Coup d'état of December Twelfth
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| Coup d'état of December Twelfth | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
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Shingunbu
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
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Chun Doo-hwan Roh Tae-woo |
Choi Kyu-hah Jeong Seung-hwa Jang Tae-wan Jung Byeong-joo | ||||||
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| 1 killed, 1 wounded | 2 killed, 3 wounded | ||||||
| History of South Korea |
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 South Korea portal |
The Coup d'état of December Twelfth or the 12·12 Military Insurrection (Korean: 12·12 군사 반란; Hanja: 十二十二軍事反亂) was a military coup which took place on December 12, 1979, in South Korea. [1][2]
Background
[edit]The assassination of Park Chung Hee on 26 October 1979 had thrown South Korea into a state of political turmoil. Prime Minister Choi Kyu-hah immediately became acting President and declared a state of martial law throughout the nation, with the exception of Jeju-do. He would become assume the role of President on 6 December 1979 when the situation was somewhat stabilized.
He appointed General Jeong Seung-hwa, the Chief of Staff of the Army to oversee the martial law operation.[3] Jeong appointed Major General Chun Doo-hwan, commander of the Defence Security Command to investigate Park's assassination. Jeong, Chun and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Kim Jong-hwan were the most powerful figures in the military. [4]
According to official investigations, President Park's assassin and director of KCIA Kim Jae-gyu had approached Jeong, who was present at the scene of the assassination (though not a witness) to take command of the situation after Park's assassination, but Jeong refused.[5][6]
Chun, who harbored political ambitions, was a rival to Jeong, given that the Defence Security Command serves as a hedge against any potential military coup under President Park.[7]
Coup
[edit]On the evening of 12 December 1979, Chun ,[8] acting without authorization from President Choi Kyu-hah, ordered the arrest of Jeong on allegations of involvement in the assassination of President Park. Minister of National Defense Roh Jae-hyun assisted in the arrest of Jeong. He would resign from office following the coup.
After Jeong's capture, the 29th Regiment of the 9th Division, along with the 1st Special Forces Brigade and 3rd Special Forces Brigade, invaded downtown Seoul to support the 30th and 33rd Capital Security Groups, which were loyal to Chun, resulting in a series of conflicts that broke out in the capital. Two of Jeong's allies, Major General Jang Tae-wan[9] (Commander of Army Capital Security Command) and Major General Jeong Byeong-ju (Commander of Army Special Warfare Command), were also arrested by the rebelling troops. Major Kim Oh-rang, aide-de-camp of Jeong Byeong-ju, was killed during the gunfight.[10]
By the next morning, the Ministry of Defense and Army Headquarters were all occupied by the mutineers. Chun and his fellow graduates of the 11th class of the Korea Military Academy, such as Major General Roh Tae-woo, commanding general of 9th Infantry Division and Major General Jeong Ho-yong, were in charge of the Korean ground forces.[11] Chun's coup and the subsequent consolidation of power was assisted by the powerful private club of military officials known as Hanahoe.[12] The South Korean navy and air force did not participate in the coup and Chun subsequently co-opted them following the success of the mutiny. Chun became the de facto commander-in-chief rather than President Choi Kyu-hah.
Aftermath
[edit]Jeong and his associates were tried in a military court and Jeong was sentenced to 10 years in prison.[13]
The coup marked the beginning of the end of the Fourth Republic of Korea. The mutiny, the coup of the civilian government on 17 May 1980, alongside the Gwangju Uprising,[14] was the primary justification for Chun's 1995 arrest by the Kim Young-sam administration.
