A memorial monument honoring the late martyr Park Hyun-sook (aged 16 at the time), who died at the hands of martial law troops while on her way to Hwasun, Jeollanam-do to procure coffins to assist with the funerals of victims of the May 18 Democratic Uprising, has been erected at Songwon Girls' Commercial High School.
At the memorial unveiling ceremony for the 518 victim, the late Park Hyun-sook, held on the morning of the 20th at Songwon Girls' Commercial High School in Nam-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City, Park Dae-woo, the director of the Regional Development Policy Institute and younger brother of Park, is giving a condolence speech on behalf of the bereaved family. [Photo by Min Hyun-ki]
On the morning of the 20th, Songwon Girls' Commercial High School and the May 18 Democratic Merit Families Association held the 'Unveiling Ceremony of the Park Hyun-sook Martyr Memorial Monument' on the school grounds in Nam-gu, Gwangju.
The event was attended by about 100 guests, including Oh Jun-hwan, principal of Songwon Girls' High School; Won Soon-seok, chairman of the May 18 Foundation; Yang Jae-hyung, president of the May 18 Victims' Association; and Park Dae-woo, director of the Regional Development Policy Institute and a relative of the martyr Park.
The ceremony began with the national anthem and a memorial video, followed by a memorial address by Principal Oh, a commemorative speech by Chairman Won, a greeting from the bereaved family by Director Park, the unveiling of the memorial monument, and a flower offering.
At the time of May 18, Park Hyun-sook was a third-year student at Songwon Girls' Commercial High School and a victim of the Joonam Village microbus shooting incident in Dong-gu, Gwangju?a representative case of the civilian massacre by the Shin-gunbu (new military regime) under Chun Doo-hwan.
During the Gwangju Democratization Movement, martyr Park Hyun-sook was involved in helping with the funerals of the victims. Due to the ruthless violence of the martial law troops, massive casualties occurred throughout the city of Gwangju, and eventually, even coffins for the funerals ran out, creating a tragic situation.
At that time, news spread that coffins were available in Hwasun County near Gwangju. Citizens, including the martyr, boarded a bus heading to Hwasun, but while en route, they were ambushed and shot by martial law troops who had been lying in wait to isolate Gwangju from the outside. Seventeen citizens were killed in what became known as the 'Joonam Village Incident.'
In his memorial speech, Principal Oh said, "Although the memorial monument cannot fully capture 'that day,' the existence of the Park Hyun-sook memorial space holds the meaning of a truly living textbook where our juniors can learn about May 18 in their daily lives. We will always strive not to forget the noble spirit of the proud martyr Park Hyun-sook."
Lee Jin, chairman of the memorial association, stated, "The sacrifice of martyr Park Hyun-sook is a symbolic event that instilled the community spirit and the meaning of a harmonious world inherent in the May 18 Democratic Uprising into our society. Moving forward, it is the task left to future generations to uphold that spirit and create a world of coexistence and hope."
Park Hyun-sook’s elder sister, Park Hyun-ok, former secretary-general of the bereaved families association, said, "On the day of the government memorial ceremony, the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs visited our home and apologized, saying they had 'committed a grave sin.' I hope that from now on, more attention will be paid to honoring the victims and merit recipients. I wish that the moments when my sister devoted herself will be eternally remembered through this memorial monument."
On the morning of the 20th, the 'Memorial Stone Unveiling Ceremony for Martyr Park Hyun-sook' was held at Songwon Girls' Commercial High School in Nam-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City. [Photo by Min Hyun-gi]
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