[Jeon Du-hwan Death] Achieved Economic Development but... Main Culprit of Massacre and Human Rights Suppression

The Achievements and Failures of Former President Jeon Du-hwan

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jun-yi] Former President Jeon Du-hwan is predominantly negatively evaluated as a former president who shot innocent citizens under a military dictatorship regime. From the early days of his rule, he took control of the entire country and was the main perpetrator of shooting Gwangju citizens during the May 18 Democratic Movement. In particular, he created the political prisoner camp called ‘Samcheong Education Camp’ and used it as a tool to oppress the human rights of innocent people.

The June Struggle, which led to the collapse of the 5th Republic, also took place under former President Jeon’s regime. At that time, Park Jong-cheol, a student at Seoul National University, was imprisoned on charges of criticizing the regime and was tortured with electric shocks and waterboarding, which led to his death and became the catalyst for the movement. During his tenure, former President Jeon accused many people of being spies, resulting in imprisonment or death. Representative fabricated spy cases include the Jindo Family Spy Group Case, Gumi Overseas Student Spy Group Case, Hakrim Case, and the fabricated treason conspiracy case against former President Kim Dae-jung.

He is also evaluated as having regressed democracy by suppressing labor, religion, and the press. Through various methods such as media consolidation and press guidelines, he suppressed freedom of the press, while revising the Labor Union Act and Labor Dispute Adjustment Act to completely prohibit the establishment of labor unions and support for labor movements from outside. At that time, human rights abuses such as the Bucheon Police Station sexual torture case were rampant.

At the same time, the ‘3S Policy (Screen, Sports, Sex)’?a policy of placating the masses?is interpreted as both an achievement and a fault. Although it was implemented to blind the public from regime seizure and oppression, paradoxically, it also contributed to the development of sports and culture.

Former President Jeon is evaluated as a figure with clear faults but also credited with achievements in economic development. During the Park Chung-hee government, when the country faced an economic crisis due to the oil shock, he overcame it and maintained a stable economic situation. He appointed Kim Jae-ik as the Blue House economic chief and succeeded in stabilizing the economy by implementing strong price stabilization policies and the real-name financial system. Former President Jeon is praised for enhancing the efficiency of state administration by appointing capable bureaucrats.

Additionally, during his tenure, he promoted the development of nationwide subway lines, including the metropolitan area and provinces. Culturally, he influenced popular culture through liberalization policies such as abolishing the nighttime curfew, liberalizing school uniforms and hairstyles, and deregulating the screen industry. He also contributed to communication development by building internet communication networks and initiating undersea optical cable projects. As a former president who was sentenced to prison, it remains uncertain whether former President Jeon’s funeral will be held as a state funeral. Like former President Roh Tae-woo, who passed away on the 26th of last month, former President Jeon’s funeral will be decided by the ‘State Funeral Committee’ under the ‘State Funeral Act.’