Chun Doo-hwan
Chun Doo-hwan (6 March 1931 – 23 November 2021) was a Korean military officer and the President of South Korea from 1980 to 1988. He was sentenced to death in 1996. Chun was later pardoned by President Kim Young-sam on the advice of then President-elect Kim Dae-jung, who was sentenced to death by Chun some 20 years earlier.
Chun Doo-hwan | |
|---|---|
전두환 全斗煥 | |
.JPEG) Chun Doo-hwan in 1983 | |
| 5th President of South Korea | |
| In office 1 September 1980 – 24 February 1988 | |
| Prime Minister | Yoo Chang-soon Kim Sang-hyup Chin Iee-chong Lho Shin-yong Lee Han-key Kim Chung-yul |
| Preceded by | Choi Kyu-hah Pak Choong-hoon (acting) |
| Succeeded by | Roh Tae-woo |
| President of the Democratic Justice Party | |
| In office 15 January 1981 – 10 July 1987 | |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Roh Tae-woo |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 6 March 1931 Naisen-ri, Rigokku-men, Keishōnan-dō, Chōsen (now Hapcheon County, South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea)[1] |
| Died | 23 November 2021 (aged 90)[2] Yeonhui-dong, Seoul, South Korea |
| Political party | Democratic Justice |
| Spouse(s) | Lee Soon-ja (m. 1958) |
| Children | Chun Jae-yong (son, 1959) Chun Hyo-sun (daughter, 1962) Chun Jae-guk (son, 1964) |
| Alma mater | Korea Military Academy (B.S.) |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism, Buddhism (formerly) Protestantism (since 2010) |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  South Korea |
| Branch/service |  South Korea Army |
| Years of service | 1951–1980 |
| Rank | General |
| Commands | Defense Security Command, KCIA |
| Battles/wars | Vietnam War |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 전두환 |
| Hanja | 全斗煥 |
| Revised Romanization | <span title="Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Language/data/ISO 639 override' not found. transliteration" class="Unicode" style="white-space:normal; text-decoration: none">Jeon Duhwan |
| McCune–Reischauer | <span title="Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Language/data/ISO 639 override' not found. transliteration" class="Unicode" style="white-space:normal; text-decoration: none">Chŏn Tuhwan |
| Pen name | |
| Hangul | 일해 |
| Hanja | 日海 |
| Revised Romanization | <span title="Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Language/data/ISO 639 override' not found. transliteration" class="Unicode" style="white-space:normal; text-decoration: none">Ilhae |
| McCune–Reischauer | <span title="Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Language/data/ISO 639 override' not found. transliteration" class="Unicode" style="white-space:normal; text-decoration: none">Irhae |
| Courtesy name | |
| Hangul | 용성 |
| Hanja | 勇星 |
| Revised Romanization | <span title="Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Language/data/ISO 639 override' not found. transliteration" class="Unicode" style="white-space:normal; text-decoration: none">Yongseong |
| McCune–Reischauer | <span title="Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Language/data/ISO 639 override' not found. transliteration" class="Unicode" style="white-space:normal; text-decoration: none">Yongsŏng |
- In this Korean name, the family name is Chun.
The road to power
Chun was a graduate of the Korean Military Academy in 1955. He was a member of Hanahoi, a powerful group of military officials that supported his actions. He was in charge of the investigation into the assassination of President Park Chung-hee. On 12 December 1979, in what became known as the Incident of December 12th, Chun ordered the arrest of Army Chief of Staff General Chung Sung Hwa (정승화, 鄭昇和) without authorization from then-President Choi Kyu-ha. He ordered the arrest as part of the investigation of his part in the assassination. Chung Sung Hwa resisted the arrest. This led to a bloody gun fight at the Army Headquarters and the Ministry of Defense. By the next morning, Chun and his fellow military academy graduates Roh Tae-woo and Jeong Ho-yong were in charge of the Korean military.
On 17 May 1980, Chun placed the entire country under martial law and disbanded the National Assembly. Many politicians were arrested, including liberal politician Kim Dae-jung. Kim was later sentenced to death in spite of protests from the United States. Later, Chun changed Kim's sentence in return for U.S. support. Protests across the nation became smaller. However, very violent prostests happened in Gwangju. Protestors Lootinglooted government building. They armed themselves with stolen guns and military jeeps. Protestors killed a couple of policemen and started of violent protest against the government. A couple of hundreds of protestors and some thirty soldiers were killed in the Gwangju. Choi resigned in August, and Chun was elected his successor by the National Conference for Unification, the South Korean electoral college, in September. In February 1981, Chun was elected president under a revised constitution as the candidate of the Democratic Justice Party (later renamed Democratic Republican Party).
Years in office
Chun ruled in an authoritarian manner. The 1981 constitution was less authoritarian than its 1972 predecessor, the Yushin Constitution, but still granted very broad powers to the president. However, it limited the president to one seven-year term. Chun did not try to change it so he could run for reelection in 1988.
By 1986, the general public was happy with the economic growth. However, there was much anger and hatred against Chun's regime by left-wing students who later became known as 386s. The left wing students led the nationwide June 1987 protests. In the same month, U.S. President Ronald Reagan sent a letter to Chun in support of the creation of "democratic institutions." On June 29th, Roh Tae-woo announced a program of reform. This included direct presidential elections, restoration of banned politicians including Kim Dae-jung, and other liberalizing measures. This won Roh instant popularity, and he was elected as the next president of South Korea. It later became known that Chun was responsible for this plan.
During Chun's visit to Rangoon, Burma (now Myanmar) in 1983, a bomb exploded at a mausoleum he was about to visit. The bomb killed 21 people, including South Korean Cabinet members. Chun himself did not die because he got there two minutes late. While no firm evidence of North Korean involvement has been found, they are widely thought to be responsible.
An embattled ex-President
In 1996, former presidents Chun and Roh were jailed on charges of corruption. On December 16, they were also found guilty of treason and mutiny as part of their takeover of power. Chun was sentenced to death. That sentence was changed to a life sentence. He and Roh were pardoned a year later.
Death
Chun died at his home in Seoul, on 23 November 2021 from cardiac arrest caused by blood cancer, aged 90.[3][4][5][6]
Chun Doo-hwan Media
Army Captain Chun Doo-hwan, 1959
Memorial Hall in the May 18th National Cemetery in Gwangju where victims' bodies were buried
President Chun, and his wife, Lee Soon-ja, prepare to depart after their visit to Washington D.C. in 1981.
Chun with U.S. Major General Claude M. Kicklighter in March 1985
Chun with U.S. President Ronald Reagan in Seoul in November 1983
References
- ↑ "Chun Doo Hwan". Encyclopædia Britannica. (2009).
- ↑ "Emergency officials say South Korean ex-President Chun Doo-hwan, who crushed pro-democracy protests in 1980, has died". Associated Press. 23 November 2021. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
- ↑ "Former South Korean military dictator Chun Doo-hwan dies at 90". Channel NewsAsia. 23 November 2021. Archived from the original on 23 November 2021. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
- ↑ Hyung-Jin Kim (23 November 2021). "Ex-South Korean strongman Chun Doo-hwan dies at age 90". Associated Press. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
- ↑ Choe Sang-Hun (23 November 2021). "Chun Doo-hwan, Ex-Military Dictator in South Korea, Dies at 90". The New York Times. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
- ↑ Hyonhee Shin (23 November 2021). "Former South Korean military dictator Chun Doo-hwan dies at 90". Reuters. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
Other websites
- Korean government website on Chun Archived 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine
| Preceded by Choi Kyu-ha |
President of South Korea 1980-1988 |
Succeeded by Roh Tae-woo |