May 18th Democratic Movement

Historic Implication of May 18th Democratic Movement

The May 18th Democratic Movement is the beacon of democracy!

The May 18th Democratic Movement refers to a popular movement in the city of Gwangju during which citizens rose up against Jeon Duhwan's illegal military dictatorship and called for democracy. In the course of the movement, in the absence of policing, citizens showed a higher level of citizenship as evidenced in the fact that there were no reports of thefts in such places as financial institutes or jewelry shops. In addition, the endless queue to donate blood for the injured showed great citizenship and they made a great community to help each other. This tells that this movement was an unprecedented struggle which was ultra-rational and ultra-ethical.

After civil rule was reinstated, the incident received recognition as an effort to defend democracy from military usurpation. After continuous calls from the public for a truth-finding investigation into the May 18th Democratic Movement, former presidents Jeon Duhwan, Roh Taeu and 17 others were convicted for their connections with the December 12, 1979 coup, the Gwangju Movement. A national cemetery and day of commemoration (May 18), along with acts to compensate and restore honor to victims, were completed.

Gwangju Democratic Movement gave a chance to highlight the immorality of the fifth republic which inherited Yushin regime of former president Park Jeonghui, collapsing the regime, and become a trigger of a power shift in 50 years and the birth of civil government.

Finally, this movement respected the tradition of autonomy, democracy, and peace, all of which were shown in the past public resistance, and was recorded as a symbolic struggle to preserve human rights in the development of democracy in modern Korean history.

Cause and Development of May 18 Democratization movement

Gwangju, Cross of our nation! The City of Eternal Youth!

On October 26, 1979, the former president Park Jeong-hui, who was in power for 18 years after coming to power through a coup d' tat,was shot to deathby Kim Jaegyu, who was then Director of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency. After the collapse of the Yushin dictatorship, political officers centering on ROK Army General Jeon Duhwan took control of the government through the Coup d'etat of December Twelfth.

With the beginning of a new semester in March 1980, professors and students led nationwide demonstrations for an array of reforms, including a restoration of student unions, an end to martial law, and the ousting of the remnants of the Yushin regime, venting their call for political democratization in earnest.

In response, the government took several suppressive measures. On May 17, 1980, the new military regime expanded martial law to the whole nation, a measure directly opposite to public’s aspiration for democracy continuing after October 26 in 1979.

Military troops were placed and an operation called ”Lavish Holiday” was put into place in Gwangju. This was the moment that gave rise to the protest against the martial law in Gwangju where the aspiration for democracy was at its peak with university students at the forefront.

The trigger of the movement was pulled by the incident at the gate of Chonnam National University at 10 am on May 18. Students who were suppressed by martial troops moved to the downtown, Geumnamno (the street leading to the Jeollanamdo Provincial Office), area.

Witnesses say soldiers clubbed and arrested both demonstrators and onlookers. The violence of the troops infuriated the citizens and caused them to enter the protest.

High school students in Gwangju joined the protest and about 200 taxis drove toward the provincial office to meet it. That same day, angered protesters burned down the local MBC station, which had misreported the situation then unfolding in Gwangju.

The violence climaxed on May 21. At about 1 p.m., the army fired at a protesting crowd gathered in front of the Jeollanam-do Province Office, causing casualties. In response, some protesters raided armories and police stations in nearby towns and armed themselves with M1 rifles and carbines. During the protest, Gwangju was isolated from outside.

The citizens tried to expand the protest across Jeollanam-do to give information about the situation of Gwangju. In the meantime, the Citizens' Settlement Committee, formed by folks from every walk of life, negotiated with the army demanding the release of arrested citizens, compensation for victims and prohibition of retaliation in exchange for the disarmament of militias. The negotiations came to a deadlock and on May 27, martial troops led by tanks took control of the Jeonnam provincial office, where leading protesters resisted to the last.

The May 18 Democratic Movement came to an end after claiming many lives over its 10-day duration. This was the frustrating moment of ruthless infringement on democracy.

• Division : Division of Improvement of Democratic Spirit of Administrative
• Contact : +82-62-613-3672