May 18 Memorial Foundation and Sogang University to Co-host 45th Anniversary Academic Symposium

'May 18 and Martial Law' Symposium to Be Held at the May 18 Archives on April 30

The May 18 Memorial Foundation and the Sogang Center for Global Korean Studies at Sogang University announced on April 23 that they will jointly host an academic symposium marking the 45th anniversary of the May 18 Democratization Movement under the theme "Substantive Truth in the Realm of Interpretation: May 18 and Martial Law."

The symposium will take place on April 30 at the multipurpose auditorium on the 7th floor of the May 18 Democratization Movement Archives in Gwangju. The event will feature a total of six presentations?three under each of two main topics?followed by a comprehensive discussion session.

Last month, the two organizations signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to promote research on the May 18 Democratization Movement in commemoration of its 45th anniversary, leading to the joint organization of this symposium. The event will be structured so that researchers from the Sogang Center for Global Korean Studies present individual papers, while local scholars from Gwangju participate as discussants.

Won Soonseok, Chairperson of the May 18 Memorial Foundation, said, "It is refreshing to see researchers from outside Gwangju actively engaging in May 18 studies. I hope this will serve as a catalyst for further research on the May 18 Democratization Movement."

Kim Dongtaek, Director of the Sogang Center for Global Korean Studies, stated, "Based on the outcomes of this symposium, we plan to jointly pursue ongoing research and outreach projects related to May 18 in the future."