Bahk Eun-ji has been with The Korea Times since 2012, building a career across multiple desks. She began at the Business Desk, where she conducted in-depth interviews with key figures in Korea's corporate world. Later, she moved to the Politics & City Desk, focusing on education policy and social affairs. She later served as team leader of the digital content team, leading curation efforts on the newspaper’s homepage and reshaping print stories for social media audiences to enhance digital reach. Now back on the Politics Desk, she covers the National Assembly and the Ministry of National Defense, with a renewed focus on political developments.
Gwangju shows solidarity with Myanmar
Local civic activists and Myanmar nationals in Korea hold a rally at the May 18 Democracy Square in Gwangju, in support of the ongoing pro-democracy movement in Myanmar against the military coup, March 13. Yonhap
By Bahk Eun-ji
By Bahk Eun-ji
To the people of Gwangju, where a pro-democracy movement in 1980 was suppressed by a military junta and hundreds of citizens were killed or went missing, the current demonstrations in Myanmar against its coup and the military's violent crackdowns are not something they can ignore.
Noting the similarities between the May 18 Gwangju uprising 41 years ago and the ongoing protest in Myanmar, citizens in Gwangju are showing solidarity and carrying out activities to support the Southeast Asian country's pro-democracy move.
According to the May 18 Memorial Foundation, Sunday, more than 100 civic organizations in the southwestern city formed a solidarity group recently to show their support for the pro-democracy movement in Myanmar.
The solidarity group has been carrying out activities near Gwangju Bus Terminal every Sunday to raise citizens' awareness of the pro-democracy protests in Myanmar. A fundraising campaign is also underway to deliver relief supplies to the protesters there.
The Gwangju Asia Sisterhood Network has also been holding a rally every Saturday since the beginning of March at 5.18 Democracy Square. In the rally, Gwangju citizens and students from Myanmar pound pots and pans, which is Myanmar's tradition “to drive out evil or bad karma by the roaring noise from tin or metal buckets,” which became a signature activity showing the Myanmar people's disapproval of the military coup.
Monks from Jogye Order, Korea's largest Buddhist sect, and Myanmar nationals residing in the country conduct an “ochetuji” march from the Myanmar Embassy in Korea to the office of the U.N. Human Rights Council in Seoul, March 12. Korea Times photo by Han Jin-tak
Besides these activities, civic groups in Gwangju have issued statements to call for the restoration of democracy and peace in Myanmar. They are also urging people and the international community to continue paying attention to the issue.
“There are many similarities between the Gwangju Uprising in 1980 and the protests in Myanmar. The military coup, citizens' protest and the military's violent crackdown on civilians remind us of what happened here 41 years ago,” said Jang Heon-kwon, head of the Gwangju Association of Christian Community. “It is important for the citizens of Gwangju to support Myanmarese people's disobedience movement against the military, with the same mind we had when we protested military rule.”
In May 1980, pro-democracy movements took place across the country against the martial law declared by the military junta led by Chun Doo-hwan. Gwangju became the center of the uprising, and the military suppressed the civilian protesters violently. More than 200 citizens were killed or went missing and thousands of people were injured, but unofficial data shows there might be a larger number of deaths.
People watch an art exhibition at the May 18 Democracy Square in Gwangju, March 13, organized to show support for the pro-democracy movement in Myanmar. Yonhap
Besides Gwangju, civic and religious groups in Korea have been actively expressing their solidarity and support for the pro-democracy movement in Myanmar.
Monks from Jogye Order, Korea's largest Buddhist sect, and Myanmar nationals here conducted an “ochetuji” march, the Buddhist act of expressing respect to Buddha by lying flat on the ground, from the Myanmar Embassy in Seoul to the office of the United Nations Human Rights Council on March 12, praying for the recovery of democracy and peace in the Southeast Asian nation.
The Catholic Priests' Association for Justice held a street Mass near the Myanmar Embassy in Seoul on March 15 as well.