National merit orders revoked for military officers involved in 1979 military coup
Published: 24 Mar. 2026, 21:27
![The late former President Chun Doo Hwan in 2019 [YONHAP]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2026/03/24/2a0c2423-daf8-425e-bae8-23bc3127bbe9.jpg)
The late former President Chun Doo Hwan in 2019 [YONHAP]
The government on Tuesday revoked national orders of military merit awarded to 10 officers involved in a coup in 1979 led by the late former President Chun Doo Hwan, the Ministry of National Defense said.
Under the motion approved in a Cabinet meeting held earlier in the day, the Chungmu Order of Military Merit awards for the 10 individuals who played key roles in the coup led by then-Maj. Gen. Chun on Dec. 12, 1979, have been canceled, according to the ministry.
Chun, who died in 2021, seized power and became president the next year.
"The measure is aimed at defending constitutional values by revoking the military merit orders that were unlawfully and unfairly awarded to people who played major roles in the Dec. 12 military coup," the ministry said in a release.
The government earlier revoked national orders awarded to 13 military officers involved in the 1979 coup, who were sentenced to three or more years in jail, but others had kept their orders as their cases did not meet the requirements for revocation despite criticism over their actions.
The ministry said it pushed for the revocation after verifying that their service did not meet the conditions for receiving national military orders, adding that it will continue to take such measures going forward to ensure the honor and fairness of national orders.
It is reportedly in the process of seeking to revoke military orders presented to three other military officers involved in the 1979 coup.
Yonhap
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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