He said his father told his family members to cooperate with prosecutors' moves to get back the money. The son said a Seoul house where his father and mother live would be handed over, but he hopes his parents could spend their rest of their lives there.
Among the criticism Chun, 82, faces is his tough military crackdown on a pro-democracy uprising in the southern city of Gwangju in 1980. Government figures show that about 200 people were killed but activists say far more civilians died.
The son's announcement came after prosecutors summoned some family members and confiscated their assets earlier this year in a renewed push for the money.
Reports in South Korean media speculate the push is a reflection of President Park Geun-hye's icy relations with Chun. They note that Park's father, former President Park Chung-hee who ruled South Korea for 18 years until his 1979 assassination, was believed to be behind Chun's rise in the military, but Chun tried to disparage Park's policies after he took power.
Park's office denied the speculation, saying the prosecutors' moves were part of government efforts to resolve abnormal practices and foul play linked to past periods of rule.
