Opposition slams ruling party lawmaker's Gwangju Uprising forum as 'historical distortion'

A contentious academic forum planned by ruling People Power Party lawmaker Lee Jin-sook, focusing on a "different historical interpretation" of the May 18th Gwangju Uprising, has ignited fierce opposition from the main opposition Democratic Party. The Democratic Party alleges that the forum, scheduled to be held at the National Assembly Library, will serve as a platform for historical distortion and defamation of the Gwangju Uprising.

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Lee Jin-sook is a person who cannot be reformed. I am giving up on personal appeals and urging the relevant authorities to respond.

Park Kyun-taek, a Democratic Party lawmaker representing Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju, strongly criticized Lee's initiative. He stated on Facebook that Lee's plan to host a forum under the guise of "re-examining" the Gwangju Uprising is an act that "discards common sense, humanity, and morality as a human being." Park urged the Speaker of the National Assembly, Cho Jeong-sik, to immediately dismiss the National Assembly Library director for permitting the event on the grounds of the library.

Further escalating the criticism, Han Jeong-ae, the Democratic Party's policy committee chair, denounced the forum during a party policy coordination meeting. She condemned Lee's association with groups that have labeled Gwangju as a "den of dark forces that will divide this country and lead it to ruin." Han asserted that while the National Assembly should be a melting pot for diverse opinions, there are boundaries, and such actions cross them. She called for decisive action from the National Assembly Secretariat and the Speaker.

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We cannot stand by while the National Assembly is being turned into a place to praise Chun Doo-hwan.

Moon Jin-suk, another Democratic Party lawmaker, echoed these sentiments, describing the forum as a mockery of the Gwangju Uprising. He emphasized that honoring the resistance against brutal state violence is a "human duty." The forum is organized by the "New History National Movement," led by former Seoul National University professor Lee Young-hoon, a figure associated with right-wing discourse who has previously questioned the narrative of the Gwangju Uprising as state-orchestrated violence.

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It is a 'human duty' to grieve and honor the spirit of resistance against the brutal massacre committed by the state against its people. Calling it 'low-level' is insufficient. Show at least basic courtesy to history and the victims.