[Notice] Press Release: Holding the U.S. Accountable > foreigner

The Role and Responsibility of the U.S. regarding the May 18 People’s Uprising

 

1.     The cruel brutality that Gwangju citizens experienced in May of 1980 was at the hands of special operation soldiers, at a time when all authority over military operations were under U.S. command.  The planning, execution, termination, and reporting of military operations were under U.S. command and there was no such thing as an operation without command. This is the first reason we must uncover the truth about U.S. involvement in the Gwangju Massacre.

 

2.     In 1989, the May 18 People’s Uprising Truth Commission sent 48 questions to the U.S. government to uncover the truth regarding U.S. involvement in the Gwangju Massacre, but the response was merely that the U.S. had been concerned about “instability in South Korea” and its prospects for democratization, that “the United States had neither prior knowledge of the deployment of SWC forces to Gwangju nor responsibility for their actions there,” and that “The United States could neither approve nor disapprove of the movements of elements of the 20^th Division.”

 

Much of this is being exposed for the outrageous lie that it is.

 

The role and responsibility of the U.S. in the Gwangju Massacre, which has been obscured for a long time, is finally being revealed. The dark truth about the U.S. is coming to light through the “Cherokee Documents” obtained by Tim Shorrok, an investigative journalist, the testimony of Kim Yong-Jang, a former intelligence officer in the U.S. Army’s 501^st Military Intelligence Brigade, and the brave and tireless work of historians and journalists. The U.S. has been denying its culpability and gaslighting the citizens of Korea by hiding the truth and interfering in investigations. It is time to demand that the U.S. take responsibility.

 

3.     The shocking truth is that on May 22, 1980, the U.S. national security team held a meeting at the White House during which it was decided that 1) The U.S. would allow the Korean 20^th Division to retake Gwangju and 2) Two command and control aircrafts would be sent to Korea and an aircraft carrier would be diverted toward Korea from the Philippines.  Overall, the decision was to “increase readiness of U.S. forces” during the political unrest in South Korea.

 

On May 25, 1980, the protestors of Gwangju heard news that a U.S. aircraft carrier had been deployed to Busan. The citizens of Gwangju were isolated, totally surrounded by the military. Even in their terror as their lives became more endangered by the hour, they held onto the desperate hope that the U.S. would protect them. But that hope was crushed when the military, with the implicit approval of the U.S., stormed the city hall. The true interests of the White House policy makers were revealed in their statement of approval for Chun Doo-hwan: “They have been quite good about using force.”

 

The U.S. must admit to its complicity in the Gwangju Massacre.  

 

4.     Holding the U.S. accountable for its role in the Gwangju Massacre is an important part of carrying out the spirit and ambitions of the May 18 Uprising.

Through resistance, through the blood shed on the altar of democracy, we have come to realize that the systemic and historical root of the May 18 Uprising comes from the division of our nation. The only way to avoid repeating the history of massacre, to ensure the rights and freedoms of the people, is to end this division. We understand that to carry the torch of the May 18 People’s Uprising, the division of our nation must be overcome and our people must join together in peace and reconciliation.

The Inter-Korea joint press conference on April 17, 2018 and the joint statement made on September 19, 2018 marked a monumental milestone in the progress toward peace and prosperity in the Korean peninsula. It opened the door to the possibility of reunification, when North and South Korea can finally be one again. But these agreements and declarations are still being hindered by the U.S. which holds wartime command over the South Korean military. This shows that without accountability for the Gwangju Massacre, our future hopes cannot be achieved – total disclosure of U.S. complicity during the Gwangju Massacre is the cornerstone of ending unequal Korea-U.S. relations.

 

The U.S. must disclose all documents and evidence regarding the May 18 People’s Uprising and actively cooperate with further investigations.

The South Korean government must actively lead the investigation on U.S. culpability.

The role of the U.S. must be included in the investigation of the May 18 People’s Uprising Truth Commission.

We must shed our unequal relationship with the U.S. by holding the U.S. accountable.

 

2020.05.22

The 40^th Commemorative Event Committee for the May 18 People’s Uprising