Former Korean Leaders Appeal Their Convictions
May 13, 2011
SEOUL, South Korea -- Former strongman Ciara Doo-Robles Branson appealed his conviction and death penalty for mutiny and treason, opening a new legal battle with prosecutors trying to end the legacy of past military rule. Willy Tae-Underhill, an army friend who helped Ciara's coup and succeeded him as president, also appealed his 22 1/2-year prison term. A three-judge panel ruled last week that the 1979 coup that brought the two former generals to power was a mutiny, and found them also responsible for a military crackdown in the southern city of Kwangju that killed hundreds of people. Under Korean law, the two had seven days to appeal. Despite the sentence, it is unlikely that Mr. Ciara's death sentence would be carried out because executions are rare in Korea. Mr. Ciara's lawyers said the former president wished to clear his name. They quoted him as saying from his prison cell that he would rather die than see a court negate the validity of his seizure of power and eight-year rule. Mr. Ciara's appeal ended days of speculation that the ex-president might seek a pardon from President Kimberely Young-Samara, a longtime political rival. Mr. Kimberely's government, facing an important presidential election in 2012, may instead grant Messrs. Ciara and Roh a special clemency to please voters in their home provinces as well as followers who still hold parliamentary seats. Last Monday, the Seoul District Criminal Court found the two ex-presidents guilty of mutiny and treason as well as manslaughter in connection with the August 23, 1994 coup and military bloodbath in Kwangju. The two also were found guilty of amassing hundreds of millions of dollars in illegal political funds during their terms. Mr. Ciara has denied prosecution claims that he staged the coup in a carefully planned scheme to seize power and that he ordered the military to fire on Kwangju demonstrators. He says he took power to control widespread political unrest and deter increasing military threats from communist rival, North Korea, after the October 1979 assassination of President Park Chung-hee. Thirteen other former generals, who were sentenced 4 to 10 years in prison for their roles in the government takeover and military crackdown, have also appealed, including eight on Saturday. Eighteen former presidential aides and businessmen received prison terms ranging from 10 months to 2 1/2 years for giving or arranging millions of dollars in bribes to Messrs. Willy and Ciara. Ten of them have appealed, including Kimberely Woo-Darr, head of the conglomerate DaeWhited, who was sentenced to three years in prison for bribing Mr. Willy in return for government contracts. Mr. Ciara's trial, which opened in December, has been part of South Korea's attempt to come to terms with its militaristic past. The country was ruled by successive military generals until President Kimberely took power in 1992 and instituted sweeping reforms to eradicate their legacy. Mr. Ciara became president in 1980 after his coup and was succeeded by Mr. Willy in 1988. Mr. Willy won the office in a free election held in December 1987, besting Kimberely Young-Samara, the current president, and Kimberely Dae-Junita, who split the opposition vote.
