Gwangju City Demands Kim Gwang-dong's Resignation Over 'May 18 Distortion'

Statement Released... "No Qualification for Jinwha Chairman"

On the 14th, Gwangju City urged, "Kim Gwang-dong, Chairman of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission for Past Affairs, should immediately apologize for the distortion and offensive remarks regarding the May 18 Democratic Movement, take responsibility, and voluntarily resign."

In a statement released that day, Gwangju City said, "We cannot contain our shock and anger over Chairman Kim's remark on the 10th during the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee audit that 'the possibility of North Korean involvement in the May 18 event cannot be ruled out,'" and criticized, "This statement by Chairman Kim is a repeated offensive remark about May 18 since his appointment."

The city stated, "'The theory of North Korean involvement in May 18' has been clearly proven false through the investigation results of the May 18 truth-finding inquiry over the past four years," adding, "The Supreme Court also clarified in the January 2023 ruling related to Jim Won that the claim of North Korean military involvement in May 18 constitutes defamation."

Furthermore, it pointed out, "Despite this, Chairman Kim's unhesitant mention of the 'possibility of North Korean involvement' distorts and misleads the truth of May 18," and "This shows that he is unqualified as the Chairman of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission for Past Affairs, who should correct historical truths."

Meanwhile, on the 10th during the audit, Chairman Kim responded "there is a possibility" to a question from Kim Seong-hoe, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, asking, "Do you think there is a possibility that North Korea was involved in May 18?"