hankyoreh

The day before the 35th anniversary of the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement

“The May 18 Democratization Movement did not end with the deaths early in the morning on May 27, 1980, the day the movement was crushed by military force. It was reborn as a long march toward democracy in South Korea and is still alive today. Democratic development in South Korean society has reached a point where there is no longer a place for military dictatorships, and the history of unjust governments trampling on the rights of the people will not be repeated.”

These words are written on the May 18 Memorial Monument at the National Cemetery in the Mangwol neighborhood of Gwangju. The May 18 memorial service is being held at two locations, because this year the government prohibited the chanting of the lyrics to “March of the Beloved”, so civic groups related to May 18 refused to participate in the official ceremony, and are holding a separate memorial elsewhere.

These two separate commemorative ceremonies remind us of the lasting relevance of these sad words.

Kim Geun-ran sobs at the grave of her son

Ahn Myung-bok