Chun Doo-hwan

Chun Doo-hwan, as commander of the Defense Security Command, led a military coup within the army. He arrested General Jeong Seung-hwa and other senior officers, seizing control of the military and effectively taking power after Park Chung-hee's assassination.

Chun Doo-hwan ordered the military to suppress pro-democracy protests in Gwangju. Troops used live ammunition against civilians, resulting in hundreds of deaths and thousands of injuries. The massacre became a symbol of resistance against authoritarian rule in South Korea.

Chun Doo-hwan was elected president by the National Conference for Unification under a new constitution. He established the Fifth Republic, which maintained authoritarian control, banned political activities, and suppressed dissent, while continuing economic growth policies.

Massive pro-democracy protests erupted across South Korea, demanding direct presidential elections. Chun Doo-hwan initially ordered a crackdown but eventually conceded, accepting the June 29 Declaration that led to democratic reforms and his resignation from the presidency.

Chun Doo-hwan was convicted of treason, mutiny, and corruption for his role in the 1979 coup and the Gwangju massacre. He was sentenced to death, later commuted to life imprisonment, and eventually pardoned in 1997, marking a legal reckoning for his authoritarian rule.