The Gwangju Uprising (also known as May 18, 1980) was a pro-democracy movement in Gwangju, South Korea, where citizens stood against military dictatorship — and were met with deadly force.
This defining moment in Korean history has inspired some of the country's most powerful films, dramas, and literature.
Here, we trace the story of May 18 through Korean cinema: from the political trigger, through the uprising itself, to the memory that lives on today.
Trigger: After dictatorship fell, a harsh reality for pro-democracy citizens
In October 1979, President Park Chung-hee was assassinated. He had been in power for 18 years since 1963.
While he led South Korea's economic development through initiatives like the New Village Movement(Saemaul Undong), he also amended the constitution and held fraudulent elections to maintain long-term power. As a result, many called him a 'dictator', and many who opposed him were imprisoned.
Park's assassination, in this context, brought chaos to society but also hope.
Large-scale democratization movements erupted nationwide, and people expected a better world where 'sovereignty belongs to the people'.
However, on December 12, 1979, Chun Doo-hwan, then the head of the Defense Security Command, seized power through a military coup.
As nationwide protests against this continued, he declared 'nationwide expansion of martial law' on May 17, 1980.
This took away the people's freedom of assembly.
Content covering this historical moment
🎬The Man Standing Next (남산의 부장들)
Story of the Park Chung-hee regime and assassination
🎬12.12: The Day (서울의 봄)
Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo's military coup to seize power
Uprising: Voices that held on to democracy until the end
In the first half of 1980, many protests and rallies were held nationwide, centered around university students. Students were calling for political reform and democracy, which was the case in Gwangju.
However, martial law was declared nationwide on May 17, and many who led the protests began to be arrested.
Unwavering Gwangju students. Targeted by bullets
University campuses across the country fell into chaos. On May 18, Gwangju was the only city that began a democratization protest, claiming the expansion of martial law was unfair.
Students and citizens chanted "Lift the martial law" in the central streets, and the Special Forces responded with brutal violence — even using bayonets.
By May 20, more than 100,000 citizens had joined the protest, with taxis, buses, and trucks joining the procession. That night, the first order to open fire was given near Gwangju Station, killing more than 5 citizens and injuring dozens.
Massive shooting on Buddha's Birthday. There was no mercy.
May 21 was also Buddha's Birthday. That morning, the bodies of those killed the previous night lay on Geumnam-ro, covered with the national flag, while citizens delivered homemade rice balls to the protesters.
At around 1 p.m., the national anthem played from the speakers of the provincial government office — and the moment it ended, the Special Forces opened fire. At least 54 people were killed and more than 500 were shot at this site.
Blocked Gwangju, the provincial government office filled with corpses
After the mass shooting, citizens armed themselves by seizing weapons from nearby armories and fought back against the martial law troops.
The Special Forces temporarily retreated and blocked all six roads leading out of Gwangju. The provincial government office, now under civilian control, was filled with the bodies of the victims — an altar was set up at the entrance, and countless citizens lined up to pay respects or search for missing family members.
The final resistance and the continuing spirit
The government, in consultation with the U.S. military, decided to crack down by force. At 4 a.m. on May 26, news came that martial law troops were entering the city center with tanks. The government demanded full surrender by midnight, but about 150 citizens chose to fight to the bitter end.
"Citizens, the martial law troops are now storming in… Please don't forget us..." — Final broadcast by the citizen militia
On May 27, the martial law troops stormed in. The 10-day Gwangju democratization movement was crushed. But the spirit of May 18 became an unextinguished ember that continued through the June Uprising of 1987.
Content covering this historical moment
🎬 A Taxi Driver (택시운전사)
The perspective of a witness to May 18, a German journalist and a taxi driver
📺 Youth of May (오월의 청춘)
The young people who loved each other and the future that was taken from them
Memory: The perpetrators and victims left behind after the tragedy
The Gwangju Uprising created countless victims — those who lost their lives, their bereaved families, those suffering lasting trauma from torture and sexual assault, and even soldiers who became killers under orders.
The verification of truth and compensation for the victims is still ongoing.
The trial of Chun Doo-hwan and the suffering of those left behind
In 1997, the Supreme Court convicted Chun Doo-hwan and five others of 'rebellion murder.' Chun was initially sentenced to death, later commuted to life imprisonment on appeal — but was released just 8 months later through a special pardon, along with 12 others involved in the massacre.
He never apologized. When faced with unpaid fines, he claimed his entire fortune was only 291,000 won (roughly $250), angering the nation. He died at home in 2021 at the age of 90.
Content covering this historical moment
🎬 26 Years (26년)
The victims of May 18 plan to assassinate Chun Doo-hwan
📖 Human Acts (소년이 온다)
'Can the dead save the living?' A Nobel laureate's depiction of May 18
May 18 is a symbol of democracy that has taken root in Korea's history and spirit.
Next time you're looking for something to watch, why not explore a work related to May 18 and reflect on Korea's democratic history?
| Edited by Sia Shin, The Pylon Square
