Moon pledges support for fact-finding activities on May 18 movement

President Moon Jae-in visits a cemetery, Monday, for citizens who died during a pro-democracy uprising that began in Gwangju on May 18, 1980. Yonhap

By Do Je-hae

President Moon Jae-in has pledged full government support to uncover the final truth about the bloody crackdown on a pro-democracy movement in Gwangju, adding this will make distortions and disparagements against the uprising disappear.

Moon attended a ceremony in the southwestern city, Monday, to mark the 40th anniversary of the May 18 pro-democracy movement against the military junta led by former General-turned-President Chun Doo-hwan.

This is the third time for him to take part in the ceremony since he took office in May 2017. About 400 people, including families of the victims of the May 18 Democratic Uprising as well as politicians from both the ruling and opposition parties, attended the event, with the number of participants being minimized to avoid any possible spread of COVID-19.

During a speech at the May 18 Democracy Square, which formerly housed the South Jeolla provincial government, Moon underscored the need for fact-finding into the state's acts of violence, not for punishment but for the purpose of reconciliation and recording history correctly.

“The government will do its best to find out the truth about May 18. We will spare no efforts to support the fact-finding activities of the May 18 Truth Investigation Commission, which was launched May 12,” Moon said. “The more the truth is revealed to the world bit-by-bit, the closer we will be to reconciliation. We will no longer allow distortions and denigration of those who took part in the movement.”

The Moon administration has placed importance on honoring the movement, which has been the subject of ideological confrontation in Korean politics and society. Some conservative politicians, scholars and activists continue to make false claims about the uprising or remarks disparaging the victims or their bereaved family members.

Moon underlined that the fact-finding was primarily to do justice to history rather than to punish those responsible for the slaughter of civilians, other acts of violence and the abuse of human rights.

“We must find out the truth behind the shootings, slaughter of civilians by martial law forces, the helicopter shooting and suspicions of cover-ups and manipulation. The truth behind the state violence is something we must uncover,” Moon said.

He called for cooperation from those who were involved in any past wrongdoing. “Punishment is not the purpose. It is for recording history correctly. If you dare to confess the truth now, there will be a means for forgiveness and reconciliation."

The remarks were seen to target ex-President Chun, who has claimed that he had nothing to do with the violence during the uprising, but has been slammed for his lack of sensitivity toward the citizens of Gwangju.

Chun has kept denying that troops fired machineguns from military helicopters. He is currently on trial for allegedly defaming a deceased priest, who testified that he had seen the soldiers firing from helicopters.