"Han Ducksoo's 'Gwangju Incident' Remark... Gwangju and Jeonnam Groups Call It an Insult to Honam"

Mayor Kang: "Even More Outraged Because He Is from Honam and Does Not Know 45 Years of Pain"
May 18 Organizations: "Serious Historical Distortion... Proof of Sympathizing with Rebellion"

On the afternoon of the 2nd, former Prime Minister Han Ducksoo, who visited the National May 18 Democratic Cemetery in Buk-gu, Gwangju, was blocked by members of citizen and social organizations such as Gwangju Emergency Action. He appealed for a visit, saying, "I am also from Honam." Yonhap News

On May 4, various groups from the Gwangju and Jeonnam regions, along with organizations commemorating the May 18 Democratic Movement, criticized independent presidential candidate Han Ducksoo for referring to the May 18 Democratic Movement as the "Gwangju Incident," calling it "a shameful act that insults Honam."

On the same day, Mayor Kang posted on his Facebook page, pointing out, "It is not the Gwangju Incident, but the May 18 Democratic Movement. That is what the law states." He added, "It is even more shameful and infuriating because he is a so-called 'Honam person' who does not even know the first layer of the accumulated memories and pain of the past 45 years."

Kim Youngrok, Governor of Jeonnam, also wrote on his Facebook page the previous day, "The people of Honam and the nation as a whole still carry deep scars and trauma from the armed soldiers during May 18," and criticized, "Despite this, are you putting on a political show that insults Honam at the May 18 Democratic Cemetery?"

He continued, "To only turn to Honam when it suits your needs and to highlight it for your own purposes... If you had ever truly thought about the spirit of Honam and the spirit of May 18, the least you could do would be to reflect, apologize, and pay your respects at the cemetery."

The May 18 organizations (the Bereaved Families Association, the Injured Persons Association, and the Meritorious Persons Association), as well as the May 18 Memorial Foundation, also issued a joint statement on the same day, criticizing, "A prospective candidate who used the term 'Gwangju Incident' instead of the official state-recognized name, the May 18 Democratic Movement, has proven himself to be an accomplice to rebellion."

These organizations stated, "This is a direct denial of the public value of the democratization movement, which has already been affirmed by the National Assembly, the Constitutional Court, and national institutions," and condemned, "Anyone who distorts or disparages such a significant history is not qualified to speak about the future or receive the people's support."

They further emphasized, "May 18 was not an incident, but a noble act of resistance undertaken to defend constitutional order and safeguard the sovereignty of the people. It is a pillar of Korean democracy," adding, "This is clear evidence that he remains trapped in the mindset of those who deny and distort May 18 and sympathize with rebellion."

They also pointed out, "After declaring his presidential candidacy, he belatedly emphasized his Honam roots and is now using May 18 as a political stage, displaying a double standard." They added, "He must apologize for distorting the name of May 18 and take responsibility for undermining the spirit of May."

Meanwhile, after declaring his presidential bid on May 2, candidate Han Ducksoo visited the National May 18 Democratic Cemetery in Gwangju as his first official activity, but was forced to leave after just 22 minutes due to strong protests from civic groups present at the site.