Koreans Celebrate 31st Anniversary of the GwangJu Democratization Movement

Wednesday,  May 18th, was an important day in Korea.  It was the 31st anniversary of the beginning of the GwangJu democratization movement.

The GwangJu democratization movement occurred in May 1980 in the city of GwangJu (광주), the largest city in southwestern Korea.  It was an uprising against the military government of former president Chun Doo-hwan.  The uprising was violently repressed by the government, arguing that it was an attempt by communists to destabilize the South Korean nation, and it culminated in the death of many civilians.  But in the late 1980's, the event was recognized as a pro-democracy protest. Eventually, those responsible for ordering the repression of the protesters were put on trial, and some, including former president Chun Doo-hwan, were sentenced to death.  Kim Young-sam, the first freely elected president of Korea, pardoned Chun Doo-hwan in the name of national reconciliation, probably hoping that this would strengthen the fledgling democratic institutions of the country and bring an end to military coups d'état in Korea.

Since 1983, a ceremony is held on May 18th in commemoration of the democratization movement, and this year was no exception.  Many prominent former and current political figures travelled to GwangJu to pay their respects to those who died in the uprising, and smaller events commemorating the movement were held throughout the country.  But conspicuously absent from this year's commemoration was the current president of the country, Lee Myung-bak.  President Lee simply had the country's prime minister read a statement in his behalf, and this drew him some criticism.  Some Koreans also shamed former president Chun Doo-hwan, against whom, in May of 1980, the people of GwangJu were protesting.  He is apparently still alive, and protected by the government.


I am surprised by the number of events in Korea's democratic history that are commemorated on a yearly basis.  In addition, I am surprised to realize that Korean society seems divided, with some Koreans viewing their country's early presidents in a strongly unfavourable light, while others want to celebrate the country's former dictators.  Shortly before the May 18th commemoration of the GwangJu movement, one editorial discussed a celebration, held in Seoul, of a coup d'état that occurred 50 years ago, on May 16, 1961, through which one of Korea's longest-standing dictators, Park Chung-hee, took over the country.  The same editorial argued that the celebration of Park Chung-hee's dictatorship, along with other recent events that it describes as "efforts to turn Rhee Syngman into the 'father of the country'", (Rhee Syngman is Korea's first dictator), are part of an effort to revise history.  And the editorial's authors are opposed to the celebration of the past dictators of Korea, because in such celebrations, "the democratization movement (...) turns into a band of rebels", and the dictators' names are "stealthily floated as revolutionary names".

I think I agree with the authors of the editorial.  It seems to me that Korea's early leaders have something in common with the early republicans of France, like Maximilien de Robespierre.  No one questions that Robespierre was an important figure in the French revolution, and that this revolution was ultimately a positive development for the people of France.  However, after the elimination of the French monarchy, Robespierre and his fellows, eager to secure their grip on power, attacked and terrorized their fellow citizens.  As a result, the French do not celebrate Robespierre as a founder of their nation.  Similarly, no one questions that some of the actions of Korea's early dictators were of some benefit to the people of Korea.  However, they too attacked some of their fellow citizens in order to maintain their personal power.  Because of this, many Koreans do not want to celebrate these individuals as founders of the Korean nation.