Chun Woo-won is slated to meet with the bereaved families of those killed in the 1980 Gwangju Uprising on Friday morning, as South Koreans keenly follow the man’s self-proclaimed quest to atone for the legacy of his late grandfather, a military dictator widely blamed for the massacre.
According to officials of the May 18 Memorial Foundation, the 27-year-old will hold a press conference in which he will officially apologize on behalf of his grandfather, ex-President Chun Doo-hwan, for his role in the killings. The foundation’s staff have accompanied Chun since his release from police custody on Wednesday. He is being investigated after he publicly admitted to using drugs.
The press conference will mark the first time a member of the Chun family has apologized for the deaths of hundreds during the May 18 Uprising.
“I’ve always avoided this place (Gwangju) out of fear and selfishness, and I thank all of you for welcoming me with the hearts of an angel,” he told the reporters and those related to the Gwangju Uprising after arriving at Gwangju just after midnight on Thursday. “I’m so sorry it took me so long to get here.”
After the press conference and meetings with Gwangju citizens, he will stop by the May 18th National Cemetery to pay respect to the victims. Ex-President Chun never apologized for his crimes, even until his death in 2021.
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