Gwangju Seo-gu Council: "Abolish the Commemoration Project for the Chief of Rebellion, Jeon Du-hwan"

Resolution Urging Legislation on Restrictions of Honor and Praise

The Gwangju Seo-gu Council (Chairman Jeon Seung-il) announced on the 20th that at the 3rd plenary session of the 2nd regular meeting of the 327th session held on the 19th, Representative Im Seong-hwa presented the “Resolution Urging the Abolition of the Commemorative Project for the Traitor of the Nation, Jeon Du-hwan, and the Enactment of Related Laws.”

Members of the Gwangju Seo-gu Council are urging the enactment of a law to abolish the 'Memorial Project for the Traitor to the Nation Jeon Du-hwan.' Photo by Gwangju Seo-gu Council

Representative Im Seong-hwa stated, “The recently declared emergency martial law has caused concerns and fears that painful histories such as the ‘May 18 Democratic Uprising’ could be repeated, and history that has not been resolved will repeat itself. We urge the strict punishment of national criminals who have been sentenced to heavy penalties for crimes such as treason, foreign exchange offenses, rebellion, and treason, including Jeon Du-hwan, the main culprit of the massacre of citizens, and the enactment of related laws that can officially restrict acts of honoring, praising, and commemorating them.”

He continued, “Jeon Du-hwan neither acknowledged his crimes nor apologized to the nation and its people until his death,” and pointed out, “In Hapcheon-gun, Gyeongnam, there exists a commemorative park called ‘Ilhae Park’ that praises Jeon Du-hwan and glorifies his criminal acts.”

Additionally, he added, “In 2021, Yoon Seok-yeol caused controversy by acknowledging Jeon Du-hwan’s achievements during his presidential primary campaign, and recently, it was confirmed that photos of Jeon Du-hwan and Roh Tae-woo are displayed at the renamed Military Counterintelligence Command (Commander Yeo In-hyung) after the Yoon Seok-yeol administration, which sparked further controversy.”

He emphasized, “To prevent the repetition of historical tragedies and social controversies such as the May 1980 Gwangju incident and the unconstitutional December 3, 2024 emergency martial law situation, it is necessary to punish national criminals and enact related laws that can prohibit all acts of honoring, praising, and commemorating them.”

All members of the Gwangju Seo-gu Council called for ▲ the punishment of criminals and collaborators involved in the suppression of democracy and human rights violations with heavy sentences without reduction ▲ the suspension of acts and related projects honoring, praising, and commemorating national and historical criminals involved in treason, foreign exchange offenses, rebellion, and treason ▲ and the enactment of related laws that can officially restrict acts and projects honoring, praising, and commemorating criminals who destroyed the constitutional order.

Meanwhile, a national petition requesting the abolition of the park praising Jeon Du-hwan and the enactment of related laws, led by the ‘Hapcheon County Citizens’ Movement Headquarters to Restore the Forest of Life,’ has met the requirement of “more than 50,000 consents within 30 days of the petition” necessary for referral to the National Assembly’s relevant standing committee and has been referred to the Administrative and Security Committee, the relevant standing committee of the National Assembly.