5.18 (Gwangju Incident) “Meritorious Persons” Receive Lavish Benefits Compared to Korean War Veterans, South Korean Public Demands the Release of the “5.18 Meritorious Persons” List

2019-2-14, Tara O

The Gwangju Incident that began on May 18, 1980 is referred to as “5.18” in Korea.  Those designated as 5.18 Yugongja (5.18 “Meritorious Persons”) and their families receive extensive benefits from the South Korean government.  Unlike Korean War and Vietnam War veterans, whose status is determined by the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans, the 5.18 Yugongja is determined in Gwangju.  While technically it falls under the Prime Minister’s office, de facto, the process and the decisions are made at the local government level.  However, it is the national government that pays the benefits.

Benefit details:  5.18 (Gwangju Incident)

The one time compensation payment for 5.18 Yugongja is between ₩5 million-317 million ($4,446-$282,000).  (15:41) Additionally, the monthly payments to the 5.18 Yugongja is ₩453,000-5,219,000 ($403-$4,644), depending on the level (1-14), according to the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans.  The spouses of 5.18 Yugongja receive ₩490,000-₩1,513,000 ($436-$1,346) per month, while their offspring each get ₩709,000-₩1,754,000 ($631-$1,560) per month.

In addition to the lump sum and monthly payments, the extremely generous benefits for 5.18 Meritorious Persons / 5.18 Yugongja and their families cover various aspects of daily life, including free higher education, preferential hiring for government jobs, free public transportation, large discounts on utilities, preferential housing and bank loans, and so on.  The 5-10% in extra points that the 5.18 Yugongja offspring receive toward government jobs have been contentious, because civil servant jobs are highly sought after, and therefore highly competitive, where even one point makes a difference. For today’s youth who study for years to take the civil servant exams, they feel it is unfair.

By comparison, there is no one time payments for the veterans of the Korean War and the Vietnam War. The monthly payments for the war veterans is ₩300,000 ($268), only from age 65, and no monthly payments are made to spouses and offspring.

The chart below highlights the significant difference in the benefits given to the 5.18 Yugongja (and families) vs. those given to war veterans.

South Korea Ministry of Patriots and Veterans (MPV) Benefits:
5.18 Yugongja (Meritorious Persons) vs. War Veterans

