Meeting with 5·18 Victims at Gwangju 5·18 Memorial Culture Center
Jeon Woo-won, the grandson of former President the late Jeon Du-hwan, bowed his head to the victims of the May 18 Democratic Movement, saying, "My grandfather Jeon Du-hwan is a sinner who committed a great crime during May 18."
Former President the late Jeon Du-hwan's grandson, Jeon Woo-won, is consoling Kim Gil-ja, a bereaved family member of the May 18 Democratic Movement, on the morning of the 31st at the National May 18 Democratic Cemetery in Unjeong-dong, Buk-gu, Gwangju. [Image source=Yonhap News]
On that day, Jeon met with May 18 victims at the reception hall of the May 18 Memorial Culture Center in Seo-gu, Gwangju, to offer an apology.
He said to the victims, "I am grateful to everyone who gave a sinner such a precious opportunity," and added, "I sincerely apologize for not being able to express my remorse sooner." He continued, "My grandfather Jeon Du-hwan failed to promote the development of democracy and instead caused it to regress," and "I am once again sorry to the citizens of Gwangju who endured suffering by overcoming fear and bravely standing up against military dictatorship."
The grandson of former President the late Jeon Du-hwan, Jeon Woo-won, is seen bowing deeply to the bereaved families of the May 18 incident on the morning of the 31st at the 5·18 Memorial Culture Center in Seo-gu, Gwangju, apologizing on behalf of his grandfather. [Image source=Yonhap News]
Former President the late Jeon Du-hwan's grandson, Jeon Woo-won, is apologizing to the families of the May 18 victims on the morning of the 31st at the May 18 Memorial Culture Center in Seo-gu, Gwangju, on behalf of his grandfather. [Photo by Yonhap News]
The victims present at the event expressed their gratitude to Jeon. Kim Gil-ja, a bereaved family member, said, "Thank you for gathering the courage to come, and I sincerely welcome you to Gwangju for the first time," adding, "I truly hope this leads to a path of reconciliation."
Kim Tae-su, a gunshot victim, also said, "Many people are struggling with aftereffects from being shot or assaulted. I hope these people will be well taken care of," and "I am very thankful that your grandson came all the way to Gwangju."
When asked by reporters about his feelings after meeting the victims, Jeon replied, "The warmer the people here embrace me, the more ashamed I feel. I am truly grateful and sorry." Regarding his future schedule, he said, "I understand I have plans until tomorrow (April 1). I will inform you once further plans are decided."
The grandson of former President the late Jeon Du-hwan, Jeon Woo-won, is paying respects at the burial site for the missing persons at the National May 18 Cemetery in Unjeong-dong, Buk-gu, Gwangju, on the morning of the 31st. [Image source=Yonhap News]
Jeon, who is under suspicion of drug use, was released 36 hours after being questioned by the Drug Crime Investigation Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency on the 29th. The police, who were considering applying for an arrest warrant, decided to release him and conduct the investigation without detention, taking into account that Jeon admitted to the charges and voluntarily returned to the country. Immediately after his release, he traveled to Gwangju and, after taking a day of rest, began his schedule on that day.
Earlier, since April 13 while staying in New York, Jeon had exposed allegations of slush funds involving his family through social media (SNS), YouTube, and media interviews, and revealed that he and his acquaintances used drugs. On the morning of the 17th, during a YouTube live broadcast, he appeared to use drugs on air and was subsequently taken to a hospital.
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