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Article: The underdogs bite back: South Korea. (arrest of former Pres. Chun Doo Hwan)
- Article from:
- The Economist (US)
- Article date:
- December 16, 1995
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1995 Economist Newspaper Ltd. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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WHY, in May 1980, did General Chun Doo Hwan send South Korea's most highly trained and brutal commando unit to quiet a few demonstrators in the town of Kwangju? As prosecutors build a case for treason and mass murder against the ex-president, who was arrested on December 3rd, South Koreans believe they are close to getting an answer. But in Kwangju itself, many people think they already know the reason.
The natives of the Cholla region, where Kwangju lies, think that other South Koreans are prejudiced against them. Many feel that the eventssimply the brutal consequence of this prejudice.
Chun Doo Hwan had staged a coup at the end of 1979. When he ...