Gwangju Uprising distortions still prevalent despite punishment law

Bereaved family members visit the May 18th National Cemetery in Buk District, Gwangju, Sunday, a day before the 46th anniversary of the May 18 Gwangju Uprising of 1980. Yonhap

With the 46th anniversary of the May 18 Gwangju Uprising falling on Monday, false claims about the pro-democracy movement, including assertions that it was a riot or involved North Korean troops, continue to circulate online.

According to the May 18 Foundation Sunday, it found 5,182 posts, comments and videos distorting or denigrating the uprising between February and November last year, up roughly 200 percent from the same period a year earlier.

The uprising erupted in the southwestern city of Gwangju in 1980, when citizens stood up against the imposition of martial law extended nationwide by the military junta led by Chun Doo-hwan, who would become president later that year. The crackdown left hundreds dead or missing, and it has since been recognized as a pivotal moment in Korea's long road to democratization.

Decades later, however, the uprising remains a target of online distortion among far-right circles. By platform, dcinside — the largest Korean online forum — accounted for more than half of all cases with 2,677, followed by Naver News with 1,028 and Ilbe, a far-right online forum, with 737. YouTube saw distorted content surge 538 percent, from 34 to 217 instances.

The false narratives fell into three main categories: references to the uprising as a “riot” were the most common at 1,643 cases, followed by false claims about a list of May 18 beneficiaries at 1,031 cases and claims of North Korean military involvement at 569 cases.

The misinformation is not confined to anonymous users.

Last month, Jeon Han-gil, an outspoken conservative influencer and former Korean history lecturer, drew criticism by claiming that the uprising was an insurrection led by North Korea and loyalists of detained opposition leader Kim Dae-jung, later president of South Korea from 1998 to 2003. In 2013, the Ministry of National Defense officially dismissed the North Korean intervention claim.

Under a 2021 special act, distorting or defaming the uprising can carry up to five years in prison, though enforcement has been limited.

National Police Agency data submitted to Rep. Yang Bu-nam of the Democratic Party of Korea shows that police have booked 120 suspects under the act since 2021 through April this year, with only 67 referred to prosecutors.

“The wounds of May 18 remain socially unhealed 46 years on, and victims and their families continue to suffer,” the May 18 Foundation said. “Neglect and tolerance can no longer be justified, and strict enforcement of the law is necessary.”