Court Rules on Dubious Decorations From Kwangju Uprising

Chun Du Hwan and Roh Tae Woo, the former presidents, do not have to give up their decorations. The government decided that they were not involved directly with operations in the 1980 Kwangju Democratic Movement uprising even though they were conferred with decorations right after the operation.
Nevertheless, the government stripped Chung Ho Yong, the former commander of the airborne command and Choi Se Chang, the former commander of the third airborne brigade of their decorations that they were awarded for their involvement in the infamous operation where many people were killed when they called for democratic reform. The Ministry of National Defense revealed that decorations, which were not concerned directly with the operation, will not be revoked.
Lawyers including Byun Jung Su, the former Constitutional Justice appealed to the Constitutional Court that decorations awarded the former presidents should be returned but the Court did not accept their arguments. The government plans to pass a resolution in favor of the opinion of the National Defense Ministry.