China News Service, November 23, reported that on November 23, former South Korean President Chun Doo-hwan passed away at home at the age of 90.
Jeon Doo-hwan served as the 11th and 12th presidents of South Korea.
He was accused of initiating a military coup to seize power, then was prosecuted, sentenced to death, and received an amnesty.
However, in his later years, Chuan Doo-hwan was still in trouble in addition to lawsuits.
In addition, Chun Doo-hwan's relationship with another former South Korean president, Roh Tae-woo, who passed away not long ago, also has a lot of roots.
Data map: Former South Korean President Jeon Doo-hwan.
Initiated a coup and served as president twice
Chun Doo-hwan was born in 1931 and served as the 11th and 12th president of South Korea from 1980 to 1988.
In October 1979, then South Korean President Park Zhengxi was assassinated.
On December 12 of the same year, Jeon Doo-hwan, then the security commander, launched a military coup and established the "Fifth Republic" and became the 11th president of South Korea.
However, because the South Korean people did not agree with the military coup, the civil protest movement gained momentum.
On May 18, 1980, the Quan Doo Hwanjun regime suppressed the mass movement, and the "Gwangju Incident" that shocked the world broke out, causing a large number of civilian casualties.
After stepping down, Chun Doo-hwan was investigated.
In 1996, he was prosecuted on suspicion of military rebellion and sentenced to death in the first instance, and later commuted to life imprisonment.
He received an amnesty in 1997 and was released in early 1998.
Data map: Former South Korean President Roh Tae-woo.
Image source: Yonhap News Agency
Presidential battle, grievances and feuds
Just a month ago, another former president of South Korea, Roh Tae-woo, also died of illness.
There is a deep connection between him and Quan Douhuan.
Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo met at the Army Non-commissioned Officer School and forged a deep friendship.
In the military coup in 1979, the two seized power together, and later became the president of South Korea.
Under political pressure, shortly after becoming the president of South Korea in 1988, Roh Tae-woo handed over to the Diet Chun Doo-hwan, who had handed over power to him, to make him publicly apologize for the “Gwangju Incident” and put him under house arrest.
At this point, Quan Dou-hwan and Lu Tae-woo turned against each other.
In 1993, Kim Young Sam took over Roh Tae-woo as president, ending the history of South Korea's "military regime".
During Kim Young Sam's administration, Chun Doo-hwan was accused of launching a military rebellion and accepting bribes.
As a fellow in the process of "democratization" by Kim Young Sam, Kim Dae-jung was once regarded by Chun Doo-hwan as the greatest political enemy of the military regime, and he was sentenced to death by Chun Doo-hwan.
But after Chun Doo-hwan was sentenced to death, Kim Dae-jung told the then President Kim Young-sam that “the unfortunate history of the previous president cannot be repeated” and suggested that Chun Doo-hwan be pardoned.
Kim Young Sam adopted the suggestion.
Since then, the relationship between Kim Dae-jung and Chun Doo-hwan has gradually improved.
In 2009, Quan Doo-hwan rushed to the hospital to visit Kim Dae-jung who was seriously ill.
Data map: Former South Korean President Jeon Doo-hwan.
Picture source: South Korea's "Joongang Ilbo"
After being released, he was ransacked
After being pardoned, Chuan Doo-hwan's life has not been calm.
According to reports, during his administration, Quan Douhuan illegally obtained hundreds of billions of won in funds.
To avoid the disaster of jail, a huge fine had to be paid.
On July 16, 2013, the South Korean Prosecutor's Office conducted a search of the residences of related persons, company offices, etc. in order to pursue these illegal funds.
According to reports, the prosecutor confiscated high-priced famous paintings, porcelain, and fine art works in the process.
The report also pointed out that in order to find out the property hidden by Quan Douhuan, the prosecutor even used metal detectors that day, and used special transportation equipment and shock-proof vehicles to carry famous paintings and other items.
Illnesses and lawsuits in old age
In his later years, the lawsuit surrounding Chun Doo-hwan did not end.
In November 2020, Quan Douhuan was sentenced to 8 months in first instance and suspended for 2 years for allegedly inflicting "honour damage" on the deceased in his memoirs.
Until August 9, 2021, he repeatedly refused to appear in court for suffering from Alzheimer's.
On the afternoon of August 9, Quan Douhuan appeared in court for trial when he was 90 years old.
During the trial, because he said he had difficulty breathing, he left the court midway after only 25 minutes of the trial.
After that, Quan Douhuan was admitted to the hospital for treatment and was diagnosed with multiple myeloma.
According to reports, he was unable to eat normally at that time and his weight plummeted.
On November 23, local time, it was reported that Quan Dou-hwan died in his private house in Seoul at the age of 90.
As one of the important historical figures in South Korea, Chun Doo-hwan has spent half of his life, experiencing twists and turns, and his life's merits and demerits will be left to future generations to comment on.
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