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5.18
This entry was written by Robert Koehler, posted on May 18, 2007 at 11:28 pm, filed under Korean History. Bookmark the permalink. Follow any comments here with the RSS feed for this post.
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32 Comments
OK, I give… what are we looking at here?
The prelude to a heepin’ helpin’ of whoop ass.
Railwaycharm: Gwangju massacre i believe.
I still can’t believe Kim Dae Jung pardoned the ‘butcher of Kwangju’.
After Hannara takes charge, this incident will be re-examined.
Korean army wanted to stop the demonstration. And, they were successful. But, all Korean Commies were gathered at Kwangju and they did not want this to end like that.
They wanted to make a statement. One of them drove a truck right into the KoreanArmy defense line killing several soldiers. At the same time, these Commies rushed into Army soldiers.
When Army soldiers saw this vehicular slaughter of soldiers, they went berserk. And, they were trained to. Soldiers went into a war mode, shooting at civilians.
You cannot find fault with these soldiers. Kwangju people should understand they went too far. And, immidiate arrest of Commie instigators should have been done.
However, these Commies are in charge now. Just wait seven month. Hannara party will come into power and re-examine this incident.
Kwanju uprising was nothing more than a Commie instigation. And, Kwangju people joined in. It is nothing to do with liberty or democracy.
It was a Commie uprising, crushed by patriotic soldiers. Commies should be stopped. Otherwise, they will sell out the country to KJI.
To KJI and the Chinese.
These Kwangju SOBs blame the US for not coming to their aid.
Why should the US approve this Commie uprising? People raided police station and took weapons to shoot at Army soldiers. Their brothers.
What do they want? Immidiate communication with North Korea! This shows they were not liberation force but a group of Commies. That is what they were.
Korean soldiers killed them. And, these Commies killed Korean soldiers. Parents of these dead soldiers should sue the government to dig out those Commies buried in Korean National semitary and throw them down the river. And, have their sons who carried out the orders of Republic of Korea to be buried in the honorable semitary.
The truth about this incident will come out next year. And, I am telling you that it was nothing more than a Commie uprising.
Well Baduk, if it were merely a commie uprising it was a big one. That was a huge number of people participating.
I believe that picture was closer to the 27th than the 18th. A hell of a price to pay for a week long party.
It amazes me how murky recent Korean history is. I would be interested in finding out more details.
care to explain why the people were waving ROK flags instead of DPRK ones?
Wow, haven’t heard the whole “5.18 was a communist-incited incident” bullcrap since… well, since the Chun administration. Boy, the good old days when soldiers fired more bullets into civilians then enemies. (But then again, apparently my two uncles and an aunt-in-law were the commies who instigated it and deserved the bullets they got)
But all sarcasm aside, what’s your source on instigator driving a car into soldiers (BEFORE the paratroopers were deployed)? If I remember my history right, it was soldiers beating students –> a student gets killed –> civilians get pissed off –> riot –> paratroopers deployed and kills people –> bigger riot, armory taken over –> more divisions deployed, crushed the riot.
Wait till next year when these KimDaeJung-RhoMuhyen pro-North regime retreats and real patriots, I don’t mean the military dictators, move into the government and re-examine the past ten years of “pro-North” thinking.
You can say what you want.
However, it is well-established fact that whos-who of anti-government (many of them getting paid by KJI) students all gathered in Kwangju prior to the riot.
Kwangju uprising was not a citizen’s movement! It was organized, ochestrated and carried on by Commie students!
Would the regular people raid a police station, takes weapon and shoot at Korean soldiers? To kill your brothers? To kill Koreans?
Regular people do not do this. Belive me.
These anti-government and pro-North Commies went to Kwangju to do exactly that. They incited people and military and when the real troopers arrived they exited. These actions could have been all scenarioed by Kim DaeJung before these Commies arriving at Kwangju.
A typical Communist uprising.
Baduk, you just don’t get it. Many of the protesters were university students. By the looks of the pictures I’ve seen, many of them were in their mid to late 20s, without a doubt guys who had completed their military service. They did what they were trained to do, got weapons and protected the civilians best way they could. No communist conspiracy there.
After taking over Kwangju, these Commie students desperately tried to incite similar uprisings in other cities. They sent their messengers to other cities, starting from Jolla province to Busan and Seoul.
No other city joined in. None.
