The death of Chun Doo-hwan closes a chapter in South Korean history
THE ERA of strongman rule in South Korea receded a little further on November 23rd when Chun Doo-hwan, the country’s last military dictator, died at home in Seoul at the age of 90. His death follows that last month of Roh Tae-woo, Mr Chun’s close associate and successor as president.Listen to this storyYour browser does not support the element.Enjoy more audio and podcasts on iOS or Android.Mr Chun’s stint in power was characterised by rapid economic growth and the violent suppression of political dissent. It is the latter that is better remembered. A high-ranking member of the junta led by President Park Chung-hee, Mr Chun, aided by Mr Roh, took power in a coup after Mr Park’s assassination in 1979. He imposed martial law and closed universities. When protests against that policy erupted in the southern city of Gwangju in 1980 he sent in troops, resulting in hundreds of deaths.Mr Chun ruled until 1987, when protests against his attempt to have Mr Roh succeed him through an indirect vote forced him to hold elections. With the opposition split, Mr Roh ended up winning. After democratisation both men were tried on charges related to their coup, the Gwangju massacre and corruption. Mr Chun received a commuted death sentence; Mr Roh was sentenced to a long stint in prison. Both men were pardoned by President Kim Young-sam in 1997 in a gesture of national reconciliation. In later years Mr Roh kept a low public profile. Mr Chun, though, was unrepentant, denying that there had been indiscriminate killings of civilians.The government, whose political base is made up of people who rejoiced at the dictatorship’s passing, organised a state funeral for Mr Roh in recognition of his shepherding of the country towards democracy. But it issued a terse response to Mr Chun’s death, expressing regret that he had neither told the truth nor shown remorse. The president would not be sending flowers.By contrast the conservative opposition, some of whose supporters retain a degree of fondness for the achievements of the pre-democratic era, was more equivocal. Lee Jun-seok, the opposition leader, said the party would send a wreath, and individual members were free to attend the funeral. Left-wing outlets denied Mr Chun his presidential title in their obituaries, but right-wing media made allowance for his successful economic policy and his eventual voluntary retreat from power. Mr Chun may be dead, but the debate over the generals’ legacy will live on for a while yet.This article appeared in the Asia section of the print edition under the headline “A dictator’s demise”