[Jeon Du-hwan Death] The Truth of the May 18 Shooting Order Was Buried Forever

Key Responsible Figures of May Gwangju Pass Away Without Reflecting on Historical Mistakes

[Asia Economy Reporter Ryu Jeong-min] He ultimately passed away without a single word of reflection. He also remained silent about the order to open fire during the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement.

In 1979 and 1980, during the turbulent history of South Korea, he was a central figure. In March 1979, he became the Commander of the Defense Security Command, and during the assassination of former President Park Jeong-hee on October 26, he was in charge of the Joint Investigation Headquarters.

Having detailed knowledge of internal military information and official authority, he expanded his power and led the December 12 military coup in 1979. Based on a large-scale military personnel reshuffle, he took control of the military and emerged as the de facto supreme ruler.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

He was also closely connected to the tragic May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement, a tragedy in modern history. In 1980, democratization movements continued across the country in Seoul, Busan, Gwangju, and other places, and the new military regime sent martial law troops and paratroopers to Gwangju to carry out a large-scale suppression operation.

Many casualties occurred, and the aftermath of this tragedy continues to this day. The former president is known to have been a key responsible party in May Gwangju and to have known the secret of the order to open fire, but he passed away without revealing the truth to history.

He rose to the presidency through what is called the “Gymnasium Election,” becoming the 11th and 12th president. Especially in the presidential by-election on August 27, 1980, to complete the remaining term of President Choi Kyu-ha, he was overwhelmingly approved with 2,524 votes in favor, 1 invalid vote, and 15 abstentions out of 2,540 delegates of the National Unification Advisory Council.

The vote was essentially a formality and merely a procedure to seat him, who led the new military regime, as the new occupant of the Blue House.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The 1980s, when he held real power, was an era of human rights oppression represented by the Samcheong Education Corps. Under the pretext of eradicating gangsters, many people were taken to the Samcheong Education Corps without clear reasons and suffered physical and mental pain.

Democratization movements resisting the Jeon Du-hwan government continued, mainly led by university students, reaching their peak in 1987. The painful history of those who lost their lives during the democratization movement, such as martyr Park Jong-cheol and martyr Lee Han-yeol, also occurred during his rule. The brutal act of media consolidation was carried out to blind the eyes and ears of the people.

The era of former President Jeon Du-hwan’s rule was a period of iron-fisted governance. However, economically, it experienced high growth in the 1980s, coinciding with the “three lows boom” of low oil prices, low dollar value, and low interest rates.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Some opinions that his achievements and faults should be evaluated are also linked to economic assessments. However, there are also criticisms that it is necessary to examine whether the growth was based on the development of the economic system or if it was simply good fortune aligned with global trends.

After his retirement, the former president faced judicial punishment for his wrongdoings. He was sentenced to death in the first trial and to life imprisonment in the appellate trial, seemingly marking a judgment on the main figure of the military coup. However, he was pardoned in 1997.

Nevertheless, he resisted without fully paying the fines and was ridiculed by the public over the controversy surrounding his “29,000 won in assets.” Although he is regarded as a figure who exercised the most powerful authority, his name remains a subject of caution in Korean politics. The wounds he left in modern history are immense, and many still suffer from those wounds today.

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