Following the assassination of President Park Chung-hee's chief aide, South Korea entered a period of heightened political uncertainty in 1979. Various factions within the military and political sphere vied for control as protests against the authoritarian regime grew more frequent. Amid this turmoil, General Chun Doo-hwan, then head of the Korean Army's special forces, orchestrated a coup d'état on December 12, 1979. Chun and his loyalists condemned the existing government, capturing key installations in Seoul. The coup was characterized by its relative ease and the lack of significant resistance from either the government or the opposition. It marked a drastic shift in the South Korean political landscape.Chun's rise to power was not just about military might; he also utilized strategic communication to gain support from various sectors of society, emphasizing stability and law and order. Following the coup, Chun declared martial law, further consolidating his power by suppressing political dissent, banning political parties, and employing censorship. His rule would see the rise of economic growth in South Korea but at the cost of civil liberties and human rights abuses. The coup laid the foundation for his eventual presidency, which would last until 1988, influencing the trajectory of South Korea's modern political landscape and its journey toward democratization.