'Defamation Trial of Ex-President Jeon Du-hwan' Departs from Yeonhui-dong Residence... 4th Trip to Gwangju (Comprehensive)

Former President Jeon Du-hwan, who was convicted in the first trial on charges of defamation of the deceased related to the May 18 incident, is leaving his residence in Yeonhui-dong, Seoul, on the morning of the 9th to attend the appellate trial held in Gwangju.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Dong-hoon] Former President Jeon Du-hwan (90), who is on trial for defamation of the deceased regarding a witness to helicopter shootings during the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement, departed for Gwangju on the 9th to attend the appeal trial. This is the fourth time Jeon has gone to the Gwangju court.

Jeon left his home in Yeonhui-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, at around 8:25 a.m. that day and headed to Gwangju. Wearing a gray suit, Jeon appeared in front of his house and got into a vehicle with his wife Lee Soon-ja (83). When reporters asked questions such as "Do you have any intention to apologize to the victims?" and "Do you still deny giving the order to fire?", he waved his hand without answering.

On that day, dozens of reporters and YouTubers gathered around the police fence in front of Jeon's residence. A citizen near Jeon's home held a placard saying, "Jeon Du-hwan must immediately repent and apologize for the May 18 massacre, constitutional violation, and state violence atrocities," while shouting slogans.

Jeon was prosecuted for claiming in his 2017 memoir that the late Father Jo Bi-o's testimony witnessing helicopter shootings was false, and for criticizing Father Jo as "a shameless liar unworthy of being called a clergyman."

The first trial court recognized that helicopter shootings occurred in downtown Gwangju on May 21 and 27, 1980, and judged that Jeon had intent to defame, sentencing him to eight months in prison with a two-year suspended sentence in November last year. Jeon appealed the decision.

Jeon had refused to attend the appeal trial sessions that began on May 10 this year. When the court warned that "if you are absent without justifiable reason, disadvantages such as restrictions on evidence submission will inevitably be imposed," he appears to have decided to attend the third trial session. The appeal trial is scheduled to be held at 2 p.m. that day.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.