On the same day, the Korean Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA) raided a national conference of student union leaders from 55 universities.

Chun subsequently created the National Defense Emergency Policy Committee, and installed himself as the head of command.

[4] On 26 October, 1979, President Park Chung Hee was assassinated by the head of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA).

With Choi in power, restrictive regulations under Park were partly repealed and opposition leaders and activists, such as Kim Dae-jung, were freed from custody.

Army General Chun Doo-hwan, head of the Defence Security Command, was appointed to investigate the assassination of Park.

Citizens of South Korea began a series of demonstrations, known as the Seoul Spring, to express their discontent that reached its peak in mid-May 1980.

Starting from March 1980, with the government's continued implementation of the Yushin system, martial law, and the lack of progress in democratization, citizens of South Korea, with the involvement of students being significant, came together to begin the Seoul Spring demonstrations.

In addition, tensions rose even more as although South Korea had a president, Choi, real political power was held by Chun and his group of officers.

[9] Due to the enforcement of the martial law, South Korean universities were shut down, newspaper offices were closed, and any political activity that went against the policies of Chun were strictly banned.

With the Korean news media muzzled by martial law, only the handful of foreign correspondents present could publish reports on what was happening in Gwangju – no easy task, given the army cordon.