an injunction request against Chun Doo-hwan's memoirs, as a further 36 sections were found to make false statements about the 18 May Movement.

In March 2019, Chun appeared in a libel trial in Gwangju over his controversial memoirs, in which he allegedly defamed victims of his 1980 crackdown. Chun had refuted a testimony by the late activist priest, Cho Chul-hyun, and called him 'Satan wearing a mask' in his memoirs. The priest allegedly witnessed the military firing at citizens from helicopters during the crackdown.

On 30 November 2020, Chun was found guilty of defaming Cho Chul-hyun and was sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for two years.

Chun made his first appearance in the Gwangju District appellate court on 9 August 2021 accompanied by his wife, but looking gaunt and frail. Chun left the courtroom only 25 minutes into the hearing, due to breathing difficulties. He answered some of the judge's questions with the help of his wife and was seen dozing off.

Chun Doo-hwan died on 23 November 2021 at the age of 90 after a relapse of myeloma.

Chun Woo-won, the grandson of Chun Doo-hwan, expressed his disgust and repulsion towards his grandfather's actions in an Instagram post. He accused his parents of living off the illegal wealth accumulated by Chun and his family, and referred to his grandfather as a 'slaughterer' and a criminal.

Chun Woo-won visited Gwangju cemetery to apologize for his grandfather's actions and to console the relatives of those who died in Gwangju. He praised the citizens of Gwangju for their courage in standing against military dictatorship.