Because Korean people did not mind the military rule. The history shows that, up to that point, Koreans saw three different forms of government; a government by Lee, a brief rule by student activitist(like those in Kwangju) and a military rule.
You know what? Koreans liked the military rule best. They have lived through Lee’s corrupted politicians. They have seen the ridiculous student activist government. But the majority of people liked Dictator Park.
Even today, some still would vote for Park through his daughter. Only the Jolla Commies hate Park. I don’t like some part of Park’s deeds but I must honestly admire his good qualities.
Anyway, this Kwangju uprising did not in any way get the people’s support. Many people, believing correctly that infighting will only help KJI, opposed the Commie students. The majority did not approve Kwangju uprising.
Commie students say that people did not know about Kwangju and that was the reason Koreans did not support them. I think that is a lie.
People do not like Communism. These student activists did. They still do.
Baduk, with all due respect you are really full of shit. Calling the people who died in 5.18 “commies” is really beyond the pale. You should be ashamed of yourself.
madneo - that photo is most likely from the 18th or the 19th.
Baduk has been blaming communists for the uprising every May 18th for the last few years. Nothing will change his mind.
I put together a list of books and online resources about the uprising here.
I really recommend downloading “The Kwangju Uprising: An Inside View” by Tim Warnberg, which is at the top of that page.
Oh, and here’s a youtube video of the three major networks’ news stories about the Kwangju uprising from May 22, 1980 (the day after the military opened fire and left the city, when the citizen army was formed). Notice that CBS, who actually had a reporter in Kwangju, is much more sympathetic to the protesters than the other networks, which were getting their information from the military authorities.
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baduk, get over the dick size contest between young-nam and ho-nam.
To suggest that Han Nara’s victory would re-write history of 5.18.80, from your part, (which is basically the original stance of Jun Doo Hwan’s side of the story), gives enough reason for Southwest Korea to vote 99% for anyone whom they see as anti-Han Nara.
Afterall, what have these people seen under a Han Nara and its predecessor govts?
Massive Industrialization of only Sudogwon and southeast Korea, shut out and discrimination from business, politics, and add onto that the gospel of 5.18.80 being a communist rebellion.
I mean, what instigated it?
On the contrary, how do you explain what the southeast Koreans did with guns, special military units against their “brothers” in the southwest?
Furthermore, if this was a North Korea backed armed rebellion to split from South Korea, please show me footage of DPRK flags being waved somewhere.
Doesn’t make any sense to me. You’re just re-playing Jun Doo Hwan from 30 years ago.
and to talk of commies, isn’t Mr. Kwon of the Min No Dang from southeast Korea?
Isn’t Roh Moo Hyun from southeast Korea?
Wasn’t Min No Dang recently confirmed to have been spying against the ROK along with support from some planted spies in the US?
What happenned to southeast Korea’s veil that they are America’s loyals, while southwest is commy country?
Three Korean newspapers, Chosun, JoongAng and DongA, could not write things they knew about 5.18. They were afraid of retaliation from Kim DaeJung, Rho MuHuyen and Jolla natives.
Once Rho is gone, then they can write about Kwangju Uprising without fear of repraisal.
Till that side of the story comes out, what is known about Kwangju is all one-sided Commie mumbojumbo.
Those stories will slowly come out once these Jolla student radicals loosen their grip on Korean society and Korean media. Yes, Koreans have been living under Komeini government in last ten years.
In seven months, the real patriots will take power and turn the country from the extreme left(pro-North Commies) to the middle. And, military commanders can finally tell their side of story, including known NK infiltrators and agitators’ presence in Kwangju. And, what these Commies did there.
Some may even come out and tell Kim DaeJung’s involvement. He may have orchestrated the takeover of police station, who to take weapons and how to shoot at Korean soldiers.
It is about time the real story about Kwangju Commie Uprising to come out. It is about time.
baduk, why weren’t the papers telling in 1980? To my understanding, the country was kept in dark until 1988.
So, the papers were lying during Kim Yong Sam, lying way more during Kim Dae Jung, and re-creating history during Roh Moo Hyun, ah !
Why is Mr. Kwon of Min No Dang from Kyong Sang Do? Why is Mr. Roh from Kyong Sang Do?
Ah! I know ! They were born in Jeolla, but their mothers were whores, so they relocated to Kyong Sang, but they’re really not, right?
Rho MuHyun is a hand-picked successor of Kim DaeJung. He played Kim’s faithful lieutenant.
