How South Koreans Remember the May 18 Gwangju Uprising: Political Collisions Around Commemorative Practices in the 21st Century

Since 1997, South Korea has annually held commemoration ceremonies for the victims of the Gwangju Uprising that unfolded in the capital of South Jeolla Province from May 18 to May 27, 1980. Beginning with peaceful demonstrations of Gwangju citizens against a state of emergency imposed across the country by the military regime of Chung Doo-hwan, the confrontation with the authorities turned into an armed clash with a regular army. Although the Gwangju Uprising was suppressed by the government, it had a huge impact on the further development of the democratization movement, which resulted in a peaceful transition from a military authoritarian regime to a democratic one in 1987. Maintaining the memory of the Gwangju Uprising is considered today a major state task, aimed at the formation of civil society institutions in South Korean society. However, different political groups have unambiguous views on May 18 Democratization Movement. The controversy between conservatives and liberal-progressive groups over the organization of the commemoration ceremonies of the Gwangju Uprising demonstrates different perceptions of the recent past, as well as how maintaining the memory of this past in proper form can influence the formation of national identity. If the political career of modern liberal-progressive politicians began with participation in the movement for democratization in the 1970s–1980s, then the conservatives are more connected with those parties and political forces that ruled in South Korea during the period of military authoritarianism. Revealing the truth about violations of civil rights and freedoms by the previous administrations is regarded by conservatives as a blow to their current reputation that can weaken their political position.

Keywords

May 18 Gwangju Uprising, May 18 Democratization Movement, commemoration, South Korea, political conflict, memory politics

Acknowledgment

The article was prepared as a result of research No. 19-01-032 in the framework of the program “Scientific Foundation of the National Research University Higher School of Economics in 2019–2021” and as part of the state support of leading universities of the Russian Federation “5–100”.

Received

23.11.2020

Publication date

21.04.2021

Number of characters

40050

Cite

GOST	Kim N. How South Koreans Remember the May 18 Gwangju Uprising: Political Collisions Around Commemorative Practices in the 21st Century // Novaia i noveishaia istoriia – 2021. – Issue 2 C. 148-161 [Electronic resource]. URL: https://nni.jes.su/S013038640011288-4-1 (circulation date: 23.04.2024). DOI: 10.31857/S013038640011288-4
MLA	Kim, Natalia "How South Koreans Remember the May 18 Gwangju Uprising: Political Collisions Around Commemorative Practices in the 21st Century." Novaia i noveishaia istoriia 2 (2021):148-161. DOI: 10.31857/S013038640011288-4
APA	Kim N. (2021). How South Koreans Remember the May 18 Gwangju Uprising: Political Collisions Around Commemorative Practices in the 21st Century. Novaia i noveishaia istoriia (2), pp.148-161 DOI: 10.31857/S013038640011288-4

100 rub.

When subscribing to an article or issue, the user can download PDF, evaluate the publication or contact the author. Need to register.

Number of purchasers: 0, views: 796

Readers community rating: votes 0

1. Assman A. Zabvenie istorii – oderzhimost' istoriei [Oblivion of history-obsession with history]. Moskva, 2016. S. 30. (In Russ.)

2. Grynyuk V.A. Za chto voevala Iaponiia? [What did Japan fight for?] // Rossiia i ATR [Russia and the Asia-Pacific region]. 2015. P. 36. (In Russ.)

3. Konstituciya respubliki koreya [Constitution of the Republic of Korea]. URL: https://vseokoree.com/vse-o-koree/zakony-i-normativnye-pravovye-akty/konstituciya-respubliki-ko (access date: 12.08.2020). (In Russ.)

4. Molodyakov V.E. Istoricheskaia pamiat' iapontsev [Historical memory of the Japanese] // Ezhegodnik Iaponiia [Yearbook Japan]. Moskva , 2008. P. 294–301. (In Russ.)

5. Streltsov D.V. Problemy istoricheskogo proshlogo v poslevoennykh otnosheniiakh Iaponii so stranami Vostochnoi Azii [Problems of the historical past in post-war relations of Japan with the countries of East Asia] // Ezhegodnik Iaponiia [Yearbook Japan]. Moskva , 2014. S. 19–20. (In Russ.)

6. [The 35th Anniversary 5.18 Democratization Movement Commemoration Ceremony] Turns into “Overcoming Conflict and Division”. URL: www.gistnews.co.kr/?p-268 (access date: 13.08.2020). (In Korean)

7. Choi Young-Tae. On the Name of 5.18 Uprising. Revolve around Gwangju and Minjung // Journal of Democracy and Human Rights. Seoul. 2015. № 12. (In Korean)

8. Comprehensive ordering of the history of the past. Towards reconciliation and a harmonious future. Political report of the participation government. Reform planning Committee. Seoul, 2008. (In Korean)

9. Lee Gup-yun, Lee Ji-heo. Why Did Roh Moo-hyun President Fail? Seoul, 2015. (In Korean)

10. March for the Beloved. URL: http://www.518.org/sub.php?PID-0106 (access date: 12.08.2020). (In Korean)

11. Moon Jae-in says “We Have to remember May 18th Square in front of Provincial Office of South Cholla). URL: http://www.ohmynews.com/NWS_Web/View/at_pg.aspx?CNTN_CD-A002642000 (access date: 13.08.2020). (In Korean)

12. Moon Jae-in's Constitutional Amendment Proposal: Summary of 6 Issues. URL: https://www.bbc.com/korean/news-43455050 (access date: 12.08.2020). (In Korean)

13. Moon President Is Angry at the Lee Myun-bak and Park Geun-hye Governments because They Disdained May 18th Commemoration Ceremony”. URL: https://www.ajunews.com/view/20200517110130732 (access date: 11.08.2020). (In Korean)

14. The Contemporary History of Korea. Eds. Heon Seok-ryul, Park Tae-gyun, Jeong Chang-hyen. Vol. 2. Seoul, 2019. (In Korean)

15. Three Representatives of 5.18 Organizations Boycotted the Commemoration Ceremony. URL: https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20100517207500054?site-mapping_related (access date: 12.08.2020). (In Korean)