Chairman Jeong Dong-nyeon, the 'May Death Row Inmate,' Buried at the National 5·18 Cemetery

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo In-ho] The late Jeong Dong-nyeon, chairman of the 5·18 Memorial Foundation, who was sentenced to death during the May 18 Democratic Movement in 1980, will be able to be interred at the National May 18 Democratic Cemetery.

The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs announced on the 31st that, after conducting a review by the National Cemetery Interment Eligibility Committee regarding Chairman Jeong, the late was decided to be eligible for interment at the national cemetery.

Chairman Jeong passed away on the 29th at the age of 79. Following this decision, plans are in place to inter him at the May 18 Democratic Cemetery that afternoon.

Due to his past criminal record related to participation in protests against the normalization of Korea-Japan diplomatic relations, he was subject to re-examination under regulations that require reconsideration of national cemetery interment if there is a criminal record unrelated to legally recognized democratic movements.

In response, Park Min-sik, head of the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, who visited Gwangju to pay respects to the late the day before, instructed to promptly find a way to inter him honorably. Consequently, instead of the regular review, an urgent written review was conducted by that morning, resulting in the decision to approve his interment.

The late served as president of the student council at Chonnam National University in 1964 and was arrested and expelled the following year while leading protests against the Korea-Japan Agreement.

During the May 18 incident, he was tortured by the military and sentenced to death for charges of rebellion alongside former President Kim Dae-jung, but was released in 1982 through a special pardon.

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