◼︎ After Park Chung-hee's death on October 26, 1979, then-Prime Minister Choi Kyu-hah became Acting President.
On December 6 of the same year, he was elected the 10th President of the Republic of Korea by the National Conference for Unification. A few days later, he posthumously approved the "December 12 Coup" orchestrated by the new military junta led by Chun Doo-hwan. This situation culminated in the declaration of martial law on May 17, 1980, leading to the tragic suppression of the participants in the "May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement." President Choi resigned in August 1980, just eight months after taking office, paving the way for Chun Doo-hwan to seize power. Despite holding a position of responsibility for this tragic event in our modern history, former President Choi Kyu-hah made no mention of these events and refused to testify. Why did he remain so silent?

Historical Mystery Episode 11 - Choi Kyu-ha's Mystery, 15 Years of Silence (Aired December 16, 1995)
http://history.kbs.co.kr/