Assemblies in Photos
December 31, 1989: Former President Chun attends hearing
- Dec 31, 2014
- 620
The 13th general elections held on April 26, 1988, unfolded amid an unprecedented landscape in Korean parliamentary politics. Under the single-member district system, which was reintroduced after 17 years, the then-ruling Democratic Justice Party failed to secure a majority of seats after losing the initiative to the three opposition parties.
While the government held a minority, the three opposition parties set out to correct distortions to history made during the previous Fifth Republic of President Chun Doo-hwan and revise unjustifiable laws and institutions. The first tangible outcome of these efforts was parliamentary hearings, introduced for the first time since the establishment of the National Assembly in the Republic of Korea. The public paid close attention to hearings held by a special committee investigating the Chun administration’s alleged corruption and abuses of power, and hearings held by the special fact-finding committee on the Gwangju democratization movement, when Gwangju-area residents rose up on May 18, 1980, against the junta led by President Chun.
The first round of hearings on the Fifth Republic began on November 3, 1988. Key personages attending the hearing as witnesses included Chung Ju-yung, founder of the Hyundai Group, and Jang Se-dong, President Chun’s chief body guard.
As the hearings progressed, however, their less-than-satisfactory outcomes disappointed Koreans. In February 1989, the ruling party unilaterally ended the term of the special committee on the Fifth Republic, delaying the hearing session indefinitely.
Finally, on December 31, 1989, President Chun stood before the parliament at a joint hearing of the two special committees. The session reached its peak as he answered questions from Assembly Members. He denied any direct involvement in the alleged irregularities and the suppression of the May 18th movement. His repeated excuses and defensive posture enraged lawmakers, and the session continued past midnight. The next day, on January 1, 1990, the National Assembly adjourned the meeting on grounds of failure to draw up a consented agenda, and thus, the hearing ended.
While the government held a minority, the three opposition parties set out to correct distortions to history made during the previous Fifth Republic of President Chun Doo-hwan and revise unjustifiable laws and institutions. The first tangible outcome of these efforts was parliamentary hearings, introduced for the first time since the establishment of the National Assembly in the Republic of Korea. The public paid close attention to hearings held by a special committee investigating the Chun administration’s alleged corruption and abuses of power, and hearings held by the special fact-finding committee on the Gwangju democratization movement, when Gwangju-area residents rose up on May 18, 1980, against the junta led by President Chun.
The first round of hearings on the Fifth Republic began on November 3, 1988. Key personages attending the hearing as witnesses included Chung Ju-yung, founder of the Hyundai Group, and Jang Se-dong, President Chun’s chief body guard.
As the hearings progressed, however, their less-than-satisfactory outcomes disappointed Koreans. In February 1989, the ruling party unilaterally ended the term of the special committee on the Fifth Republic, delaying the hearing session indefinitely.
Finally, on December 31, 1989, President Chun stood before the parliament at a joint hearing of the two special committees. The session reached its peak as he answered questions from Assembly Members. He denied any direct involvement in the alleged irregularities and the suppression of the May 18th movement. His repeated excuses and defensive posture enraged lawmakers, and the session continued past midnight. The next day, on January 1, 1990, the National Assembly adjourned the meeting on grounds of failure to draw up a consented agenda, and thus, the hearing ended.
The work is available according to the 'Public Nuri' source indication-commercial availability-transformable conditions