Cultural references
[edit]Film
[edit]- 12.12: The Day (2023)[14]
Television
[edit]- 4th Republic (1995–96)[15]
- 5th Republic (2005)[16][17][18]
- Koreagate (1995)[19]
- Surprise Mystery TV – 12.12: The Day (2023)[20][21]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ https://www.nytimes.com/1979/12/14/archives/7-top-generals-are-held-in-seoul-military-power-struggle-is-seen.html
- ^ https://www.nytimes.com/1979/12/24/archives/seoul-detains-general-in-sedition-plot.html
- ^ https://www.nytimes.com/1979/11/03/archives/most-powerful-man-in-seoul-chung-seung-hwa.html
- ^ https://www.nytimes.com/1979/10/30/archives/3-korean-generals-assume-major-roles-south-koreas-top-soldier.html
- ^ https://www.nytimes.com/1979/11/01/archives/seoul-assassins-reportedly-tried-to-draw-armys-chief-into-plot.html
- ^ https://www.nytimes.com/1979/12/17/archives/korean-testifies-he-alone-planned-parks-murder-kim-was-close-friend.html
- ^ https://www.nytimes.com/1979/12/18/archives/tough-general-who-appears-in-control-of-seoul-chon-too-hwan-man-in.html
- ^ "기무사 '37년 소격동시대' 마감... 과천 이전". The Dong-a Ilbo (in Korean). 19 November 2008. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
- ^ "7월 26일은 비운의 진짜 군인 장태완(張泰玩) 장군 사망일 - 개미뉴스" [July 26th is the death anniversary of General Jang Tae-wan, a truly unfortunate soldier - Ant News]. Ant News (in Korean). Retrieved 2022-01-14.
- ^ "The harrowing real-life stories of the Korean military coup depicted in "12.12: The Day"". English Edition: The Hankyoreh. 29 November 2023. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
- ^ https://www.nytimes.com/1979/12/15/archives/korean-general-filling-key-posts-with-his-men-to-bolster-power.html
- ^ "육사·하나회·쿠데타 질긴 인연 전두환과 노태우... 죽음도 '추종'". NewsPim. 2021-11-23.
- ^ https://www.nytimes.com/1980/03/14/archives/seoul-general-gets-a-10year-sentence-exmartial-law-chief-is.html
- ^ a b "[영화는실화다] 영화 '서울의 봄'_ 12·12 군사 반란" [[The movie is a true story] Movie '12.12: The Day'_ December 12 Military Uprising]. YTN (in Korean). 24 November 2023 – via Naver.
- ^ "<방송> MBC「제4공화국」12.12사태 재현" [Broadcast MBC「Fourth Republic」Reenactment of the December 12 Incident]. Yonhap News Agency (in Korean). 31 October 1995. Retrieved 24 November 2023 – via Naver.
- ^ "'제5공화국', 12.12 장면 방송에도 시청률 하락" ['The Fifth Republic', viewership ratings drop even after the December 12 scene was broadcast]. Yonhap News Agency (in Korean). 16 May 2005. Retrieved 24 November 2023 – via Naver.
- ^ "12·12 다룬 '서울의 봄'과 '제5공화국' ...뭐가 같고 뭐가 다른가" ['12.12: The Day' and '5th Republic', both of which were covered on Coup d'état of December Twelfth... What's the same and what's different?]. Ilyo Shinmun (in Korean). 29 November 2023. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
- ^ "오 유튜브에 서울의봄 올라왔는데?" [Seoul Spring was uploaded on YouTube]. Flayus. 9 December 2023. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
- ^ "許和平의원,'제4공화국'.'코리아게이트' 고소" [Rep. Heo Wha-pyeong sues the '4th Republic' and 'Koreagate']. Yonhap News Agency (in Korean). 7 December 1995. Retrieved 24 November 2023 – via Naver.
- ^ ［신비한TV 서프라이즈］ 1979년 12월 12일, 작전명 '생일 집 잔치'. 전두환을 필두로 한 10.26 사건으로 촉발된 그날 밤의 이야기, MBC 231203 방송 [［Surprise Mystery TV］ December 12, 1979, operation name 'Birthday Home Party'. The story of that night triggered by the October 26 incident led by Chun Doo-hwan, broadcast on MBC 231203] (in Korean). MBC 미스터리 : 심야괴담회 X 서프라이즈. 3 December 2023. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
- ^ "지금 서프라이즈에서 서울의 봄 스포중..." [Spoilers for 12.12: The Day in Surprise...]. Dprime. 3 December 2023. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
Further reading
[edit]- Don Oberdorfer, The Two Koreas (Addison-Wesley, Reading, Mass, 1997, ISBN 0-201-40927-5, p. 121)
- Young, James V. Eye on Korea: An insider account of Korean-American Relations. (Texas A&M University Press, College Station, TX) 2003. ISBN 978-1585442621