Lawmaker's 5.18 Forum Sparks Outrage, Demands for Cancellation

A planned academic forum on the 5.18 Gwangju Democratization Movement, set to be held at the National Assembly, has ignited fierce opposition from various political factions. The event, organized by conservative lawmaker Lee Jin-sook of the People Power Party, is scheduled to feature a group known for its revisionist views on the historical event.

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Gwangju has become a den of dark forces that will divide this nation and lead it to ruin once again. Stop it immediately.

Critics, including Noh Hye-ryeong, spokesperson for the Progressive Party, have condemned the forum as "anti-historical" and "anti-social." Noh urged Lee to "immediately halt the forum," expressing dismay that a group whose platform includes slogans like "Liberate Gwangju" and "discontinue Korean history education" would be given a platform in the National Assembly. The organizing group, led by former Seoul National University professor Lee Young-hoon, has previously argued that defining the 5.18 movement as a state-orchestrated massacre is inappropriate.

The Democratic Party has also voiced strong criticism. Party spokesperson Park Hae-cheol stated that Lee Jin-sook's actions are "turning the National Assembly into a stage for far-right historical views." He pointed to Lee's past actions, including liking social media posts that disparaged the 5.18 movement, as evidence of a consistent pattern of "terrible historical perception and low-level distortion propaganda."

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It is beyond dismay that an organization with anti-historical and anti-social views is holding a forum that damages the spirit of the 5.18 Gwangju Uprising, and its representative is participating in the discussion.

Lee Jin-sook, however, defended the forum's purpose, stating it aims to "re-examine the 5.18 democratization movement from a liberal democratic perspective and review different historical interpretations." She acknowledged the "historical meaning and sacrifice" of the movement but argued that "not all interpretations or systems surrounding 5.18 can be immune to questioning." She stressed that "systems and evaluations made afterward, including special laws, must be examined based on facts and principles."

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Turning the National Assembly into a stage for far-right historical views.

The controversy highlights deep divisions in South Korea regarding the interpretation of historical events, particularly the 1980 Gwangju uprising. The push for a "re-examination" by conservative groups is met with strong resistance from those who view it as an attempt to legitimize past authoritarian regimes and undermine the nation's democratic progress.

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This is nothing but a continuation of such terrible historical perception and low-level distortion propaganda.