Benefit Areas	5.18 (Gwangju incident) Yugongja (Meritorious Persons)	Korean War/ Vietnam War Veterans
Qualifications designation	Include those imprisoned / detained / taken to the police station	Participated in Korean War/Vietnam War
One time payment	₩5 million-317 million ($4,446-$282,000)	$0
Monthly Payment to Self	₩453,000-5,219,000 ($403-$4,644)	₩300,000 ($268) after age 65
Monthly Payment to Spouse	of dead Yugongja: ₩1,513,000 ($1,346)/ Level 1-5: ₩1,337,000 ($1,189)/ Level 6: ₩490,000 ($436)	$0
Monthly Payment to each Offspring	of dead Yugongja: ₩1,754,000 ($1,560)/ Level 1-5: ₩1,551,000 ($1,379)/ Level 6: ₩709,000 ($631)	$0
Monthly Payment to Parents	of dead Yugongja: ₩1,486,000 ($1,321)/ Level 1-4: ₩1,315,000 ($1,169)/ Level 6: ₩465,000 ($413)	$0
National Cemetery burial	Yes; also for spouse	Yes; possible for spouse
Funeral Expense	₩2,000,000 ($1,780) (10 times the payment for war veterans)	₩200,000 ($178); no support if interred at the National Cemetery
Headstone	Reimbursement up to ₩400,000 ($356); no support, if interred at the National Cemetery	–
South Korean flag	Yes	Yes
Medical Care	100% discount at MPV hospitals; 60% for family; reimbursement for emergency care at private hospitals; For those registered after 2016-2-23, full coverage at MPV hospitals, authorized hospitals; prosthetics coverage	90% discount at MPV hospitals; If over age 75, 90% discount at authorized hospitals, but no external pharmacy coverage
Telephone fee	Exempt; 50% off long-distance call	–
Mobile Phone fee	Tax exempt; 35% off basic & use fee	–
Internet fee	30% off	–
Electricity fee	₩16,000-20,000 ($14-18) off/month	–
Gas fee	₩8,280 ($7) off/month	–
Gas, heating fee	₩24,000 ($21) during cold season	–
A/C cooling fee	₩5,000 ($4.50) off/month	–
KTX ticket fare	6 trips free; 50% off after	–
Subway fare	Exempt	–
Bus fare	Exempt	–
Intercity bus fare	70% off (level 1-7); 30% off (level 8-14)	–
High speed bus fare	50% off (evel 1-7); 30% off (level 8-14)	–
Airport Rail fare	Exempt	–
Airport Fast Track svc	Exempt, up to 3 others traveling with you	–
Ferry, domestic fare	Exempt (level 1-7); 50% off (level 8-14)	–
Ferry, international fare	20% off	–
Air fare, domestic	50% off; 30% for low-cost domestic airlines	–
Air fare, international	10% off (Korean Air, Asiana Air)	–
Govt jobs, points	5-10% for self, offspring; Jobs, education, medical, other benefits apply to offspring as well.	–
Job preference	At firms under the MPV for offspring up to age 35 (38 with exemption)	–
Job training	₩40,000 ($36)/month bonus if getting trained at a public job training institutions; if at private job training centers, then able to apply for reimbursement. Job & Education benefits apply to family, including offspring	–
Fee to attend lectures	70% or up to ₩3,000,000 ($2,670) total	–
Education: Middle School (MS)/High Schools (HS)	Learning Subsidy: MS: ₩124,000 ($110)/yr; HS (academic): ₩144,000 ($128); HS (vocational): ₩186,000 ($166); HS: application fee, tuition, school operation fee exempt for family, including offspring	–
Education: College	Registration fee/tuition exempt; up to 12 semesters; allowance: ₩236,000 ($210)/year; offspring need to maintain 70% grade average.	–
Education: Special	Kindergarten/elementary learning subsidy: ₩534,000 ($475)/year; MS/HS: ₩718,000 ($640); for family, including offspring	–
Education: Scholarship	Graduate school: up to ₩1,150,000 ($1,023); Special School: ₩300,000 ($267); for family, including offspring	–
Housing	Priority in purchase/rent	–
Housing tax	Exempt	–
Mortgage/loans	Low interest (2-3%) loan up to ₩60 million ($53,385) loan at KB Kookmin Bank or NH Bank for condo purchase; other amounts for farm land purchase, housing rental, renovation, life stability	–
Car purchase taxes/fees	Exempt from purchase tax, car tax, special consumption tax, city railroad bond, regional development municipal bond	–
Public Parking	50-80% off; 50% off at airport parking	–
Toll road fee	Exempt (level 1-5 disability); 50% off (level 6-14)	–
LPG auto gas	₩220 (20 cents) / liter off; 300 liters per month	–
Disaster relief	Reimbursement	–
Resort Discount	Discount at MPV recreation facilities & private resorts, such as Daemyung Resort, Hanwha Resort, Ilseung Resort, etc.	–
Taxi driver license	Free for self or 1 designated person (parent, spouse, offspring)	–
Entrance fees	Exempt at palaces, national/public museums & galleries, National Independence Museum, War Memorial Museum, national parks; 50% discount at national/public theaters, sports facilities	Exempt at national/public places as the left column
Income tax	₩2,000,000 ($1,780) additional deduction	–
Savings interest income	Tax exemption of interest income from savings up to ₩50,000,000 ($44,500)	–
Inheritance tax/gift tax	Tax exemption on inheritance, gift valued up to 500,000,000 won ($445,000)	–
Country/local office document fees	Fee exemption: National ID issuance/re-issuance fees, family registry documents fee, certified document fee, residency application fee, immigration document fees	–
Elderly care (age 65 or over)	Elderly care for self, spouse & parents; gov’t subsidy of 80% for self, 40% for spouse & parents	–
Nursing Care cost for self	Regular care: ₩2,387,000 ($2,032)/On demand: ₩1,591,000 ($1,414); wounded: 23,000 ($20); To Spouse, if spouse takes care of you: ₩100,000 ($89); To Offspring: ₩100,000 ($89)	–
Nursing Care cost for spouse, parents, offspring	If taken care by other offspring/sibling, then to the offspring: ₩100,000 ($89) / to sibling: ₩200,000 ($178)	–
MPV senior care center (longt-term)	80% off for self, 40% off for spouse/parents	–
MPV senior long-term facility	Food, clothing, shelter, health care, funeral arrangements	–
Welfare Town	For self and spouse, low-fee	–
Any other beneficiary?	*If no spouse or children, their benefits apply to parents or 1 sibling.	–

