Prosecutors eye royalty from Chun's memoir

By Kim Se-jeong

Prosecutors are seeking to collect book royalties from former President Chun Doo-hwan whose memoir went on sale earlier this month, according to a local newspaper.

In 1997, Chun was found guilty of insurrection and corruption and ordered to return an illicit fortune of 220 billion won to the government. He has paid only 114.8 billion won so far.

According to the DongA Ilbo, the memoir’s royalties are 2,300 won per copy. The publisher is owned by Chun’s eldest son, Jae-kook, and the details of the contract are unknown. An accurate number of the copies sold is yet to be known but it is at least 5,000 so far.

The Korean-language newspaper wrote that money collection is easier said than done. “We have many questions to answer before collecting it. The first question is who receives the royalties,” an anonymous prosecutor was quoted as saying, explaining it’s possible that it’s not Chun himself.

The second question is if the book royalties can be subject to the collection. The law states the money subject to the collection should be part of the “unlawful profit.”

It is another buzz involving “Chun Doo-hwan’s Memoir,” which was released April 3.

The book angered residents of Gwangju and South Jeolla Province who were violently suppressed by armed forces during an uprising against his military rule in May 1980.

In the book, the former president called the uprising a riot and labeled himself a victim.

Early last week, the residents said they were working to ask a court to ban the book sales.

“Chun is denying history. Chun was found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment by the Supreme Court (for atrocities he committed). But, instead of repenting, he is trying to make a case for himself,” according to the May 18 Memorial Foundation.