Anchor: Former President Chun Doo-hwan, who claims he is suffering from Alzheimer's disease, failed to appear at a defamation trial regarding his involvement in the bloody crackdown of the 1980 Gwangju Democratic Uprising. Monday's hearing comes after Chun was recently filmed playing golf in seemingly good health.
Choi You Sun reports.

Report: The eighth hearing in the defamation trial against former President Chun Doo-hwan was held in the southwestern city of Gwangju on Monday, with the defendant not in attendance due to what he says is Alzheimer's disease.

After appearing once at a hearing in March, the 88-year-old ex-dictator has been allowed to not appear in court to defend himself due to his old age and health condition.

Chun's claims that he cannot stand trial in person due to poor health are receiving particular scrutiny, however, after recent video emerged of Chun playing golf without apparent discomfort. 

In the video filmed by Lim Han-sol, the vice chief of the minor opposition Justice Party, the ex-dictator denied involvement in the brutal crackdown of the 1980 Gwangju Democratic Uprising, claiming he was not in a position to give the order to shoot at demonstrators.

Hundreds were killed protesting against then de facto leader Chun, who seized power in a military coup the previous year.

Chun was indicted in May of last year on charges that he defamed the late activist priest Cho Bi-oh, who claimed he witnessed the military firing at demonstrators from helicopters during the crackdown.

In his 2017 memoir, Chun denied the claim, calling Cho a liar who should be ashamed to call himself a religious leader.

During Monday's trial, two out of five witnesses called by the defendant -- both commanding officers during the crackdown -- appeared to testify.

One of the witnesses, surnamed Song, had told prosecutors in 1995 that while the helicopters were carrying live ammunition, there were no orders to shoot.

This, however, contradicts a testimony from a former sergeant in September, who said ammunition was missing in a helicopter that returned from Gwangju.

If convicted, Chun could face up to two years in prison or up to five million won in fines.
Choi You Sun, KBS World Radio News.