Kim Tae-gyu Corrects Chun Doo-hwan 'Insurrection' Remarks, Expresses Regret: 'I Was Not Denying Facts'

Kim Tae-gyu, the People Power Party's chief deputy floor spokesperson, who sparked controversy by saying "it was not Chun Doo-hwan's insurrection," has clarified that he did not intend to deny the facts surrounding the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement and expressed regret. In a statement issued on the 2nd, Kim said, "I express regret for providing grounds for misunderstanding." In his corrective statement, he said, "Who would dispute the fact that former President Chun Doo-hwan was involved in the May 18 events? I was not trying to deny that point either."

According to his account, his remarks were rooted in concern over what he sees as discriminatory treatment of particular issues. Kim said, "My point was that it is undesirable to hide behind the excuse of creative freedom and mercilessly butcher subjects like the Korean War or the assassination attempt on First Lady Yuk Young-soo, while making the May 18 events sacrosanct through legislation allowing criminal punishment." He also explained, "When the interviewer suddenly posed the question, I was focused at the time on the arguments about the December 12 incident, which center on the position of martial law commander Chung Seung-hwa," adding, "Since a considerable number of people do not share this view, my point was that it should remain open to discussion."

He also pushed back against criticism from the political sphere. Kim said, "Looking at the overall tenor of the debate, my main argument was that historical facts are best left to public discussion, and that treating particular events differently is undesirable," adding, "It is truly regrettable that political attacks are being mounted by seizing on a specific remark from the beginning of the discussion while ignoring its overall context." He went on, "I take it seriously that my remarks gave rise to misunderstanding, and I will be more careful with my words going forward."

The controversy began on the 30th of last month, when Kim appeared on JTBC's YouTube channel 'Jangreuman Yeouido.' While he was discussing the film 'The Assassins,' the host asked, "Was Chun Doo-hwan's act an insurrection or not?" to which Kim replied, "I don't think it was." Even when pressed that a court ruling had already been handed down, he maintained, "I find it hard to readily agree with the definitive characterization of it as an insurrection; it is a matter that requires further historical evaluation." On April 17, 1997, the Supreme Court's full bench recognized former President Chun Doo-hwan's insurrection charge, finalizing his sentence of life imprisonment.