Yeongam-gun Commemorates Late Sergeant Jeong Seon-yeop Who Resisted the 12·12 Military Coup

Memorial Event for Local Hero Sergeant Jeong Seon-yeop Held at Yeongam Park Memorial Tower

On the 12th, Yeongam-gun, Jeollanam-do (Governor Woo Seung-hee) held a ‘Memorial Ceremony for Sergeant Jeong Seon-yeop, a Hero of My Hometown’ at the Yeongam Park Memorial Tower.

The late Sergeant Jeong Seon-yeop died defending the Army Headquarters B2 bunker against the rebel forces during the December 12 military coup by the new military regime in 1979.

The memorial event in Yeongam-gun was organized to honor the true soldierly spirit of Sergeant Jeong Seon-yeop, who was 23 years old at the time.

In the latter part of the film ‘Spring in Seoul,’ which recently surpassed 7 million viewers, the real-life figure of Sergeant Jeong Seon-yeop is portrayed as Corporal Jo Min-beom, who defended the Army Headquarters bunker until the very end.

At the Yeongam Park Memorial Tower, participants including (center) Woo Seung-hee, Yeongam County Governor, are observing a moment of silence at the "Memorial Event for Our Hometown Hero Sergeant Jeong Seon-yeop."
[Photo by Yeongam County]

As the film gained social attention, Sergeant Jeong Seon-yeop, along with Major Kim O-rang who protected his superior, has received much interest and remembrance as righteous soldiers.

Sergeant Jeong was born in Anno-ri, Geumjeong-myeon, Yeongam-gun in 1956, graduated from Geumjeongbuk Elementary School, attended Gwangju Dongsin High School, and entered the Department of Electronic Engineering at Chosun University in 1977 before immediately enlisting in the military.

He served as a military police officer at the Ministry of National Defense in Yongsan, Seoul, and was killed by gunfire from the military coup forces on the early morning of December 13, 1979, while on guard duty at the underground bunker, just three months before his discharge.

Until now, Sergeant Jeong Seon-yeop had been classified as a ‘death in the line of duty’ under the Military Personnel Act for deaths during training, which was unjust, causing dishonor to the hero, grief to his family, and public outrage in society.

On December 7 last year, after a re-examination of his death, Sergeant Jeong Seon-yeop was reclassified from ‘death in the line of duty’ to ‘killed in action’ and recognized as a national merit recipient, restoring at least minimal honor after 43 years.

A military official stated, “Along with the memorial ceremony for Sergeant Jeong Seon-yeop, we will continue to promote the ‘Finding Heroes of My Hometown Project’ to remember the dedication of those who served the nation and strengthen the respect so that their bereaved families can live with honor and pride.”

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