Gov't urged to ask US to disclose Gwangju records

President Moon Jae-in shakes hands with main opposition Liberty Korea Party chief Hwang Kyo-ahn at the May 18 National Cemetery in Gwangju while participating in the 39th anniversary of the May 18 Gwangju Uprising. Yonhap

By Lee Min-hyung

Civic groups are calling on the Korean government to demand the U.S. government share its confidential documents regarding the 1980 pro-democracy uprising in Gwangju.

According to the May 18 Memorial Foundation, Sunday, a group of civic organizations regarding the democratic movement are taking part in an online petition on the Cheong Wa Dae website to make this demand to the U.S. to uncover the truth behind the brutal military crackdown on civilians.

They urged the government to send an official request to the U.S. government to release undisclosed documents that may possibly include detailed accounts on harsh military crackdowns such as a helicopter shooting down on pro-democracy protesters.

Last week, the organizations held a joint press conference in Gwangju, prompting the Korean government to disclose 10 documents on the uprising written by major U.S. government and military bodies, such as the Department of State and the Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command.

More than 1,000 residents of Gwangju and South Jeolla Province also participated in the event.

“The U.S. should promptly unveil the undisclosed documents on the Gwangju Uprising and reveal the truth behind what happened,” they said in a joint declaration.

It remains unknown whether the U.S. government will comply with their request, but they believe the Korean government should make more active efforts to get it do so, citing the example of the Argentinean government.

In a 2016 agreement between Argentine President Mauricio Marci and former U.S. President Barack Obama, the U.S. handed over declassified U.S. military intelligence documents to the Argentina government. The documents included detailed military records about Argentina's military junta.