Debacle in Kwangju.(Kwangju, South Korea) From: The Nation | Date: December 9, 1996| Author: Shorrock, Tim | COPYRIGHT 1996 The Nation Company L.P. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan.  All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group.Copyright information

Former South Korean military strongman Chun Doo Hwan has been tried and convicted of murder and treason for his declaration of martial law and the killing of hundreds of protestors in Kwangju in 1980. Apparently the use of military force was approved by officials in the Carter administration.

Few incidents have revealed so starkly the contradiction between U.S. security interests and human rights as the decision to release South Korean troops under U.S. command to suppress the Kwa...