May Organizations Call for Dismissal of Truth and Reconciliation Chairperson for Supporting '5·18 North Korean Involvement Theory'

Three Official May 18 Organizations and Memorial Foundation Issue Joint Statement

The May organizations have called for the immediate dismissal of Park Sunyoung, chairperson of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, for supporting the theory of North Korean involvement in the 5·18 Gwangju Democratization Movement.

The three official 5·18 organizations (the Association of the Injured, the Association of Meritorious Persons, and the Association of Bereaved Families), along with the May 18 Memorial Foundation, issued a joint statement on April 25, stating, "The National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee held a general meeting the previous day at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, where they conducted a current affairs inquiry targeting the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. During the session, Park Sunyoung, chairperson of the commission, revealed a distorted perspective by saying, 'I understand that such controversies exist,' regarding the theory of North Korean involvement in the 5·18 incident," they said.

The organizations pointed out, "The Truth and Reconciliation Commission is an institution that independently investigates the truth of past state violence to create momentum for the future. However, we doubt whether the commission can do its utmost to uncover the truth and prevent the recurrence of state violence with Park Sunyoung's level of awareness."

They continued, "The anti-historical abuses of former chairperson Kim Kwangdong must not be repeated," and emphasized, "The government must clearly declare that it will not appoint to any public office individuals who distort or disparage the 5·18 Democratization Movement or defend state violence."