After Paying Tribute at the 5·18 Democratic Cemetery, "We Are Listening Closely to the Opinions of Gwangju Citizens"
No Jae-heon (58), the eldest son of former President Roh Tae-woo and director of the East Asian Cultural Center, visited Gwangju on June 2nd on an unofficial schedule to pay respects to the spirits of the May 18 Democratic Uprising ahead of its 44th anniversary. Yonhap News reported that during a meeting with reporters after the memorial, Director Roh stated that he intends to "reflect the opinions of Gwangju citizens when publishing the revised edition" of his father's memoir, which mentioned the justification for suppressing the May 18 Democratic Uprising.
On the morning of the 2nd, Jaeheon, the son of former President Roh Tae-woo, is paying respects at the grave of an unknown martyr at the National 5·18 Democratic Cemetery in Buk-gu, Gwangju. [Photo by Yonhap News]
Although he did not specify the timing for the revised edition, he said, "Our hope is to do it as soon as possible."
Previously, former President Roh had asserted the legitimacy of the violent suppression in his memoir (published on August 9, 2011) by stating that "the real culprit of the Gwangju incident was rumors." The memoir also referred to the May 18 event as the "Gwangju incident" and claimed that Gwangju citizens were misled by the notion that "soldiers from Gyeongsang Province came to wipe out the citizens of Gwangju," which led them to confront the martial law troops.
Additionally, the memoir disparaged the citizens who inevitably took up arms (first armed resistance occurred at 1:30 p.m. on May 21, 1980, after the group shooting) as "arsenals looters" and contained content justifying the expansion of martial law. Subsequently, calls for revising the memoir grew louder.
When Director Roh visited Gwangju last year, he clearly promised to "correct" the record. However, this year, instead of specifying a clear timeline or making definitive statements, he only indirectly conveyed his intention to make revisions.
Meanwhile, before the memorial on that day, Director Roh wrote in the guestbook, "May you watch over us until the day we build a democratic, harmonious, and prosperous Republic of Korea, honoring the noble spirit of the May 18 martyrs." He then visited the graves of the missing persons, laid flowers at seven graves, knelt at each, and observed a moment of silence.
He also paid respects at the graves of Kim Hyeong-young, the brother of Kim Hyeong-mi, current director of the May Mothers House, and Jeong Dong-nyeon, former chairman of the May 18 Memorial Foundation and husband of Lee Myeong-ja, former director of the May Mothers House.
This was his eighth visit to pay respects. Director Roh previously visited Gwangju a total of seven times: in August and December 2019, April and May 2021, December 2021 after former President Roh’s passing, October 2022, and May 2023.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
