The memory of the harsh repression and the iron fist of his dictatorship made him known as the ‘Butcher of Gwangju’
Former South Korean dictator Chun Doo-hwan, who brutally cracked down on the opposition until he was toppled by massive demonstrations, died Tuesday at the age of 90, his longtime aide confirmed. The former president died at his home in Seoul, Min Jeong-ki told reporters outside the president’s residence.
General Chun Doo-hwan seized power in a coup after the assassination of former leader Park Chung-hee in 1979. During his tenure, between 1980 and 1988, the economy took off and Seoul won the 1988 Olympic Games, which were held shortly. after he became the first South Korean leader to transfer power peacefully.
However, the memory of the harsh repression and the iron fist of his dictatorship still keep him today as one of the most vilified figures in the country. In fact, he is known as the “Butcher of Gwangju” for the army’s repression of a popular uprising against his power in that city in the southwest of the country.
The official balance estimates that 200 people died or disappeared in these events, although activists assure that the losses could be three times higher.
In 1996 he was convicted of treason and sentenced to death for his involvement in that massacre, although the execution was commuted at the appeal stage and he was later released thanks to a presidential pardon.
The former dictator always denied his direct participation in the repression that he and other far-right politicians reduce to mere “riots.”
During his tenure, the autocrat survived an assassination attempt. During an official visit to Burma in 1983, North Korean agents tried to kill him with a bomb during a wreath. Chun has had to deal with court battles until his death. Last year he was found guilty of defamation in connection with the Gwangju massacre.
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