Spirit of May 18 movement

Time to move forward for harmony, reconciliation

Korea marked the 39th anniversary of the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement, Saturday. It is meaningful to commemorate the movement that sowed the seeds of freedom and democracy. However, it is regrettable to see politics still divided over the pro-democracy struggle of Gwangju citizens in 1980.

As President Moon Jaein said in his commemoration address, the truth about the May 18 movement cannot differ between conservatives and progressives. He said only the heirs of a dictatorship would see it differently. His remarks were apparently a warning to an unabashed bid by the conservative opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) to denigrate the movement and defame the victims of a bloody military crackdown.

There is no reason to deny or defile the movement and its victims. A series of investigations has already found that students and other citizens rose up against the Chun Doohwan-led military junta. Chun seized power through a military coup after the Oct. 26, 1979, assassination of President Park Chunghee.

Legislative work was also done to define the significance and nature of the movement. The uprising was officially called a democratization movement in 1988 under the government of Chun's successor Roh Taewoo. A special law was enacted in 1995 under the administration of then President Kim Youngsam to champion the spirit of the movement. In 1997, May 18 was designated as a special national memorial day.

It is nonsense to call the movement into question. Yet three LKP lawmakers ― Lee Jongmyeong, Kim Jintae and Kim Soonrye ― have tried to undermine the movement's legitimacy. They even made far-fetched allegations that North Korean commandoes were sent to Gwangju in May 1980 to incite the uprising. They also described the uprising as a "riot" and the pro-democracy activists as "monsters." They went too far.

That is why the LKP has come under severe criticism. The LKP, formerly the Saenuri Party whose boss was the impeached President Park Geunhye, has been trying to rally conservatives behind it by damaging the values of May 18.

LKP Chairman Hwang Kyoahn attended the ceremony at the cemetery of the victims in Gwangju in the face of strong protests from bereaved families. He sang the "March for the Beloved," an iconic song for the nation's democracy movement, along with other participants. It is doubtful, however, whether he really appreciates the uprising.

Now it is time to shed more light on the Gwangju movement to lay bare the whole truth. Last year, the National Assembly enacted a law to set up a fact-finding committee. However, the creation of the panel has been delayed due to the LKP's intransigence in appointing committee members.

We urge the LKP to cooperate fully with the Moon administration and the ruling Democratic Party of Korea to launch the panel as soon as possible. The rival parties should go beyond partisanship to confirm allegations about secret burials of victims, sexual violence and the firing of weapons from helicopters. The LKP also must make efforts to help President Moon keep his promise to enshrine the May 18 spirit in a new Constitution.

Most of all, the entire nation ought to make concerted efforts to move toward harmony and reconciliation. only then can Koreans give what they owe to more than 200 Gwangju citizens who gave their lives for freedom and democracy 39 years ago.