May Group Plans to Move Statue to Court on Trial Day
[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suwan] Ahead of former President Jeon Du-hwan's court appearance in Gwangju on charges of defamation of the deceased, the May 18 organizations have decided to hold a performance urging severe punishment by relocating the 'Jeon Du-hwan statue' to Gwangju.
On the 26th, the May 18 Memorial Foundation and the three May organizations (Bereaved Families Association, Injured Association, and Detained Injured Association) announced that they moved the Jeon Du-hwan statue, which had been installed at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, to the May 18 Democracy Square in Dong-gu, Gwangju, on the 25th.
The Jeon Du-hwan statue was created by the May organizations in December 2019 to mark the 40th anniversary of the December 12 military coup. The statue depicts Mr. Jeon dressed in a prison uniform kneeling. The May organizations hung a toy hammer next to the statue so that any Gwangju citizen can strike the Jeon Du-hwan statue.
In particular, on the day of the trial today (the 27th), the May organizations plan to move the statue to the entrance of the civil affairs office of the Gwangju District Court, where Mr. Jeon is expected to pass.
The organizations plan to gather at the court entrance to hold a rally demanding Mr. Jeon's apology and detention. However, to prevent the spread of COVID-19, they agreed to refrain from aggressive actions as much as possible and to maintain social distancing and follow quarantine guidelines during the protest.
Former President Jeon Du-hwan is getting into a vehicle after leaving the emergency treatment center at Severance Hospital in Seoul on the afternoon of March 11 last year. Photo by Yonhap News
Additionally, among the May Bereaved Families Association members, mothers of the victims plan to hold a silent protest wearing mourning clothes around the court area, urging Mr. Jeon to apologize.
Moreover, a victim group forcibly conscripted into the military during the Jeon Du-hwan regime while participating in the democratization movement plans to hold a press conference at the court on the same day to demand a fact-finding investigation.
Meanwhile, Mr. Jeon will appear in the Gwangju court as a defendant ahead of the 40th anniversary of the May 18 Democratization Movement. It has been over a year since he last appeared in court on March 11 last year as a defendant in the defamation of the deceased case.
Since forcibly summoned to court in March last year, Mr. Jeon has not attended the trial, citing Alzheimer's disease.
In his memoir published in April 2017, he claimed that Father Jo Bi-o's testimony witnessing helicopter gunfire by martial law troops during May 18 was false, criticizing Father Jo as a "shameless liar" and "Satan," leading to his indictment in May 2018 on charges of defamation of the deceased.
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