Copyright 1995 The Daily Yomiuri The Daily Yomiuri
December 4, 1995, Monday Correction Appended
SECTION: Pg. 6
LENGTH: 638 words
HEADLINE: Editorial; President Kim takes bold gamble
BYLINE: Yomiuri Shimbun
DATELINE: TOKYO
BODY:
South Korea’s former President Chun Doo Hwan has been arrested for “masterminding a military rebellion” and on other charges. He is the second former president put behind bars in less than three weeks. This situation is unprecedented for South Korea.
Chun is charged with illegally mobilizing troops and arresting martial law commander Chong Sung Wa on Dec. 12, 1979, about six weeks after the assassination of President Park Chung Hee. Chun then was a major general, the army’s security commander and head of investigators from martial law headquarters. He is accused of acting in collusion with Roh Tae Woo, then chief of the army’s Ninth Division and now also a former president, without permission of then President Choi Kyu Hah.
Chun is said to have used the incident, often called a coup, to take control of the military en route to becoming presidentin September 1980. Incidents along the way included the bloody crackdown on a pro-democracy uprising in the southern city of Kwangju in May 1980.
Chun’s arrest stems from current President Kim Young Sam’s instructions within his party last month to draft special legislation to punish those responsible for the Kwangju massacre. High-ranking officials in the presidential office said the legislation also would cover the 1979 coup.
The Kwangju incident began as a massive demonstration by students and other civilians protesting the expansion of martial law nationwide and the arrests of opposition leader Kim Dae Jung and his allies. The military fired on the demonstrators, killing at least 193.
Kim’s turnabout
President Kim intends to punish Chun and Roh to “liquidate past wrongs” committed from the coup to the Kwangju massacre.
This is a turnabout for Kim. He and other opposition leaders agreed with Roh in 1989 on how to treat Kwangju. Immediately after that, Kim’s party merged with two other parties to create the ruling party.
Kim quite recently has said the Kwangju incident should be left “to the judgment of history.” Prosecutors also decided not to indict the former presidents in spite of accusations filed against them.
Why has Kim changed his mind? For one thing, disclosure of the $650 million slush fund that Roh maintained while in office has strengthened public demands that leaders of past military governments be held accountable for their iron-fisted ways.
Kim may also be trying to boost his flagging support by eliminating vestiges of past military administrations. With National Assembly elections scheduled for next year and his reelection campaign coming up in 1997, Kim seems keen to regain control by rejuvenating the nation’s politics. Some say he is also trying to turn aside accusations of his own connections to the slush fund.
Volatile future
Cracking down on Chun will win the admiration of the masses. It also may lead to a major realignment of the country’s politics.
However, the situation may not progress as the president wishes. Because South Korea has moved solidly toward democracy under Kim’s administration, few fear the military will once again intervene. Yet political realignment could lead to chaos and destabilize Kim’s power base.
Although liquidating past wrongs is certainly reasonable, the public could wind up further disenchanted if they view the motivation behind doing so to be mostly political.
Opposition forces have called for the creation of a special prosecution system comprising civilians.
Chun’s arrest appears designed to forestall such moves by saving the face of the existing prosecution. Prosecutors must conduct their investigations as thoroughly as possible and with complete political neutrality.
We will watch the situation closely, paying special attention to what Kim’s bold political gamble will yield.
(From Dec. 4 Yomiuri Shimbun)
CORRECTION-DATE: December 5, 1995
CORRECTION:
The above editorial incorrectly referred to President Kim Young Sam’s “reelection campaign” when in fact presidents may not be reelected in South Korea. We regret the error.--Editor