‘He was a sinner’: South Korean dictator’s grandson apologises for 1980 Gwangju crackdown
Former dictator Chun Doo-hwan
Former South Korean dictator Chun Doo-hwan's grandson on Friday apologised for the Gwangju massacre committed in the 1980s to crush the pro-democracy protests. The 27-year-old Chun Woo-won met with the families of the bereaved at the May 18 Memorial Culture Centre in the southern city of Gwangju — the epicentre of the uprising and conveyed his apologies by bowing in front of them.
This is the first instance when a member of the family has publicly apologised for the actions of Chun Doo-hwan. The move by New York-based Chun has attracted widespread media coverage with many hailing it as both symbolic and significant.
"I give my sincere apologies. I am sorry. As a family member, I acknowledge that my grandfather Chun Doo-hwan was a sinner and slaughterer who committed such a great crime," said Chun.
"The citizens of Gwangju, who overcame fear in the midst of military dictatorship and stood against it with courage are heroes and truly the light and salt of our country."
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Chun admitted that he was indoctrinated with an inaccurate and distorted version of history by his family since childhood.
"Out of fear of suffering consequential damage, my family and I had looked away from the hideous crime we had committed."
To this day, Chun Doo-hwan is known as the "Butcher of Gwangju" but he died without apologising for his barbaric actions. In a 2017 memoir, he denied any direct involvement in the suppression of the uprising whilst denouncing a priest who claimed that helicopter gunships had opened fire on civilians.
Though the official toll for the dead or missing stands around 200 — activists believe that the number could be three times as high.
ALSO READ | Former South Korean dictator Chun guilty of defamation over massacre
Chun was one of the most ruthless dictators to have ever ruled over the Korean country. Throughout the 1980s, he ruled with an iron fist whilebrutally repressing opponents until mass demonstrations forced him to accept democracy.
(With inputs from agencies)
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