Former South Korean president Chun Doo-hwan has come under much fire recently for his lavish lifestyle. Despite earlier claiming he was completely broke with just $300 to his name, it has emerged that Chun has still been living a highly luxurious lifestyle, including membership at prestigious golf clubs.
Chun was a South Korean general who led a military coup and seized power following the assassination of president Park Chung-hee in 1979 and is most infamous for his decision to introduce martial law and surpress the 1980 Gwangju Democratization Movement that eventually ended in a bloody massacre. He was later charged and fined for embezzling millions of dollars worth of state funds.
The below article generated over 3000 comments from netizens on Daum, one of Korea’s largest internet portals.
From Daum:
‘Ex-dictator Chun’s total asset over $300’ Netizens angered
When the news of the former-president Chun’s son and brother-in-law’s golf club memberships worth $35.5 million (US) broke out, suspicions over the source of wealth invited strong reactions from the netizens. With outstanding taxes yet to be levied against him because his self-declared assets are allegedly below $300 a month, many see it as preposterous.
Chun’s comment that his ‘all he has is $300’ in particular generated much anger on Twitter. @SSun*** said ‘You bought that membership with $300?’ while @daepu*** wrote ‘Ahahah~, I thought you had only $300?’ @sy*** added ‘Chun Doo-hwan insults the average citizens and belittle our law’, urging the Public Prosecutor to forcibly confiscate his asset.
However much criticism was directed at the Government which has not been able to levy the outstanding tax against him. @greetea0*** expressed his frustration by writing ‘BULL SHIT! Korea’s out of it’s mind! Insanity!!’ while @Jamessa*** added ‘This sounds like something from Gabon or DRC. Sigh…’ while another Twitter user @chjw*** vented his anger. ‘All that money is the sweat and blood of average citizens… how much money did he embezzle? The government cannot even touch him, this weak government~’.
@yonghan*** said: ‘I want to see how he survives on $300… ‘That’s pocket change, compared to what he had embezzled. ‘He lives luxuriously, what with all the tax he owes to the state, I wish he had some conscience. ‘I suppose he’s getting ready to immigrate.’
Comments from Daum:
대박:
I am really curious… why can’t anyone do anything about this guy??? Why do we let him get away with this… I am really really curious. T.T
거니아빠:
The ghosts of the people you killed in Gwangju [referring to the massacre] in the eighties will haunt you. You deserve to die!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hong:
Confiscate his assets, by force if necessary.
pto:
Daegu [Chun’s hometown] folks, are you reading this?
착한악마:
Can we PLEASE stop referring to him as our ex-president? He did not do anything other than murdering people.
옥상황제:
Hey baldie, you will die soon, scared? Before you die, donate all your bloody money back to society. Your crimes will not be washed away but at least that way people will not shit on your grave…
봄바람:
Justice and principles did not collapse overnight but it is people like this that continue to undermine our state’s very existence. He embezzled billions and he is untouchable. He overthrew the government and killed thousands yet no one since him tried to bring him to justice. What could we teach our children when morally upright citizens are called idiots? When will the time come when justice triumphs?
신나고즐거운:
Chun created the Democratic Justice Party, which became Liberal Democrat Party, then New National Party, then Grand National Party and now to New Frontier Party. How could they so immoral and corrupt? And they are our mainstream upper-class… People, please wake up.
릴리리:
If we do not vote well in the upcoming general election, we will get someone just like him…
noexist:
We had never elected him as our president. He is not our ex-president.
붉은용신:
It’s not $300 but more like $300 billion.
saja128:
If someone kills him, that man will be remembered as a hero
왜불러:
Those members of National Assembly who visit him to pay deference are even worse than him. Law only applies to the powerless folks. Rule by law and democracy??? Even my dog would find it laughable. Citizens are represented by criminals, this fucked up country. This Republic elects these scumbags as our regional representatives…
산하:
We have created this administration that offers protection to this murderer.