5.18 Yugongja number increasing over time

The number of civilian deaths during the Gwangju incident in May 1980 is 166, according to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors “Final Report on 5.18” of July 18, 1995, and 164, according to the Agency for National Security Planning’s 1985 report ‘Gwangju incident present situation and damage assessment.”(2)  For an event that occurred 39 years ago, it seems the number of 5.18 Yugongja should fall over time.  However, the number has been increasing, especially in recent years. In 1990, the first year the 5.18 Yugongja designation occurred, the number was 2,224.  As of August 2018, the number was 4,403.  In 2017, the number was 4,377, so it has increased by 26 in 8 months.  How is this possible?

It includes even those who were not present in Gwangju.  National Assemblyman Lee Hae-chan, the leader of the Deoburreo Minju Party, publicly admitted, “I became a Gwangju democracy Movement Yugongja, although I hadn’t even gone to Gwangju (then).” (0:30).  Lee Hae-chan was the former Prime Minister under Rho Moo-hyun and Education Minister under Kim Dae-jung. At least 30-40 other politicians are thought to be designated as 5.18 Yugongja.

Call for the release of the 5.18 “meritorious persons” list

Due to the continuously increasing number of those with 5.18 meritorious status, the opaque method of 5.18 Yugonga determination, and the extremely generous benefits for 5.18 Yugongja, especially compared to Korean War and Vietnam War veterans, there have been growing calls to reveal the 5.18 Yugongja roster.

Pi Woo-jin, the Minister of Patriots and Veterans said the names cannot be revealed for privacy reasons (0:10).  National Assemblyman Kim Jin-tae, Liberty Korea Party, said the names of the war veterans are revealed and then asked, “why can’t the 5.18 Yugongja names be revealed?” (0:44)  The names of the National Independence Yugongja are also revealed.   Even a 5.18 Yugongja Suh Ui-han agrees.  In his mid-30s working at a hospital in Gwangju at that time, Suh said at a monthly 5.18 Yugongja meeting, “Of course we should rightly reveal the 5.18 Yugongja names.  What is this talk of privacy? Why not reveal the names?” (28:59)

There is also a petition on the Blue House website to reveal the list:  “Much time has passed, but there has been no transparency as to the method of designation, which has misled people to pay taxes for it….can’t ignore the public’s right to know…if they’re really meritorious, then people would sympathize and respect them.  What are they so afraid of?”

That is a good question.

Footnotes:

(1) Benefits Sources:

• https://www.mpva.go.kr/mpva
• https://www.mpva.go.kr/mpva/support/518merit03.do
• https://www.mpva.go.kr/mpva/support/warmerit03.do
• https://youtu.be/zg7EehynS7c
• Note:  The one time lump sum payment was not listed in the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans website

(2) Ji, Man-won, 12.12 and 5.18: Soosa Girogeuro bon Documentary Yeoksa Chaek, Apchukbon (12.12 and 5.18: History Seen through Investigative Records, Compressed Version), Vol. 1, 470