Gwangju << GWAHNG JOO >> Uprising was a mass protest against the military government of South Korea in the city of Gwangju (also spelled Kwangju) in the southwestern part of the country in May 1980. The protest turned violent, and clashes between government forces and protesters killed hundreds of people. Thousands more people were injured or arrested. The uprising is also called the Gwangju Massacre or the May 18 Democracy Uprising.
In 1961, South Korean Army General Park Chung-hee led a military coup d’état (armed takeover) that ousted the nation’s democratically elected government. Park then became president. He ruled South Korea as a dictator, often suppressing opposition to his government. On October 26, 1979, President Park was assassinated. On the following day, the government declared martial law (military rule) for most of the country. In December, Prime Minister Choi Kyu-hah was elected president by the electoral college, which at that time had the responsibility of choosing South Korea’s president. Choi’s government ended some of the restrictions on freedom of expression that Park had imposed. But the government delayed a promised change to the constitution that would allow the people to elect the president directly.
In early 1980, prodemocracy demonstrations spread throughout South Korea. In May, military leaders declared martial law for the entire country and reestablished the restrictions on freedom of expression. Choi remained president, but the military, led by Lieutenant General Chun Doo-hwan, dominated the government. After martial law was declared, most demonstrations ended. However, student protests in Gwangju continued.
On May 18, army troops began helping riot police clear the streets of Gwangju. The troops treated protesters brutally, rousing thousands more people to protest. The violence peaked on the night of May 20-21, as soldiers began firing into the crowds. Thousands of people fought back with makeshift weapons and arms taken from local armories and police stations, forcing the army out of Gwangju. On May 27, troops returned in greater numbers with tanks and helicopters and crushed the revolt.
In August 1980, President Choi resigned, and the electoral college elected General Chun as president. In October, a new constitution was adopted. Martial law was repealed in 1981. Chun named his ally Roh Tae-woo to succeed him in 1987. Roh approved constitutional reforms that returned democracy to South Korea, including the direct election of the president by the people. In a direct election held in 1987, Roh was elected president.
In 1996, Chun, Roh, and other co-conspirators received lengthy prison sentences for their roles in the 1979 military coup and the following year’s killing of protesters in Gwangju. However, they were all pardoned by South Korean President Kim Young-sam in 1997. A memorial park and museum dedicated to the uprising now stand in Gwangju.
