5.18 민주화 40주년...미국 선교사의 아내 마르타헌틀리의 증언
People across the country are marking the bloody civilian protests against South Korea's then-authoritarian government.
Our Choi Won-jong spoke to an American who witnessed the horrors that occurred in the southwestern city four decades ago.
The sounds of shooting and helicopters and protesters chanting… take Martha Huntley back to May 18th, 1980.
Martha and her family came to South Korea 55 years ago.
On May 18th, she was heading home to Gwangju from a family visit in Daejeon.
It was a normal day for her until she got in taxi to go the last few miles to her house.
“We are going on roads I’ve never seen before. So we said “why are you going this way? Do you know where Yanglim-dong is?' He said, 'Oh yes,' but he said, 'soldiers.' I said, 'soldiers?'"
As the crackdown intensified, Martha began to see thousands of people injured or killed by the soldiers, being delivered to Gwangju Christian Hospital.
“The soldiers were even then attacking people, and a number of our friends were injured very much during the period. They pulled him off the bus, kicked him in the stomach, kicked him in the back, kicked in the head, and then he lost an eye.”
As Gwangju came under attack, Martha felt united with the people.
“Because we’ve been there for 15 years, and all of our work was for and with the people of Gwangju. They had shown us nothing but kindness and grace and acceptance, and we honestly believe that if they were all going to die, we should die with them.”
Martha was frustrated by the government's censorship in the press of what was actually happening.
So she and her husband decided to let the world know the truth by taking pictures of innocent civilians.
Martha returned to Gwangju in 2018 to commemorated the anniversary of the May 18th Pro-Democracy Movement.
“And to come into the memorial park, I almost went to my knees. I almost dropped to my knees, so overwhelming.”
In the meantime, the May 18th Democratization Movement Truth Commission started an investigation this year, to find out who was responsible.
The commission said the goal is to seek truth and reconciliation, not punishment, but the painful memories of the May 18th Pro-Democracy movement still live on for many people.
Choi Won-jong, Arirang News.
#anniversary #Democracy #Gwangju
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