hankyoreh

Barbara Peterson (left)

On May 18, South Korean President Moon Jae-in promised that the government would directly investigate the sex crimes committed by martial law troops during the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement of 1980, also known as the Gwangju Uprising. President Moon’s promise appears to reflect his intention not only to hold the perpetrators strictly responsible but also to heal the wounds of individual Koreans whose lives were destroyed by the abuse of power.

“What is even more shameful is that now, 38 years later, we are still unaware of the depth of the wounds inflicted on the people of Gwangju and that we have failed to bring them comfort. There is a more pressing need for our resolve to bring about a complete restoration of history and the truth,” President Moon said during a message commemorating the 38th anniversary of the Gwangju Uprising on May 18.

The sex crimes during the Gwangju Uprising that President Moon was talking about were first brought to the public’s attention in recent reporting by The Hankyoreh. In a series of four stories that began on May 8, The Hankyoreh reported that women had been raped and violated by martial law forces and by investigators from the Defense Security Command during the events in Gwangju.

Kim Seon-ok, a student at Chonnam National University and a member of the Citizens’ Settlement Committee, told The Hankyoreh that she had been apprehended by inspectors from the martial law forces’ investigation headquarters, tortured for 65 days and finally raped the day before her release. After this, Kim said, her life fell apart: her mother died of liver cancer, and her father was forced to leave his teaching job.

A first-year high school student only identified as Y was on her way home when she ran into a unit of paratroopers who gang-raped her. The psychological trauma of this event caused Y to become a Buddhist monk, her family said. This was the event to which President Moon was referring when he said “a girl in high school who was going home that afternoon [May 18] was forced to get inside a military vehicle.”

But these victims’ stories were never properly recorded. According to Gwangju’s statistics about reparations for the Gwangju Uprising, women only make up 300 (5.2%) of the 5,767 people officially recognized for merit in connection with the Gwangju Uprising. Because of social prejudice, rapes by the martial law troops remained in the realm of rumors.

“The state exists to pay respect the lives of each and every person who has been subsumed under the name of ‘Gwangju,’” said President Moon, expressing his intention for the government to right their wrongs.

This also appears to convey Moon’s intention to determine who was responsible for these crimes against humanity. “Moon’s remarks cover not only reparations for the victims but also a definitive investigation and prosecution of the guilty parties. Toward this end, the joint team of investigators will include representatives from the National Human Rights Commission and the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family as well as the Defense Ministry, which might be one of the perpetrators,” said a senior official at the Blue House.

The government ministries that will be represented in the investigation have begun setting up the team of investigators. “After [related] news reports were printed, we decided to take the lead in investigating this issue and have initiated discussions with the National Human Rights Commission. Currently, we are in deliberation with related ministries in regard to who will appear on the joint team of investigators,” said a senior official from the Defense Ministry.

“Right now, we’re consulting with the Defense Ministry and the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family. Once a specific plan is developed about the joint team of investigators, we’ll be acting accordingly,” said a spokesperson for the National Human Rights Commission.

“We will be revealing the truth about the incidents of sexual violence that occurred during the Gwangju Uprising in consultation with the Defense Ministry and the National Human Rights Commission and will be doing our best to provide support and healing from the victims’ perspective,” said a spokesperson for the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family.

By Seong Yeon-cheol, Kim Ji-eun and Hwang Geum-bi, staff reporters

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