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🇰🇷 South Korea /Elections & Politics

Lawmaker's forum on Gwangju Uprising sparks outrage, calls for expulsion

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Jeju 4.3 victim groups are demanding the expulsion of a lawmaker who hosted a forum allegedly distorting the May 18th Gwangju Democratization Movement.
  • The groups criticized the forum for framing the movement as a "riot" and glorifying Chun Doo-hwan, calling it a "historical regression."
  • They argue that distorting historical truths about state violence undermines South Korea's democratic foundation.
  • The groups called for the lawmaker's resignation and for the National Assembly to initiate expulsion proceedings.

A coalition of Jeju 4.3 victim groups has called for the expulsion of lawmaker Lee Jin-suk of the People Power Party, accusing her of hosting a forum that distorted and denigrated the May 18th Gwangju Democratization Movement. The groups condemned the event as a "historical regression" and an "outrage."

The historical truth of the May 18th movement can never be packaged under the guise of 'academic re-examination' or 'different interpretations.'

— Jeju 4.3 victim groupsStatement from the Jeju 4.3 victim groups criticizing the forum.

In a statement, the Jeju 4.3 Survivors' Association and the Jeju 4.3 National Committee argued that the historical truth of the May 18th movement cannot be disguised as "academic re-examination" or "alternative interpretations." They criticized the forum, co-hosted by Lee and the New History National Movement, for including figures like Huh Hwa-pyeong, a former aide to Chun Doo-hwan who was involved in the 1979 coup. The groups highlighted that the forum characterized the Gwangju uprising as a "riot" and glorified Chun Doo-hwan, the perpetrator of state violence.

The victim groups asserted that denying historically established facts and trampling on the honor of victims and their families is unacceptable. They drew parallels between the Jeju 4.3 incident and the Gwangju Uprising, stating that both were tragedies involving numerous citizens victimized by state violence and represented noble struggles for democracy. They emphasized that such historical events are the bedrock of South Korean democracy, and undermining them is tantamount to negating the nation's constitutional order and democracy itself.

At this event, statements were made that defined the May 18th incident as a 'riot' and glorified Chun Doo-hwan, who was responsible for state violence.

— Jeju 4.3 victim groupsThe groups described the content of the forum hosted by lawmaker Lee Jin-suk.

Furthermore, the groups expressed concern that holding such a forum within the National Assembly, a symbolic space for democracy, lent public authority to historical revisionists. They demanded Lee's immediate public apology and resignation, urging the National Assembly to commence expulsion proceedings. They also called for the enforcement of penalties against the spread of false information, as stipulated in the special act on the May 18th Democratization Movement.

Denying historically confirmed truths and further trampling on the honor of the victims and their bereaved families is an act of condemnation.

— Jeju 4.3 victim groupsThe groups condemned the forum's remarks as an insult to the victims and their families.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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