[KoreaCase] 12.12 Military Insurrection
On the night of December 12, 1979, South Korea was engulfed in a whirlwind of upheaval. This event, commonly known as the 12.12 Military Insurrection or the 12.12 Purge Coup d'état , was when the New Military faction, led by Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo , and primarily centered around the Hana-hoe private military club, seized power by arresting General Jeong Seung-hwa, the Martial Law Commander and Army Chief of Staff, along with other key military leaders, without President Choi Kyu-hah's approval. Through this incident, Security Commander Chun Doo-hwan rapidly emerged as the de facto strongman of South Korea, eventually ascending to the 11th presidency after the May 17 Coup d'état and the suppression of the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement the following year. Background of the Event: Chaos and Suspicion After the 10.26 Incident After the 10.26 Incident (the assassination of President Park Chung-hee) , the military leadership resolved to unite for national se...