60s Activist Who Worked as a Civilian Army During May 18 Found Dead Ahead of 45th Anniversary

A person in their 60s who participated as a civilian army during the May 18 Democratic Movement was found dead at their home about a week before the 45th anniversary of the incident. It is known that he had suffered from nightmares and other aftereffects throughout his life after being injured by gunfire from the martial law troops.

According to the Gwangju Northern Police Station, Mr. Kim (61) was found dead at a villa in Yongbong-dong, Gwangju, around 10:45 PM on the 9th.

A friend who was unable to contact him came to his house and found him collapsed, prompting them to call the police. It was reported that Mr. Kim had a chronic illness.

17-Year-Old Boy Who Stood Firmly with the Civilian Army at Jeonnam Provincial Office During May 18

Mr. Kim participated as a civilian army during the May 18 Democratic Movement in 1980. At the age of 17, he witnessed the bodies of citizens who were killed by the gunfire of the martial law troops, which prompted him to join the civilian army out of anger.

He defended the former Jeonnam Provincial Office, which was the command center of the civilian army, until the end, and on the morning of May 26, just a day before the martial law troops launched their operation at the Jeonnam Provincial Office, he sent his mother back home when she came to find him.

On May 27, during the martial law troops' operation at the Jeonnam Provincial Office, Mr. Kim was injured by gunfire. Captured by the martial law troops, he was sentenced to prison but was released in October of the same year due to a suspension of the sentence.

A May 18 Survivor Who Suffered from Lifelong Mental Distress

Afterward, Mr. Kim suffered from mental distress due to the trauma of May 18. Every year in May, the countless bodies of citizens he had witnessed at the Jeonnam Provincial Office flooded back to him, causing him to suffer from nightmares and depriving him of proper sleep. He was known to have endured insomnia, sleep deprivation, and various illnesses.

Yang Gi-nam, chairman of the May 18 People's Uprising Mobile Attack Corps Association, expressed concern, stating, "Mr. Kim has taken the lead in seeking the truth about May 18," but added, "However, having struggled with mental anguish throughout his life, his physical health has deteriorated."

Image sources: May 18 Memorial Foundation, News1. On the 10th, eight days ahead of the 45th anniversary of the May 18 Democratic Movement, the National May 18 Democratic Cemetery in Unjeong-dong, Gwangju, is bustling with visitors. 2025.5.10 / News1