Memorial Event for May 18 Victims Kim Hamok and Kim Jaepyeong Held in Wando

Wando Holds Memorial Event Honoring Local Victims of the May 18 Gwangju Uprising
Remembering Kim Hamok and Kim Jaepyeong, Whose Sacrifices Embody the Spirit of May 18

To mark the 45th anniversary of the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement, a memorial event was held in Wando, Jeonnam, to honor local victims.

The Wando Event Committee for the Succession of the May 18 Gwangju People's Uprising Spirit announced on the 18th that a memorial for Kim Hamok and Kim Jaepyeong, victims of May 18, was held at 6:30 p.m. on the 16th at the Wando Office of Education.

Approximately 70 people, including members of the Wando County Public Officials Union and the Public Solidarity, participated in the event, which included a memorial video screening, flower offerings, and incense burning in that order.

A memorial event honoring local victims was held in Wando, Jeonnam, to mark the 45th anniversary of the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement. Photo by Lee Jungyeong

Kim Hamok was born in Wando as the fifth of seven siblings. After graduating from middle school, he moved to Gwangju to prepare for high school. He was a shy but polite and kind boy.

On May 21, 1980, Kim was out with friends when he was fatally shot in the head by martial law troops in front of the Gwangju Provincial Government building. His body, unidentified at the time, was temporarily buried in Mangwoldong and later reinterred at the National May 18 Democratic Cemetery. His family, who had been waiting for him, wandered the Mangwoldong cemetery unable to find his remains.

His older brother, Kim Seungo, said, "I identified my younger brother after seeing a coffin labeled 'Kim Hamok' in Mangwoldong," and added, "Now, I am finally able to talk about my brother even in Busan."

Kim Jaepyeong was an employee of the local fisheries cooperative at the time. After hearing news of his daughter Kim Sohyeong's birth, he visited Gwangju and was shot and killed by paratroopers while drawing the curtains in a room with his family. Kim Sohyeong later became a symbolic figure of the 'sad birthday' and received words of comfort from President Moon Jae-in at the May 18 commemoration ceremony in 2017.

The event committee stated, "Remembering the lives and deaths of those who sacrificed themselves without a name is the true way to carry on the spirit of May 18," and added, "We plan to continue memorial projects at the community level in the future."

This event was organized to raise awareness of local victims and to promote the regional spread of the May 18 spirit.