Tuesday, November 23, 2021
“Butcher of Gwangju”
South Korea’s ex-ruler Chun is dead
Chun Doo Hwan comes to power in South Korea with a military coup. Right at the beginning of his term in office in 1980 he had a pro-democratic uprising brutally suppressed and was then called the “butcher of Gwangju”. Now he dies at the age of 90.
South Korean former ruler Chun Doo Hwan is dead. Chun died at the age of 90 in his home in Seoul, South Korean broadcaster and the national news agency Yonhap reported in unison. Chun suffered from chronic illnesses. He had ruled the country in an authoritarian manner in the 1980s and was known as the “butcher of Gwangju” for brutally cracking down on protests in the southern city.
Chun took power in 1979 after a military coup. In May 1980, pro-democracy demonstrators in Gwangju dared to revolt against the military junta, which was suppressed by government troops and resulted in a bloodbath. According to official figures, more than 200 people have been killed or have since been missing. Activists estimate the number of victims three times higher.
The former general ruled South Korea until 1988 when he resigned after mass protests. In 1996, he was sentenced to death for treason and bribery, in part because of the events in Gwangju. The country’s highest court converted the sentence into life imprisonment. A year later he was released following a pardon from the then president. The incumbent head of state Moon Jae-In had restarted the investigation into the crackdown on the uprising last year.
Chun’s role is very controversial in South Korea to this day. Some right wing politicians in the south of the country see the uprising in Gwangju as a rebellion instigated by communists. As president, Chun also ensured an economic upswing in the country and secured the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul. He was the first South Korean president to peacefully relinquish power.