Rho only won the presidency because Hannara accepted hugh bribes and their candidate, Lee, was a corrupt man. Lee could not even name the owner of the residence where he lived. A dirty politician. His sons got excused from military service.
I would have voted Rho.
However, once Rho became the president, he displayed his color too well. His pro-North and pro-Commie views are so different from the majority of Koreans.
He wanted the wartime command despite objections from all known military experts. He knew well that his action would mean the US withdrawal from Korea.
Why does he want that? Why?
Think about it.
Kim DaeJung wants the US to leave Korea too. He doesn’t say it outloud but his lieutenants do things to alienate the US.
These guys are up to no good.
you can credit Kwang Ju or not credit it, but Jimmy Carter made Jun Doo Hwan agree that after Kwang Ju, ROK had to become more democratic rather than continual military governance. Do credit Jun Doo Hwan for holding elections 8 years later in 1988.
If you want to chew out Kim Dae Jung, you can, since by him not yielding to Kim Yong Sam or vice versa, Roh Tae Woo won and continued the lineage. I suspect that’s why Kim Yong Sam hates Kim Dae Jung. 5 extra years of military govt or its continuation of it.
i think i’ll disagree that Kim Dae Jung hand picked Roh Moo Hyun. Unlike Han Nara, Min Joo Dang held a US style party primary. The seat to represent Min Joo Dang was basically up for grabs. Lee In Jae, Jung Dong Young, Han Hwa Gap, Roh Moo Hyun, all had a shot. From my observation, it seemed Kwang Ju handed Roh Moo Hyun the victory because they were picking someone who was electable outside Jeolla. Roh Moo Hyun was a liberal and a Kyong Sang. Thus, getting the liberals and expanding beyond the Jeolla voting base.
Han Nara? There was no question who was running from the get go to the end. No primary. No nothing. It was Lee Hoi Chang all the way. That’s what I call hand picking.
Kim DaeJung looked pretty old on TV yesterday. He looked he could die any day now. The guy who lied and played both sides(he accepted the bribe from the military dictator Rho TaeWoo! What a clown!) is about to go. I will welcome his death as I welcomed Kim IlSung’s.
Park ChungHee and Kim DaeJung. What a pair. People with gross personality flaws.
Park changing national constitution to be re-elected the third time. Following the exact abomination that President Lee did. Dictators!
Kim DaeJung, what a joker. Sending billions to Kim IlSung and Kim Jongil in the name of “one race”. Hey, wake up. You are supporting dictators. A guy who evidently fought military dictators in the south are now helping Kim Jongil to sustain his dictator power in the north. What a joker, Kim DaeJung is. In the name of “Korean brother love”, he is helping the worst dictatorship in the world to continue. Sending money in the name of appeasement.
If I have to choose between these two characters, I will choose Park. At least, he had some backbone.
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i lived with two US Koreans my age, who were from Jeolla.
I pretended I esteemed Chun Doo Hwan. I knew what I was doing. I usually do that just to see what will happen.
And their combined reactions to me were pretty nasty to say the least.
Up till then, we were on good terms.
I made the mistake of doing that with people I were sharing rooms with.
Overtime, I got to hear more of their father’s tales, and I think southeast Korea owes something to southwest Korea.
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That was exhausting….
The Black hand of the Blog seems to be smiting at an un-even swath once again!
Hey Baduk, you said that communists had infiltrated Kwanju prior to the 5-18-80 uprising. Yet you also seem to be insinuating that Jolla Province had a decidedly communist lean. Therefore, wouldn’t it simply be a matter of communists banding together with their comrades rather than infiltrating?
Some of the journalists, not just national but international, also wrote that one of the armories was raided by a group of school girls. Damn communist women! As the Chinese say about wet floors, “The slippery are very crafty.”
I wonder how the raid is done. A group of school girls went to the armory and smiled the guard to death. Did they offer themselves for weapons?
International? My foot. No recognized journalist of international recognition wrote about an insignificant event as Kwangju uprising.
You know what they do. Fly in in the morning, gathers sensationalizing stories like the one you mentioned and fly out by evening.
They sell stories, not truth. They don’t care about truth. They sell papers and make money. There is Hwang in every one of us.
I am not attacking you,Maddlew. I am mad at how lies get generated and snowball into a history.
In this particular case, a revision is desperately needed. And, it is coming.