SECTION: International News
LENGTH: 659 words
HEADLINE: Ex-Presidents Go on Trial for Mutiny and Treason
BYLINE: By PAUL SHIN, Associated Press Writer
DATELINE: SEOUL, South Korea
BODY:
In an unprecedented joint trial, two former presidents who began as childhood friends and ruled South Korea in successive terms from 1980 to 1993, went on trial Monday in connection with their bloody seizure of power.
Dressed in standard-issue prison garb, former Presidents Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo arrived at the Seoul Criminal Court about five minutes apart. At least six people were arrested as they tried to throw rocks and eggs at the prisoners' buses.
One protester displayed a placard that read "Death to the Murderers."
The ex-generals are accused of masterminding the 1979 coup and a bloody military crackdown that killed 240 pro-democracy protesters in the southern city of Kwangju in May 1980.
As the trial got underway, the prosecution and defense offered conflicting interpretations of the charges.
"The unfortunate incidents have turned the tide of South Korea's modern history," senior prosecutor Kim Sang-hee said. "Through the trial, all truth must be brought to light to show to our descendants that law and justice are alive in this country."
But Chief defense lawyer Chun Sang-suk portrayed the allegations as politically motivated and without legal foundation.
As the lawyers spoke, the two ex-presidents, childhood friends and later military buddies, sat impassively side-by-side.
Earlier Monday, about 1,300 riot police lined the motorcade route from the prison to the courthouse to prevent clashes between supporters and opponents of the two ex-presidents.
News reports said that hundreds of villagers from the former presidents' hometowns planned demonstrations against what they believed was political persecution of Chun and Roh. Civic groups also prepared protests to demand stern punishment for the pair.
Their trial on mutiny and treason charges is part of President Kim Young-sam's attempt to come to terms with South Korea's recent history of corruption, coups and harsh authoritarian rule.
If convicted, they face the death penalty, although execution is unlikely. Each is also on trial for bribery in connection with allegedly accepting millions of dollars from businessmen. They face at least 10 years on those charges.
On Sunday, hundreds of people began lining up in front of the court for about 80 admission tickets allotted to the public. According to the court practice here, the trial is not televised.
Police also beefed up security around U.S. facilities to prevent violence by activists. Despite Washington's denial, dissidents have alleged that the U.S. government condoned what came to be called the "Kwangju Massacre."
Also on trial Monday were 14 former generals charged with taking part in the coup and the crackdown.
News reports said another ex-president, Choi Kyu-hah, could join Chun and Roh in court as prosecutors planned to subpoena him to testify against his military successors.
Chun, president from 1980 to 1988, seized power after the assassination of his mentor, President Park Chung-hee, in late 1979. Roh, who allegedly played a key role in the coup, succeeded him as president from 1988 to 1993.
Prosecutors say Chun's seizure of power was a mutiny because his junta arrested the then-martial law commander at gunpoint and forced caretaker President Choi to approve the arrest.
Chun has denied the charges, saying the military panel investigating Park's assassination found the martial law commander was involved in corruption and that Choi was not under duress when he approved the arrest.
Choi, who is 77 and ailing, has previously refused to testify, citing his presidential immunity. His testimony is considered crucial to incriminating Chun.
In the treason charges, Chun's military junta was accused of forcing the Cabinet to put the nation under martial law and dispatching tanks and crack troops to brutally suppress the Kwangju pro-democracy protests.
Chun has said the shootings occurred "accidentally" amid the chaos of violent demonstrations.