Lessons Left by Bloody Gwangju

Lessons Left by Bloody Gwangju

May 18, 1980 was a historical day when the heroic Gwangju Popular Uprising broke out.

It was the most heroic mass uprising that the whole city, men or women, old or young, turned out in the do-or-die resistance against the colonial fascist rule of the US, unprecedented in the modern oriental history.

It was an all-people bloody resistance which displayed their strong independent spirit, elated mettle and indomitable fighting spirit of the Korean nation.

Daunted by the heroic struggle of the Gwangju uprisers, the US and the south Korean military fascist clique hurled the heavily armed puppet army drunken by hallucinogen to brutally quell the uprising, insulting the uprisers as “riots”.

So in a few days, not less than 5,000 citizens in Gwangju were ruthlessly massacred, tens of thousands were half dead, and the city was reduced into a “pool of blood” and a “city of death”.

It is none other than the US that turned Gwangju to a city of death and a pool of blood. Because of the US Gwangju was reduced to the most barbarous slaughterhouse and a bloody pandemonium.

Though 29 years have passed since the uprising, the US military occupation and domination of south Korea still remain and its atrocities against the south Korean people get more terrible.

And the US is hell-bent on arms buildup in south Korea in real earnest and escalating the war provocation moves to incur a nuclear calamity on the Korean nation.

In actuality, the US is the very source of evils imposing every conceivable misfortune and pains upon the Korean nation, and a sworn enemy who stamps most viciously on its dignity and fate.

The bloody Gwangju gave us a lesson that independence, peace and reunification cannot be realized without putting an end to the US interference and domination of south Korea.

The AINDF vanguard fighters and the patriotic people from all walks of life in south Korea will more vigorously wage the struggle for independence against US imperialism, democracy against fascism and national reunification inheriting the spirit of the heroic Gwangju Popular Uprising so as to drive the US imperialists out of south Korea, realize an independent and democratic politics and bring about a new reunified country.





Ever-growing Anti-regime Struggle

- On May 1, the international holiday of the working peoples over the world, there took place large-scale vigorous anti-regime struggles throughout south Korea.

In Seoul, May Day all-people rally was held with 500 civic organizations and political parties, and 50,000 citizens attending.

A declaration released at the rally assured that in order to terminate the unpopular misrule of the authorities all-strata solidarity struggle should be waged, and called on all the progressive forces for joining hands and rekindling the candlelight against Lee Myong-bak.

Ten-point demand was made public at the rally, calling for the abolishing of the Lee Myong-bak evil laws, stop of retrogressive revision of the minimum wage act, cancelling of the motion for ratifying the south Korea-US FTA, probing into the truth behind the Ryongsan massacre, repeal of the full participation in the “Proliferation Security Initiative” and implementing the June 15 joint declaration and the October 4 declaration.

After the rally some 2,000 members of the Confederation of the Trade Unions, civic organizations, youth and students and netizens staged a vehement demo chanting such slogans as “We cannot endure any more. Let us overthrow the regime!”, “Down with the dictatorial regime!”, “Lee Myong-bak, step down!”.

Anti-regime rallies and demos held in Busan, Changwon, Cheongju and other places on the same day referred to the first anniversary of candlelight struggle of indignation against the Lee regime which sold the dignity and interests of the nation and the life and health of the people to outsiders, and called upon all progressive forces for a second anti-regime candlelit struggle in solidarity.

Meantime, the “preparatory committee of the national students’ action” consisted of the Federation of University Student Councils, the Students Commission of the Democratic Labor Party and the “21st Century South Korean Students Alliance” held a rally in Seoul and rushed into an intensive struggle of students to judge the puppet Lee Myong-bak regime.

4,000 students wearing shirts with the slogan “Lee Myong-bak, step down” took part in the rally to stir up the atmosphere of the anti-regime struggle.

Though the security authorities mobilized a large number of riot police troops to every battle sites to brutally repress the rallies and demos, the students showcased their indomitable resistance spirit not to stop the struggle until they overthrow the pro-US treachery “government”.

- On May 2, the first anniversary of the candlelit demo against the unpopular policy of traitor Lee, the people from various strata held an anti-regime candlelit struggle in Seoul.

Attending there were members of civic organizations including the Joint Association of the Candlelight Citizens, the Solidarity for Progress in south Korea, the south Headquarters of Beomminryun, the Federation of Media Workers Unions, the National Solidarity of Patriotic Candlelight, youth and students, personages from opposition parties and other people.

The struggle continued for nearly 7 hours amidst violent showdown with the fascist police.

A declaration read out at the rally stated that the people on this land enraged at the unpopular policy of the Lee Myong-bak regime turned out hand in hand, not bearing themselves any longer.

After the rally the participants staged a demo.

They valiantly fought the riot police shouting slogans “Lee Myong-bak, step down!”, “Let’s terminate the killing regime and lead a life worthy of human being!”, “Violent police, go out!”, “Let’s inherit the spirit of the candlelight and defend democracy!”, “One million candlelights, rise up!”.

The fascist police arrested some 110 demonstrators that day.
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