▲ A man running with Korean National Flag on May 18, 1980. Provided by 5.18 May Memorial Foundation

“The sovereignty of the Republic of Korea shall reside in the people, and all state authority shall emanate from the people,” writes the first article of the constitution. Throughout Korean history, hundreds and thousands of people shed their honorable blood to protect this article and its idea of democracy. Among them all, every May, the Gwangju Democratization Movement is one of the most remarkable events in the Korean citizens’ movement. Now, 36 years have passed—what has changed and what remains the same? 

Most South Koreans would recognize this date—May 18, the very date that students, officers, housewives, and all citizens of Gwangju stood up for democracy against the oppressive military dictatorship. Even though the event itself is widely remembered and celebrated every year, many people seem to forget the true implications of it. Several incidents, most recently the conflict around the enactment of the Antiterrorism Act and filibuster also make people bring back the issue of democracy.

May 18, 1980

After the assassination of president Park Jung Hee on October 26, 1979, people expected democracy to bloom in South Korea. However, it soon turned out to be an illusion when Chun Doo Hwan’s military junta took over power on December 12, 1979. 

Though numerous citizens gathered under the name Spring of Seoul and eventually Gwangju Democratization Movement, the Fifth Republic—another autocratic government—came into existence. 

During the process, the martial law force brutally arrested, wounded and killed innocent citizens even though a significant number of them were unarmed students. According to the May 18 Memorial Foundation, the victims totaled 4,369: 154 killed, 74 missing, and 4,141 wounded or placed under arrest. The number of people illegally taken into custody during the period of martial law was more than 3,000, and nobody knows how many people were unjustly arrested while they were demonstrating.

Even though it looks like a painful defeat on the surface, Gwangju Democratization Movement is actually an honored victory in the history of Korean democracy. Most importantly, it is recognized as the starting point of democratization. It showed that people have the right to resist an unjust government, and that they actually have the power to do so. After the Gwangju Democratization Movement, small and big movements broke out more frequently than ever, and the Chun Doo Hwan regime was eventually overthrown by citizens’ own hands. 

“Gwangju Democratization Movement is the true manifestation of democracy,” says researcher Kim Chang Hun of the May 18 Memorial Foundation. May 18 Memorial Foundation now works on celebrating Gwangju Democratization Movement every year, and promoting the spirit of the movement with continuous research and education. “It is not simply one past event, there are still unknown truths—we still do not know the exact number of people who were unjustly arrested and killed,” Kim further adds. 

▲ People gathered for the protest, 2016. Provided by hmcsb.nodong.org

May 18, 2016 

36 years have passed since the Gwangju Democratization Movement. Every May after 1980, the movement is the talk of the month, with many people reflecting on the meaning of the movement and honoring those who lost their lives in the process. Yet, just as many feel the need to reexamine today’s society to see how much of a difference the movement actually made, since in 2016, many people worry that we might be taking for granted the spirit of democracy which our forerunners had proudly protected. 

On February 23, when the Antiterrorism Act was first proposed by the Saenuri party, a number of citizens and also the opposition party actively stood up to disapprove. Their objection was based on the worry that once it is enacted, government will be able to tap into private cell phones and Social Network Services (SNS) messages without permission—which can be a significant threat to privacy when abused. Moreover, due to this threat of government frequently checking citizen’s private accounts and chatting records, people are worried that it might further deprive citizens of freedom of speech. 

In addition to this, a massive signature campaign and public demonstration followed. People gathered in Gwanghwamun, the City Hall of Seoul and many places all over the nation just like the Gwangju Democratization Movement, to prevent the passing of the Antiterrorism Act. This time, there was no bloody suppression as in the past but still excessive use of force by the police once again became an issue and was criticized.

Furthermore, the opposition party had brought up the concept of filibuster, which is relatively unfamiliar in South Korea. Even though the Antiterrorism Act was eventually passed, the 192 hours of filibuster effectively aroused public interest for politics and democratic rights of citizens themselves. “The Antiterrorism Act and filibuster teaches us an important virtue of democracy,” says Professor Yoon Ji Gwan (English Language and Literature, Duksung Women’s University). “Democracy is not given to us—it is the objective that we constantly have to fight for.” 

May is also the month when South Korea’s 20th National Assembly will be introduced after the April 13 elections. Bringing out the memories of the grueling, uphill battle the people of Gwangju faced 36 years ago and connecting it to the problematic aspect of democracy left in the wake of the 19th National Assembly could remind people of the value of Korean democracy and the rights they fought to retain, encouraging them to exercise political vigilance. For people living in the current society, democracy should not be taken for granted—the spirit of Gwangju must go on.