Patrick Chauvel, who revealed the horrors of May 18, becomes first honorary citizen of Jeonnam-Gwangju

French journalist Patrick Chauvel, who brought the atrocities of the 1980 Gwangju Uprising to the world's attention through his photographs, has been selected as the first honorary citizen of Jeonnam-Gwangju. The 5.18 Democratic Uprising Archives announced on May 21 that it would award honorary citizenship to Chauvel for donating 635 photos taken during the May 1980 events.

Born in Paris in 1949, Chauvel is a freelance photographer who covered conflicts like the Vietnam and Iraq wars. He infiltrated Gwangju on May 23, 1980, and captured images of the city's horrors, including the crackdown on the South Jeolla Provincial Government building in the early hours of May 27. Chauvel's photographs were published by outlets like Newsweek, helping to disseminate the truth of Gwangju globally.

Chauvel recently donated the 635 photos he had kept to the 5.18 Archives. These images are considered historically valuable, depicting the reality of state violence, including the final moments of civilian army spokesperson Yoon Sang-won, who died from army gunfire, and Kim Jong-yeon, who died from a lack of medical attention after being wounded, as well as children being dragged away by the military.

"Looking back, Gwangju in May 1980 was the most historic site of my life," Chauvel said. "These photos are not mine, but the photos of the citizens of Gwangju. I am honored to share this material that shows a path to participating in history and preserving memory." The Archives plans to present Chauvel with his honorary citizen certificate during a special lecture event titled 'May, Announced to the World, Returning to Gwangju' on May 23.

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Looking back, Gwangju in May 1980 was the most historic site of my life. These photos are not mine, but the photos of the citizens of Gwangju. I am honored to share this material that shows a path to participating in history and preserving memory.