Coup d'état of December Twelfth

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The Coup d'état of December Twelfth or the 12·12 Military Insurrection (Korean: 12·12 군사 반란; Hanja: 十二十二軍事反亂) was a military coup which took place on December 12, 1979, in South Korea. ^[1][2]

The assassination of Park Chung Hee on 26 October 1979 had thrown South Korea into a state of political turmoil. Prime Minister Choi Kyu-hah immediately became acting President and declared a state of martial law throughout the nation, with the exception of Jeju-do. He would become assume the role of President on 6 December 1979 when the situation was somewhat stabilized.

He appointed General Jeong Seung-hwa, the Chief of Staff of the Army to oversee the martial law operation.^[3] Jeong appointed Major General Chun Doo-hwan, commander of the Defence Security Command to investigate Park's assassination. Jeong, Chun and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Kim Jong-hwan were the most powerful figures in the military. ^[4]

According to official investigations, President Park's assassin and director of KCIA Kim Jae-gyu had approached Jeong, who was present at the scene of the assassination (though not a witness) to take command of the situation after Park's assassination, but Jeong refused.^[5][6]

Chun, who harbored political ambitions, was a rival to Jeong, given that the Defence Security Command serves as a hedge against any potential military coup under President Park.^[7]

On the evening of 12 December 1979, Chun ,^[8] acting without authorization from President Choi Kyu-hah, ordered the arrest of Jeong on allegations of involvement in the assassination of President Park. Minister of National Defense Roh Jae-hyun assisted in the arrest of Jeong. He would resign from office following the coup.

After Jeong's capture, the 29th Regiment of the 9th Division, along with the 1st Special Forces Brigade and 3rd Special Forces Brigade, invaded downtown Seoul to support the 30th and 33rd Capital Security Groups, which were loyal to Chun, resulting in a series of conflicts that broke out in the capital. Two of Jeong's allies, Major General Jang Tae-wan^[9] (Commander of Army Capital Security Command) and Major General Jeong Byeong-ju (Commander of Army Special Warfare Command), were also arrested by the rebelling troops. Major Kim Oh-rang, aide-de-camp of Jeong Byeong-ju, was killed during the gunfight.^[10]

By the next morning, the Ministry of Defense and Army Headquarters were all occupied by the mutineers. Chun and his fellow graduates of the 11th class of the Korea Military Academy, such as Major General Roh Tae-woo, commanding general of 9th Infantry Division and Major General Jeong Ho-yong, were in charge of the Korean ground forces.^[11] Chun's coup and the subsequent consolidation of power was assisted by the powerful private club of military officials known as Hanahoe.^[12] The South Korean navy and air force did not participate in the coup and Chun subsequently co-opted them following the success of the mutiny. Chun became the de facto commander-in-chief rather than President Choi Kyu-hah.

Jeong and his associates were tried in a military court and Jeong was sentenced to 10 years in prison.^[13]

The coup marked the beginning of the end of the Fourth Republic of Korea. The mutiny, the coup of the civilian government on 17 May 1980, alongside the Gwangju Uprising,^[14] was the primary justification for Chun's 1995 arrest by the Kim Young-sam administration.

• 12.12: The Day (2023)^[14]

• 4th Republic (1995–96)^[15]
• 5th Republic (2005)^[16][17][18]
• Koreagate (1995)^[19]
• Surprise Mystery TV – 12.12: The Day (2023)^[20][21]

• History of South Korea
• Fifth Republic of Korea

• Don Oberdorfer, The Two Koreas (Addison-Wesley, Reading, Mass, 1997, ISBN 0-201-40927-5, p. 121)
• Young, James V. Eye on Korea: An insider account of Korean-American Relations. (Texas A&M University Press, College Station, TX) 2003. ISBN 978-1585442621