Jeon Du-hwan's Grandson: "My Grandfather Is a Mass Murderer and a Hypocrite"

Jeon Woo-won, KBS Radio Interview
"My grandfather left without any apology"
"A nation that forgets its history has no future"

Former President Jeon Du-hwan's grandson, Woo Won, said in an interview with KBS Radio's 'Choi Kyung-young's Strongest Current Affairs' on the 18th, "(My grandfather) is a mass murderer. Simply put, he is a mass murderer and also seems to be a hypocrite." Woo Won headed to Gwangju to meet with victims from May 1980 and continued memorial activities on the occasion of the 43rd anniversary of the May 18 Democratic Uprising. In the interview that day, Woo Won also expressed criticism and apology for his grandfather's mistakes.

Woo Won pointed out, "If he truly cared for the people and the country, when there were sacrifices from the citizens who make up the nation, he should have at least valued their lives and sacrifices as much as his own life and continued actions to honor those sacrifices. But none of that happened."

Woo Won diagnosed, "By belittling and distorting their sacrifices, my grandfather tried to prevent even a little of his mistakes from being revealed to the world. Looking at that, he is not just remembered as one of our country's former presidents, but as a tragic example that reminds us how cruel tragedies can occur when an individual's greed comes first and the people are not considered."

Jeon Woo-won, the grandson of former President Jeon Du-hwan, is attending a memorial ceremony held on the morning of the 17th at the National 5·18 Democratic Cemetery in Unjeong-dong, Buk-gu, Gwangju, and is laying flowers. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Woo Won said, "Since May 18 was the day the democratization movement began, my family's guilt feels even greater. Even before, I was always grateful just to be able to come to Gwangju, and every time I come, my family's guilt becomes clearer. I only feel sorry and thankful."

Regarding criticism that he could not know anything since he was not even born in May 1980, Woo Won responded, "Although I was born after that, I am still a member of the family, and the rumors and the suffering of the victims have not ceased since May 18, 1980."

Woo Won explained, "My grandfather Jeon Du-hwan passed away without any apology or acknowledgment, and even now, my family continues to deny that time and tends to belittle and deny the true meaning of the democratization movement in our society. So at least I wanted to remember and reflect on their sacrifices and say that their sacrifices were not in vain, and that they are heroes of democracy."

Woo Won also shared the Jeon Du-hwan family's usual perspective on the democratization movement. Woo Won said, "Whenever news or topics related to Gwangju came up in conversation, they said those people were spies, communists, or rather the source of reformist movements that caused confusion and division in our society."

Jeon Woo-won, the grandson of former President the late Jeon Du-hwan, is attending the 43rd anniversary memorial ceremony of the May 18 Democratic Uprising held on the 17th at the National May 18 Democratic Cemetery in Buk-gu, Gwangju, and is laying a wreath.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Regarding the victims, Woo Won said, "When I came to Gwangju and met them, some might have thrown stones or cursed at me because I am a family member, and I had nothing to say. Yet many said thank you for coming, and many even worried about my health, so I only feel sorry."

He then conveyed these words.

"I am not an expert, but I believe there is a reason why people around the world, including our entire nation, learn history in education. Even if we were not born at that time, there is much we can learn and understand. When people in history committed great sins and passed away without sufficient compensation, apology, or explanation, and the history was forgotten, the grievances of the victims remain unresolved. In such cases, the later generations can offer apologies. Also, there is a saying that a nation that forgets its history has no future."