Chun Woo-won
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
23 January 1996
Jamie Chun
- Human rights activist
- Accountant
- Artist
Chun Woo-won | |
|---|---|
 Chun in May 2023 | |
| Born | Chun Woo-won 23 January 1996 |
| Other names | Jeon Woo-won Jamie Chun |
| Alma mater | New York University Stern School of Business |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 2023 – present |
| Relatives | Chun Doo-hwan (grandfather) |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 전우원 |
| RR | Jeon Uwon |
| MR | Chŏn Uwŏn |
Chun Woo-won (Korean: 전우원; born January 23, 1996), also known by the English name Jamie Chun, is a South Korean activist and whistleblower.[1] He is the grandson of the late South Korean military leader and president Chun Doo-hwan.[1] In 2023, he garnered widespread international attention after publicly denouncing his family's history and becoming the first direct descendant of the former dictator to formally apologize for the 1980 Gwangju Massacre.[2][3]
Chun was born in 1996 as the second son of Chun Jae-yong, the second son of Chun Doo-hwan.[1] He lived in Seoul until the seventh grade, after which he moved to the United States.[1] Chun attended the NYU Stern School of Business in New York City, where he studied business and economics.[1] Despite his residency in the U.S., Chun returned to South Korea to fulfill his mandatory military service, serving for two years.[1] He spent part of his childhood in South Korea before moving to the United States for his education, eventually working at an accounting firm in New York City.[1]
His upbringing within the influential Chun family was marked by what he later described as a distorted education where he was taught that his grandfather was a hero and that the 1980 pro-democracy movement in Gwangju was a "riot".[4]
Whistleblowing and revelations (2023)
In March 2023, Chun launched a series of social media broadcasts from New York making several high-profile allegations against his family.[1] He accused his relatives of maintaining a lavish lifestyle funded by illegal slush funds hidden by his grandfather.[1] He claimed to have witnessed and experienced physical abuse and neglect within the family residence.[5]
He publicly labeled his grandfather a "mass murderer," "slaughterer," and "criminal".[1] During a livestream on March 17, 2023, he consumed several narcotics, including LSD and ecstasy, expressing a desire to be punished for his family's crimes and his own personal vices.[1]
Return to South Korea and Gwangju apology
Chun returned to South Korea on March 28, 2023, where he was immediately arrested at Incheon International Airport on suspicion of drug use.[6] He was released the following day after cooperating with authorities.[6] On March 31, 2023, he visited Gwangju, becoming the first direct descendant of Chun Doo-hwan to formally apologize to the bereaved families of the May 18 Democratization Movement.[6] In a highly publicized ceremony, he performed a keunjeol (a full-prostration bow) before victims and survivors.[7] He publicly thanked the citizens of Gwangju for accepting his apology, stating that his grandfather had "stamped on heroes... with military boots".[7] He cleaned the tombstones of victims at the May 18 National Cemetery using his own coat.[7]