Volta
Politics12 December 1979

December 12 Incident

Also called: Coup d’état of December Twelfth

On 12 December 1979 Chun Doo-hwan, Roh Tae-woo and the "new military" group forcibly detained the martial-law commander and took control of the army.

On 12 December 1979 Chun Doo-hwan — Defense Security Commander and head of the joint investigation into 26 October — together with Roh Tae-woo and other officers detained their superior, Army Chief of Staff and martial-law commander Jeong Seung-hwa, without presidential approval, and seized control of the military.

In 1997 the Supreme Court ruled the incident a military rebellion.

Show on the map

The map in 1979

Open the full map

OpenFreeMap © OpenMapTiles © OpenStreetMap contributors

States and rulers at the time
South Korea — President Choi Kyu-hah

People

  • Chun Doo-hwan1931 – 2021

    leader · 11th–12th President (1980–1988), leading figure of the new military group that seized control in the December 12 incident; tried in 1996 over 12 December and 18 May

  • Roh Tae-woo1932 – 2021

    participant · 13th President (1988–1993). Announced the June 29 Declaration, became the first president directly elected under the 1987 constitution, and pursued Nordpolitik

  • Choi Kyu-hah1919 – 2006

    related figure · 10th President (1979–1980). Acting president after 26 October 1979, then elected by the National Conference for Unification; resigned in August 1980

Before and after

Earlier
1979 October 26 Incident
Later
1980 May 18 Democratic Uprising

Related works

Dramatized works (films, dramas, novels) may differ from the historical record.