'The Truth of May 18' Documented Through the Eyes of Foreigners

Special Exhibition 'Witness: Beyond Borders' at Jeonil Building 245
Memoirs of Three Foreigners Who Stayed in Gwangju During May 18

'Witness Crossing the Border' Special Exhibition. Courtesy of Gwangju City

The May 18 Democratization Movement Archives opened a special exhibition titled 'Witness: Beyond Borders,' which sheds light on the truth of the May 18 Democratization Movement from the perspective of foreigners, on May 2 at the 9th-floor special exhibition hall of Jeonil Building 245. This exhibition will run until March 31, 2026.

The exhibition revisits the pain and the journey toward democratization in Gwangju through the memoirs of three foreigners who were in Gwangju in May 1980: David Dolinger, the late Arnold Peterson, and Jennifer Huntley. Despite the U.S. government's recommendation to evacuate, they remained in Gwangju to protect citizens and witness the truth. Later, they worked to share their experiences with the world.

The exhibition is organized into three sections: 'Blue-Eyed Neighbors,' 'A Ten-Day Journal,' and 'After May.' The first section introduces the lives and activities of the three foreigners. The second section recreates the scenes they witnessed during the ten days of the Gwangju Uprising using text, photographs, and videos enhanced by artificial intelligence (AI) technology. The third section displays materials and activities these individuals undertook both in Korea and abroad to reveal the truth about Gwangju.

David Dolinger, a former member of the U.S. Peace Corps (Korean name: Im Daeun), witnessed helicopter shootings and performed radio interception and interpretation for foreign press conferences at the provincial office. The late Pastor Arnold Peterson stayed in Gwangju and documented the military's violent suppression, later publishing his memoir 'The May 18 Gwangju Incident,' which included accounts of helicopter shootings and U.S. bombing plans, leading to his testimony as a witness at the Seoul District Prosecutors' Office in 1995. Jennifer, the daughter of Pastor Peterson, who was ten years old during the May 18 events, published 'Jenny's Attic' based on her experience of hiding citizens in her home's attic.

Kim Hokyun, director of the May 18 Democratization Movement Archives, said on May 3, "This exhibition will be an opportunity to reaffirm the universal value of May 18 through the truth witnessed by foreigners," adding, "It shows that while Gwangju was politically isolated, it was not socially isolated."