[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Yoon Jamin] The May 18 Memorial Foundation announced on the 4th that this year it plans to carry out commemorative projects in five areas: ▲truth investigation ▲academic and archival work ▲international solidarity ▲education and culture ▲support for commemorative projects.
First, in the truth investigation area, the foundation will conduct a preliminary investigation to organize records of civilian deaths in May 1980 and take civil and criminal legal actions against Jeon Du-hwan, Jiman-won, and others.
Additionally, alongside the movement to remove symbols of the May 18 massacre perpetrators such as Jeon Du-hwan, the foundation plans to carry out a campaign to ban the reading and sale of distorted May 18 books in libraries and bookstores nationwide. They will also continue to receive reports on overseas distorted May 18 books (and papers), conduct online monitoring of May 18 distortions, and pursue legal responses.
In the academic and archival field, the foundation will support individual research papers on May 18 (6 papers), university (graduate) student theses (3 papers), and excellent academic papers (5 papers, in connection with Chonnam National University Honam Studies Institute), and hold the May 18 academic conference in November.
They are also preparing to release the May 18 photo archive (first half of the year), the May 18 diary database (second half of the year), and an exhibition commemorating the 10th anniversary of the UNESCO registration of May 18 records (second half of the year). The ‘May Memory Forum (March to May)’ will also be held to remember and highlight May 18 together with citizens.
In the international solidarity area, responding to sites where democracy is threatened such as Thailand and Myanmar, the foundation plans to promote the establishment of a UN-designated Military and Authoritarianism Prevention Day and distribute the booklet ‘Ten Days of Resistance’ (in Thai and Myanmar languages) introducing the May 18 Democratization Movement.
They will also carry on projects in the spirit of the late Hinzpeter.
The Hinzpeter International Reporting Award (co-hosted with the Korea Video Journalists Association) will be established and awarded, and the May 18 Gwangju Human Rights Award ceremony (recipient Anon Nampa from Thailand) will be broadcast live in two locations. The Gwangju Democracy Forum will be held under the theme ‘Challenges and Tasks of Global Democracy,’ and talent development projects such as the GNMP (Global NGO Master’s Program, graduate course at Chonnam National University), the May 18 Academy, and the Civil Society Activist Academy will continue as in the previous year.
In the education field, the foundation will operate May schools by region and target group through online and offline methods, build an education network, establish a May smart learning platform, and develop educational materials. They plan to distribute the May 18 Democratization Movement approved textbook developed in 2020, as well as exhibition materials, activity sheets, teaching aids, and 3D puzzles to educational sites.
In the cultural field, the foundation will award the May 18 Literary Prize (main prize and newcomer prize), hold planned exhibitions such as the May 18 trial record archive (2 to 3 times), and promote the digitalization of the May cultural arts archive database (performing arts - yeonhui [traditional Korean performance] field).
Additionally, the May Road website will be revamped, and a travel guidebook for May Road visitors will be published, renewing the May Road project.
In the commemorative project support area, the foundation will promote commemorative projects in response to the public’s interest in the May 18 Democratization Movement and secure operational stability through the legal establishment of the foundation.
A representative of the May 18 Memorial Foundation said, “Together with May 18 merit organizations and related institutions, we will promote projects such as the May 18 promotion project and the May 18 marathon, communicate with the public, and carry out May 18 commemorative projects. We will improve convenience through website renewal, build a system suitable for the untact era, conduct surveys on public awareness of May 18 and project satisfaction, analyze the commemorative projects and foundation activities desired by the public, and enhance the achievements of May 18 commemorative projects.”
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