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Rev. Paul Schneiss (provided by MBC)

At the “2021 May 18 Journalism Awards” ceremony on Tuesday, the May 18 Memorial Foundation awarded the year’s “special merit prize” to Rev. Paul Schneiss for his contributions to international solidarity and uncovering the truth of the Gwangju Democratization Movement and its suppression in May 1980.

A German missionary in Japan since 1958, Schneiss was the first to alert the Tokyo bureau of the ARD network Das Erste of the horrific situation unfolding in Gwangju in May 1980. This led to coverage by the late Jurgen Hinzpeter, a German correspondent whose activities were the basis for the film “A Taxi Driver.” Schneiss also shared Hinzpeter’s footage of the events in Gwangju with the rest of the world through Amnesty International.

Schneiss was deported to Hong Kong and barred from reentering by the South Korean government in late 1978 for his activities in sharing news of the democratization movement as a member of the Christian Emergency Meeting on Korea Issues since 1974.

His Japanese wife Kiyoko and his children subsequently traveled to Seoul, reporting on the democratization movement in “Letters from South Korea,” written by professor Ji Myung-gwan, a series published under the pen name “TK Student” in the Japanese current affairs monthly “Sekai.”

Schneiss’ wife also reportedly shared news about the military administration’s atrocities with him while in Seoul during May 1980.

(provided by the May 18 Memorial Foundation)

By Ahn Kwan-ok, Gwangju correspondent

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