May 21, 1980 (Wednesday, clear)
- 0:35: Battles unfold between a crowd of 20,000 and martial law forces in the direction of the Labor Ministry Office
- 2:18: Phone connections to Gwangju severed.
- 4:00: Citizens place the bodies of the two killed at Gwangju Station Square in bicycle carts and go to Geumnam-no.
- 4:30: Gwangju KBS building set ablaze.
- 8:00: Demonstrators clash with forces of the 20 Infantry Division at the entrance of Gwangju Industrial Park.
- 10:15: Paratroopers issued live ammunition sent up front.
- 10:19: Gwangju Tax Office gutted by fire.
- 11:00 Some 300,000 citizens of Gwangju gather on Geumnam-ro.
- 11:10: Large helicopters arrive at Provincial Hall Square.
- 12:00: Citizens of Gwangju, indignant with the broken promise of the Martial Law Command to withdraw, advance in cars toward Provincial Hall.
- 12:59: One armored vehicle secretly makes its way from Asia Motors factory to Provincial Hall Square.
- 13:00: As the national anthem is pumped out of speakers from the Provincial Hall, paratroopers begin opening fire.
- 13:20: Young people continue to fall along Geumnam-no as paratroopers concentrate fire on them.
- 14:15: South Jeolla Provincial governor broadcasts appeals for demonstrators to disperse from a police helicopter.
- 14:35: Citizens acquire tens of army-use trucks and armored vehicles at Asia Motors factory.
- 14:40: Citizens acquire TNT from armory in Jiwon-dong.
- 15:48: Paratroopers take aimed shots at demonstrators from the roofs of major buildings.
- 16:00: Demonstrators who acquired weapons in Hwasun and Naju engage in street-to-street fighting in front of the Provincial Hall.
- 16:43: Students place two light machine guns on the roof of Jeonnam National University Hospital.
- 17:30: Paratroopers withdraw from Provincial Hall to Chosun University.
15 Comments
Thanks for keeping this going. It brings back a lot of memories from my time living there in the late 80s as well as conversations with good friends who were in Kwangju when this happened.
Plunge, you were in Korea in the late 80s? Those must have been interesting times, indeed.
I have been away so I don’t know if Marmot has clarified this or not but whos version of what happened is listed here? When I was in collage I spent some time translating the transcript of Chun and Roh’s trail detailing the governments version of what happened there. I am glad you are doing this, it helps all of us recognize what the people of Kwangju had to go through.
James: You were helping to translate the transcripts? Please add your insights to the Gwangju Uprising Day 1 thread. I was asking a question about that very trial in my last comment.
Curious: Yes, I was in Korea from 86 until the early 90s so I watched it all happen. It was an amazing time to be in Korea.
I’ll never forget being downtown as a group of elder statesmen got up on a pedestal to read a condemnation of Chun. There were thousands, 10s of thousands. Then a volley of tear gas. The gentlemen reading the statement disappeared from sight in a cloud of teargas only to reappear a few seconds later in the same spot, white with tear gas powder.
I’ve never seen so many people gathered in one location in my life nor so many riot police. It was an amazing time. I need to scan my slides in and post them some time. I didn’t take a whole lot of pictures, but there are some.
Those slides would be priceless to see, especially fleshed out by your eyewitness commentary! I look forward to seeing them.
Nothing related to Gwangju, but does anyone know how to get these gravatars working? I signed up for one days ago and the image is still pending. Is it supposed to take this long?
Hi, Jing: I think they’re not supposed to take more than 24 hours or so. Have you checked the email address you gave them, though? Maybe they’ve sent you a message. (Although I don’t think you need to reply to an email to activate it….) Is there anything objectionable (i.e., not G-rated) in the image? They should still approve it, though, just with a higher rating.
It is G-rated, though it is the symbol of a political party. I wasn’t aware that would be an issue? Is it?
Unless it was a swastika from the Nazi party, I doubt it would be an issue.
Wow, Plunge, those would be some interesting slides indeed.
James — I’m using the timeline provided by the May 18 Memorial Foundation:
http://518.org/
And I’m glad some of you find the ongoing timeline useful. I think it gives us a much better idea of what transpired in the city in 1980.
Jing: you’re gravatar is appearing now. Isn’t that the KMT’s logo?
Oh, what is it with me and grammar today!? Your gravatar is appearing now….
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