[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] It has been confirmed that books distorting the May 18 Democratic Uprising, which are banned from sale and distribution, are still stocked in libraries nationwide.
According to the May 18 Memorial Foundation on the 31st, the court-recognized distorted books related to May 18, including “Jeon Du-hwan Memoir Volume 1: Era of Chaos” and “Bukjoseon 5·18 Arirang Mudeungsan’s Azalea 475 Flowers,” which have been banned from sale and distribution, are still available in university libraries across the country.
The May 18 Foundation conducted an online survey on the availability of these books in about 450 university libraries nationwide.
As a result, it was confirmed that “Jeon Du-hwan Memoir Volume 1: Era of Chaos” is stocked and loaned in 14 university libraries, and “Bukjoseon 5·18 Arirang Mudeungsan’s Azalea 475 Flowers” is stocked and loaned in 13 university libraries.
“Bukjoseon 5·18 Arirang Mudeungsan’s Azalea 475 Flowers” was also found to be stocked in the “National Assembly Library” Dokdo and Unification Materials Room (3rd floor of the Assembly Hall) and the 4th floor book materials room of the “National Library of Korea.”
In addition, books claiming North Korean military involvement in the May 18 Uprising, such as “May 18 Proven Only by Facts: North Korean Special Forces,” “May 18 Analysis Final Report: Results of 12 Years of Research,” “May 18 Before Solomon,” and “(Based on Investigation Records) 12·12 and 5·18 Volumes 1-4, Upper and Lower,” were also stocked and available for reading. Only volumes 2 and 3 of the Jeon Du-hwan memoir were found in searches.
“Jeon Du-hwan Memoir Volume 1: Era of Chaos” was subject to a provisional injunction banning sale and distribution on August 4, 2017. Although the 33 problematic sections were not edited but blacked out and republished, a second provisional injunction banning sale and distribution was issued on May 15, 2018.
“Bukjoseon 5·18 Arirang Mudeungsan’s Azalea 475 Flowers” was subject to a provisional injunction banning sale and distribution on February 19 of this year.
Volumes 2 and 3 of the Jeon Du-hwan memoir have not been subject to injunctions and are sold in bookstores and stocked in many libraries.
Jung Dong-nyeon, chairman of the May 18 Memorial Foundation, stated, “Although the May 18 Democratic Uprising has been established worldwide as a noble struggle for democracy, there are still individuals and attempts that maliciously distort May 18 and belittle its significance. It is a neglect of public institutions’ duties to purchase, stock, and allow reading of books that have caused historical distortion controversies since their publication in many libraries,” he criticized.
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