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Chun Doo-hwan
President of South Korea from 1980 to 1988 / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Chun Doo-hwan (Korean: 전두환; Korean pronunciation: [tɕʌnduɦwɐn] or [tɕʌn] [tuɦwɐn]; 18 January 1931 – 23 November 2021) was a South Korean politician, army general and military dictator[2][3][4][5] who served as the fifth president of South Korea from 1980 to 1988.
Chun Doo-hwan | |
---|---|
전두환 | |
![]() Official portrait, c. 1980–1988 | |
5th President of South Korea[lower-alpha 1] | |
In office 1 September 1980 – 24 February 1988 | |
Prime Minister | |
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 | (1931-01-18)18 January 1931 Gosen, South Keisho, Korea, Empire of Japan (now in Hapcheon County, South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea)[1] |
Died | 23 November 2021(2021-11-23) (aged 90) Yeonhui-dong, Seoul, South Korea |
Political party | Democratic Justice |
Spouse | |
Children | 4 |
Alma mater | Korea Military Academy (BS) |
Religion | Korean Buddhism prev. Roman Catholic |
Signature | ![]() |
Military service | |
Allegiance | South Korea |
Branch/service | Republic of Korea Army |
Years of service | 1951–1987 |
Rank | General |
Commands | Defense Security Command, KCIA |
Battles/wars | Vietnam War |
Korean name | |
Hangul | 전두환 |
Hanja | 全斗煥 |
Revised Romanization | Jeon Du(-)hwan |
McCune–Reischauer | Chŏn Tuhwan |
Art name | |
Hangul | 일해 |
Hanja | 日海 |
Revised Romanization | Ilhae |
McCune–Reischauer | Irhae |
Courtesy name | |
Hangul | 용성 |
Hanja | 勇星 |
Revised Romanization | Yongseong |
McCune–Reischauer | Yongsŏng |
Chun usurped power after the 1979 assassination of president Park Chung Hee. Park was himself a military dictator who had ruled since 1961. Chun orchestrated the 12 December 1979 military coup, then cemented his military dictatorship in the 17 May 1980 military coup in which he declared martial law and later set up a concentration camp for "purificatory education". He established the Fifth Republic of Korea on 3 March 1981. He governed under a constitution somewhat less authoritarian than Park's Fourth Republic, but still held very broad executive power, and used extreme violence to maintain it. During his tenure, South Korea's economy would grow at its highest rate ever achieving the country's first trade surplus in 1986.[6] After the June Struggle democratization movement of 1987, Chun conceded to allowing the December 1987 presidential election to be free and open. It was won by his close friend and ally Roh Tae-woo, who would continue many of Chun's policies during his own rule into the 1990s.[7]
In 1996, Chun was sentenced to death for his role in the suppression of the Gwangju Uprising which led to the deaths of hundreds, possibly thousands, of citizens. Chun was pardoned the following year, along with Roh Tae-woo who had been sentenced to 17 years, by President Kim Young-sam, on the advice of the incoming President-elect Kim Dae-jung, whom Chun's administration had sentenced to death some 20 years earlier.[8][9] Chun and Roh were fined $203 million and $248 million respectively, amounts that were embezzled through corruption during their regimes, which were mostly never paid.[10][11]
In his final years, Chun was criticized for his unapologetic stance and the lack of remorse for his actions as a dictator and his wider regime.[3][12] Chun died on 23 November 2021 at the age of 90 after a relapse of myeloma.[4]