Sergeant Who Died Fighting 'Seoul's Spring' Rebels to Receive Honorary Degree from Chosun University

Chosun University Class of '77 Student Dies Before Discharge
Degree Likely to Be Awarded During February Graduation Season

Chosun University is planning to award an honorary diploma to Sergeant Jeong Seon-yeop, who was depicted in the film 'Spring in Seoul' as having died while guarding the Army Headquarters bunker.

"To honor the soldier's spirit who stopped the rebels"... Decision on awarding expected as early as January

Sergeant the late Jeong Seon-yeop [Photo by Dongshin High School Alumni Association]

According to Chosun University on the 6th, Sergeant Jeong was reclassified as a war casualty on December 7 last year following a reinvestigation by the Military Death Accident Investigation Commission. With increased social attention on Sergeant Jeong through the film 'Spring in Seoul,' the university has decided to pursue awarding him an honorary diploma.

Chosun University plans to contact Sergeant Jeong's bereaved family and, after consultations with faculty meetings, will proceed with awarding the honorary diploma. The decision on whether to award it is expected to be made as early as January, and if approved, the honorary diploma will likely be presented during the graduation season in February.

In the film, Sergeant Jeong, portrayed as 'Jo Min-beom,' was born in 1956 and enrolled in the Department of Electronic Engineering at Chosun University in 1977, enlisting in the military immediately after admission.

Movie Poster of 'Seoul-ui Bom'

The film's depiction of Sergeant Jeong refusing the rebel command to "step aside" and being shot differs slightly from the actual circumstances of his death.

After enlisting, Sergeant Jeong served as a military police officer under the Ministry of National Defense. On the early morning of December 13, 1979, shortly before his discharge, he was on sentry duty in an underground bunker and resisted until the end against the 1st Airborne Brigade that was suppressing the rebellion by force. He was shot and killed by rebel gunfire.

A Chosun University official stated, "We are pursuing the awarding of an honorary diploma to honor the true soldier's spirit of Sergeant Jeong Seon-yeop, who fell while stopping the rebels."

Actor Jung Woo-sung's role also linked to Chosun University... Chosun University gains attention as a filming location

The main building corridor of Chosun University featured in the movie 'Spring in Seoul.'
[Photo provided by Chosun University]

Meanwhile, the character Lee Tae-shin, the Capital Defense Command commander passionately portrayed by actor Jung Woo-sung, was inspired by former commander Jang Tae-wan, who is also an alumnus of Chosun University.

Born in 1931, Jang Tae-wan graduated from Daegu Commercial High School and, when the Korean War broke out, enlisted at age 19 as a cadet officer at the Army Academy, commissioning as a second lieutenant without attending university.

Later, in 1952, when the Military Education Headquarters was established in Gwangju and Chosun University took charge of commissioned officer training, Jang Tae-wan earned a law degree.

Additionally, Chosun University attracted attention as a filming location for 'Spring in Seoul.'

The hallway of the main building was used to film the confrontation scene between Jung Woo-sung as Lee Tae-shin and Hwang Jung-min as Jeon Du-gwang.

The underground shelter served as the Army Headquarters B2 bunker, and the central staircase of the main building appeared as the path where 4th Airborne Division soldiers went to arrest the Special Forces commander.