Gwangju Massacre

BY JOON LEE, KOREA INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

“I thought I was watching a war movie...”

As a South Korean student, I am privileged to be a participant in THIMUN in Singapore, 2008 and I am aware that this is because others in my country fought for the freedom of speech I enjoy today.
People know of the Tiananmen Massacre in China, but how many people know of the equivalent in Korea? Most of us tend to take benefits for granted. Freedom and democracy are great examples of this. Many of us today underestimate the freedoms democracy offers us as a god-given right and fail to honor and recognize people who sacrificed their lives for it.
As a young student, I take this opportunity to introduce an important turning point in Korea’s history, the Gwangju Massacre, a pivotal event in the struggle to achieve democracy in the country. On May 18th to May 27th of 1980, the people of Gwangju, a major city located about 270 km southwest of Seoul, rose up against the dictatorship and puppet democracy at that time in South Korea, a time when presidents acted like monarchs and people did not have true freedom.
Mr. Kim Bum Soo, a Gwangju citizen who fought for the freedoms democracy offers, freedoms we now take for granted, records his experiences of those days…
In 1980, at the time of the Gwangju Massacre, I was working as a journalist for a small magazine company. I was a 22 year old young man, too busy earning a living to have any interest in politics.
May 18th, 1980 was a Sunday. I knew there was a declaration of state of emergency, but because it had nothing to do with me, I just stayed home relaxing. However, in the afternoon, I heard my neighbors talking about soldiers coming into Gwangju City and beatings of students, both males and females. They warned me not to go out because of chaos in the streets. Soldiers were loading innocent young students onto military trucks and taking them away. I stayed inside.
May 19th Monday morning, I was walking to work. As I approached the intersection of Choongchang 5th and Gumran 5th Streets, I saw young men about my age kneeling on the ground, their hands tied behind their backs, their heads pressed against the cement ground. I was scared. Why were soldiers beating innocent young students?
Later that same day, walking back to my office from an interview, I saw an unbelieveable scene: In between Gumram 2nd Street and 3rd Street, about twenty young men, stripped to their underwear, were being severely beaten by soldiers. They were covered in blood, screaming in pain and calling for help. Soldiers mercilessly beat them with thick sticks, while swearing at them, stepping on them with their heavy military shoes and hitting them with their rifle butts. When a bystander called on the soldiers to stop, they beat him too and arrested him. I couldn’t believe my eyes. I thought I was watching a bloody war movie.
After witnessing the chaos, I went back to my office, near the City Square. That night people began to protest. There were soldiers everywhere, and fearing for my safety, I decided to sleep in the office.
On the morning of Tuesday, May 20th, there was an eerie peace in the streets. But suddenly, in the afternoon, soldiers began indiscriminately beating people in the streets again, men, women, and children. In response, the citizens of Gwangju started to gather in large groups and protest against this cruel injustice, shouting, “Soldiers, leave Gwangju!” and “Apologize to Gwangju citizens!” I heard gunfire that night.
On Wednesday May 21st, two people, rumored to have been killed by the soldiers, were discovered in Gwangju Station. The corpses were loaded on a wagon and were taken to the Province Hall of Jeolanamdo. People began to gather around the Province Hall. Others went around Gwangju and spread the word about the atrocities. In front of the Province Hall, the citizens of Gwangju were lined up face-to-face with the soldiers. The streets were filled with protestors yelling out for justice. As the national anthem played, soldiers opened fire on the crowd of unarmed civilians. With the sound of gunfire, the protestors ran for their lives, as those who were shot just lay on the bloody ground. Those trying to help the injured were themselves shot.
After witnessing this scene, I was terrified and ran toward Gwangju Park, where I saw Gwangju citizens, including students, with guns, rushing towards Province Hall. How could the soldiers shoot their fellow citizens using weapons funded by the taxes paid by their victims? The entire city resonated with the sound of M-16 and carbine rifles.
The morning of May 22nd was quiet. The soldiers had withdrawn. The citizens of Gwangju had come together to form a Resistance Committee. For a time, the stores in Gwangju were open and back to business.
From May 23rd to 26th the streets were quiet.
On the night of May 26th, the Resistance Committee called upon Gwangju citizens to volunteer to protect the city. Together with two friends, I volunteered. We went to the Gwangju YMCA beside the Province Hall where we were given carbine rifles with 30 shells and then we were assigned to guard the overpass leading to Gaerim Elementary School. At 4am, we heard an explosion, accompanied by gunfire. Facing attack from highly trained federal soldiers, we were no match for them. We retreated, without firing a single bullet, but I was caught, arrested and beaten like an animal. The police interrogated me for fourteen hours, asking, “Who is the boss?” and “Who ordered you?” During this questioning, I was again beaten severely.
Later, sentenced to two years in prison for my part in the uprising, I was fortunately released after five months when the court suspended my case.
After the Gwangju Massacre, my life changed dramatically. Returning to College to gain a Masters degree, I was always under police surveillance. After graduation, it was very difficult for me to find a job. Today, everything is settled. I currently work as a government official, and I am always keen to raise awareness of this important massacre.
The Gwangju massacre was an extraordinary time in the development of South Korea as a democatic state because it marked the beginning of a reform of the government and a complete change of ideology.
I belong to a generation who, in the 21st century, are the beneficiaries of the freedoms that those who came before us, fought for. To honor them, we must use our voice at THIMUN in Singapore to pass resolutions to make our world a better place.