PROSECUTORS SEEK PRISON TERM FOR CHUN DOO-HWAN

[Anchor Lead]

Former President Chun Doo-hwan is undergoing trial for the defamation of a deceased priest, whom he called a liar after the latter said he had witnessed the bloody crackdown of Chun's troops on citizens during the Gwangju pro-democracy movement. Prosecutors have requested a prison sentence of one and a half years for Chun.

[Pkg]

In his parliamentary hearing testimony three decades ago, late Priest Cho Bi-oh said he had witnessed the brutal shootings by Chun Doo-hwan's troops aimed at civilians during the Gwangju pro-democracy movement.

[Soundbite] CHO BI-O(PRIEST, DURING 1988 PARLIAMENTARY HEARING) : "It's a fact that multiple shootings were aimed at the public from the air."

Former President Chun Doo-hwan published a memoir in 2017. He denied the shootings and called Father Cho Bi-oh a "shameless liar." Chun was indicted for libel. Prosecutors have requested a prison sentence of one and a half years for the former president. Prosecution stated that the act of defaming people who recall painful history can not be justified by freedom of expression or historical relativism, and that giving the defendant a jail term would serve as a stepping stone for protecting historical justice. The salient point of the trial was whether or not the helicopter shootings took place during the May 18 pro-democracy movement. During the April 2019 trial, Chun denied them altogether. In the last court arguments on October 5 his attorney also claimed the former president's innocence.

[Soundbite] CHUNG JOO-KYO(CHUN DOO-HWAN'S ATTORNEY) : "No evidence has been presented on that person's claim that he was a victim of helicopter shootings."

Civic groups dedicated to the Gwangju Democratic Movement lauded the pending verdict for setting historic distortions straight, but expressed regret about its leniency. The maximum prison term for defaming the deceased is two years.

[Soundbite] CHO YOUNG-DAE(NEPHEW OF LATE FATHER CHO BI-O) : "The guilty verdict is more important than the prison term itself. I hope it will be issued at this important time as we try to find out the truth about the May 18 movement."

The court of first instance is to issue its verdict for Chun Doo-hwan on November 30. Chun has not attended court hearings so far due to health problems. But he will be required to appear in court on the day his verdict is to be announced.