Jeon Du-hwan's Grandson: "Family Has Made the World a Living Hell"

SBS Kim Taehyun's Political Show Interview
"Avoiding Contact When Family Visits Korea"
"Why I Wiped Gwangju Tombstone with a Coat..."

"As a family member of the Jeon Du-hwan family, just going to Gwangju itself seemed like it would leave wounds for too many people. So when I went to the cemetery to pay my respects, I really wanted to do my best. Among the clothes I was wearing at the time, the best was my coat, and I wanted to use the coat to wipe everything clean. And of course, if there had been something better there, I would have used that to wipe it."

Jeon Woo-won, grandson of former President Jeon Du-hwan, said this on the 3rd in an interview with SBS's 'Kim Tae-hyun's Political Show'. Woo-won recently visited Gwangju to express his apologies to the victims of the May 18 Gwangju Uprising and visited the Mangwol-dong cemetery. There, he was seen using his coat to wipe the tombstones.

Woo-won said, "As a member of the family, my family led so many people to death and turned this world into a living hell, and I thought it was sinful to just ignore that guilt and remain silent." He added, "I myself, out of selfishness and immaturity, have been turning a blind eye to these facts, and only after living 27 years have I come to apologize like this. I am sorry for not apologizing sooner."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

When asked if his family tried to stop him from going to Gwangju, Woo-won replied, "Everyone tried to stop me, and my older brother even reported me to the police to have me committed to a psychiatric hospital."

After Woo-won exposed corruption allegations against the Jeon Du-hwan family through YouTube and other platforms, his family mentioned his mental health and expressed their intention to take care of him. However, Woo-won's response was different. He said, "When I was in the U.S., at first they told me to come. Before the situation escalated, they wanted to stop me quickly. But when I actually came to Korea and contacted them, they avoided my calls."

Woo-won also explained why he wrote in the guestbook, "The true fathers of democracy are all those buried here."

He said, "Coming to Gwangju and meeting all those who experienced such tragic suffering, and seeing the truly angelic people who embraced me despite so much pain, I thought the true heroes and fathers of democracy are the citizens of Gwangju and all those who warmly embraced me without throwing stones."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Woo-won also spoke about his life after the revelations. He said, "Every day is fearful and scary. I am afraid of being harmed, and I always imagine the worst-case scenarios. After all, we are up against one of the wealthiest families in South Korea, so I am scared."

He added, "People with capital have so many ways to hide money, so it is difficult to make big statements now, but if the location of the safe in our Yeonhui-dong residence is revealed, I think it could prove some credibility to what I am saying."

Regarding why he does live broadcasts, Woo-won said, "For my protection, I feel safer when I keep the live on. Also, the reason I answer all these sensitive questions is because I want to show that I have nothing to hide. It’s not important that I get criticized; I think it is more meaningful to comfort the wounds of many people and walk the righteous path."