7/20/2013

May 18th Foundation to Ask for Removal of Jeon Du-hwan Materials

May 18th Foundation has announced it has officially requested yesterday that the Ahn Jung-geun Memorial Hall in China that remarks made by the former military ruler, Jeon Du-hwan during his visit to the Memorial Hall be stricken from the record. 

Members of the May 18th Foundation has visited Ahn Jung-geun Memorial Hall and 731 Base Memorial Center where it commemorates Korean victims under Japanese Occupation last month.

During the visit to the Memorial Hall and 731 Base Memorial Center to commemorate Korean victims of Japanese Occupation last month, Foundation officials discovered personal remarks made by Jeon at the memorial venues and informed local Chinese officials at the museums that Jeon was the one responsible for a large-scale massacre in Democratic Uprising in Gwangju and that his remarks should not bear any prominence at the memorial site.

The Memorial Hall, named after the Korean independence fighter against Japanese rule, Ahn Jung –geun responded that they will consider with the official request made by May 18th Foundation. 

Jeon Du-hwan was the controversial unelected president of South Korea who seized power as a top-ranking general in a coup d'stat in 1979 in the chaotic aftermath of the assassination of long-time president Park Chun Hee. He served as president from 1981-1988 until after serving a seven-year term under the constitution of his 5th republic. 

During the chaos that followed in 1979-1980, Chun after imposing marital law, sent troops to Gwang-ju to quell open opposition to his seizing of power in which during that process resulted in the arrest of democratic opposition leaders like Kim Dae Jung. This resulted in the large-scale atrocities of civilians committed by troops in Gwang-ju.

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