The 5.18 Memorial
Being associated with the human rights movements in India for a while now, coming to Gwangju was a difficult decision. It was difficult to drift away from the mounting challenges I used to engage, but at the same time, Gwangju has been more than welcoming, provided a road map to reflect on and get inspired from what the citizens did in 1980. For me, the historic May 18 Uprising shall ever remain a beacon of democracy in the world. The fight for democracy was a fight against dictatorship and autocracy. It succeeded in overthrowing a dictatorship, but the struggle to triumph over autocratic ways continues.
The seed for the democratic struggle was sown during the period of ten days, May 18-27 of 1980 in Gwangju – ten days that shook South Korea. It witnessed students, workers, mothers and the most common of the citizens occupy the streets against military might. The military was successful in crushing the movement, only to spread the fire of democracy across the country. Eight years from the historic uprising in Gwangju, Korea adorned itself with democracy. This democracy was successful in obtaining convictions of two former presidents directly involved in the Gwangju Massacre, enacting the 5.18 Law and recognizing Gwangju Uprising as a milestone in modern Korean history. The citizens of Gwangju continue their struggle on two important aspects of the uprising – bringing to light who ordered the firing at peacefully demonstrating citizens on May 21 and the role of the US army, as the movements of the Korean armed forces were determined by it.
The western world, as the rest of Asia, both geographically close or far, has little knowledge about these democratic struggles. The Gwangju uprising, while extremely prominent in Gwangju even 34 years down Memory Lane, is a little less known among the younger generation. These uprisings have been very systematically reduced to a couple of pages of the Korean modern history in schools. For the people of the West, Korea today stands for Samsung, Hyundai and K-pop. Can civil societies across Asia, struggling to uphold justice and human rights, look eastward towards Gwangju and draw inspiration?
Certainly, yes, because Gwangju teaches us that the fight for justice and condemnation of state power are not the only important elements of any revolution. For a revolution to be successful, it is imperative that the oppressors are prosecuted and the marchers are provided true recognition in the national history. Gwangju teaches us that a nation can only be built on pillars of recognition of the aspirations of its youth, recognition of its working class, opportunities for the marginalized and equality among all its citizens.
The long campaign for democratization by Gwangju ensured recognition and respect to those who were martyred and those who survived. Gwangju made sure that the revolution is remembered and lives on in full spirit. The subways, buses, foundations, memorials, archives, parks, cemetery and other daily encounters portray the heroics of the past, so that anyone who visits or hears about Gwangju will surely come across May 1980.
With Korea’s involvement in globalization, close ties with the United States of America, its government’s narrow vision and conservative approach on unification, and its extreme push for economic growth, the fight for true democracy is bound to heat up. Two recent incidents of the state’s high handedness were the May 18 commemorative ceremony, in which the May 18 anthem “March for My Beloved” was not permitted, and the taking down of a painting critical of the government within the Gwangju Biennale. Gwangju stands tall today, not only for its clarion call for democracy but for continuing to resist state oppression. Surely the times have changed and so have the forms of oppression, but they will be met with rejuvenated resistance.
Mathew Jacob is currently an international intern with the May 18 Memorial Foundation, Gwangju, South Korea. He can be reached at mathewjaacob@gmail.com.