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Military units banned from hanging photos of late presidents who led 1979 coup

Published: 03 Feb. 2026, 19:49

Late presidents Roh Tae-woo, left, and Chun Doo Hwan stand in a courtroom in Seoul in 1996 to receive their first ruling on a military coup that helped them seize state power in 1979. [JOONGANG ILBO]

Photos of late former presidents Chun Doo Hwan and Roh Tae-woo, who led the Dec. 12 military coup of 1979, will no longer be allowed to be displayed at military units.

The Ministry of National Defense plans to revise a related directive to make it, in principle, mandatory to ban the posting of photos of people with certain criminal convictions or disciplinary records, according to a ministry document.

Under the current unit management directive, even commanders and department heads whose guilty verdicts have been finalized for crimes such as insurrection, foreign aggression and treason may have their photos displayed if the purpose is to preserve historical records.

The revised directive, however, says that even for historical record-keeping, units should not post photos and should instead display only information such as rank, name and term of service.

Chun took power in a military coup in 1979 and was known for his dictatorship and bloody crackdown on the 1980 pro-democracy uprising in the southwestern city of Gwangju. He was convicted of treason, murder and taking bribes in 1996 and asked to pay a forfeiture of over 220 billion won ($150 million).

A protester in support of President Yoon Suk Yeol's impeachment, left, holds up a picture of democracy activist Park Jong-chul during a rally at Seoul National University in Gwanak District, southern Seoul, on Feb. 15, 2025. Park, a Seoul National University alumni, was killed in January 1987 while protesting the Chun Doo Hwan regime. [YONHAP]

In line with the ministry’s policy, the Defense Counterintelligence Command and the Capital Defense Command have recently removed photos of the two former presidents from locations such as conference rooms, according to reports.

The Defense Counterintelligence Command, where both former presidents once served as commanders, removed all photos of past commanders. It plans to repost only those commanders’ photos that remain permissible under the revised standards.

The revised directive also bans the posting of photos of commanders and department heads in a range of cases. This includes those dismissed through disciplinary action for taking bribes or improper hospitality, those removed for embezzling or misusing public funds, those expelled through disciplinary action, and those who receive a finalized sentence of imprisonment or a heavier punishment for conduct related to their service.

Soldiers exit the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul, after former President Yoon Suk Yeol's failed martial law bid on Dec. 4, 2024. [NEWS1]

If convictions are finalized for former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, former Defense Counterintelligence Command chief Lt. Gen. Yeo In-hyung, former Capital Defense Command chief Lt. Gen. Lee Jin-woo and former Special Warfare Commander Lt. Gen. Kwak Jong-geun, photos displayed at units they once led will also have to be taken down.

The four are currently on trial on charges including helping former President Yoon Suk Yeol declare martial law on Dec. 2, 2024.

“We will push ahead with revising the unit management directive without disruption to resolve public controversy while also ensuring that unit traditions are carried on and pride is fostered,” said the ministry.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JUNG SI-NAE [[email protected]]