Mayor Lee Yong-seop: "Hope This Becomes an Opportunity to Take One Step Closer to the Truth of 5·18"

Revealed at the 'Norman Soff Special Exhibition' Exhibition Briefing Session

On the afternoon of the 6th, Lee Yong-seop, Mayor of Gwangju Metropolitan City, attended the 'Norman Soff Donation Materials Special Exhibition' commemorating the 41st anniversary of the May 18 Democratic Uprising, held at the old Jeonnam Provincial Office annex in Dong-gu, and viewed the exhibition materials. Photo by Gwangju Metropolitan City

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Seon-gang] On the afternoon of the 6th, Lee Yong-seop, Mayor of Gwangju Metropolitan City, attended the exhibition briefing session for the 41st anniversary of the May 18 Democratic Movement held at the annex of the old Jeonnam Provincial Office and viewed the exhibits.

This special exhibition, hosted by the Old Jeonnam Provincial Office Restoration Promotion Team, unveiled over 200 unpublished rare materials, including photos of the May 18 scenes taken in May 1980 by Norman Soff, a former foreign correspondent for the Asian Wall Street Journal.

Mayor Lee said, “On May 27, 1980, when the martial law forces carried out the operation to suppress the provincial office, Norman Soff vividly captured the events that took place here through his photographs, fulfilling his duty as a journalist. Today, 41 years later, he has once again shown courage to help establish the truth of history,” adding, “I would like to take this opportunity to express my deep respect and gratitude to Norman Soff for donating these precious archival materials.”

The mayor added, “History holds great power when it is recorded and remembered correctly. I hope this special exhibition will be an opportunity to take a step closer to the truth of May 18.”

He also stated, “Just as many people, including foreign correspondents like Norman Soff, extended a hand of solidarity to the isolated Gwangju in May 1980, we express our solidarity with the people of Myanmar who are suffering at this very moment and will stand with them until the end.”

The ‘Norman Soff Donated Materials Special Exhibition’ will be held from the 7th until July 31 at the second-floor exhibition hall of the annex of the old Jeonnam Provincial Office and is open to all citizens.

Meanwhile, before the exhibition briefing session, Mayor Lee met with the mothers who are guardians of the provincial office restoration and expressed his gratitude for their devoted leadership for 1,703 days to preserve the May 18 Democratic Movement site at the old Jeonnam Provincial Office.