5.18 Groups Suppress Freedom of Speech, Pressure University to Fire Professor for Speaking on the Gwangju Uprising in 1980, Sue Professor
2022-10-17, Tara O
Park Hoon-tak (박훈탁) , professor at Uiduk University (위덕대학교) in Pohang City, spoke about “5.18 Gwangju” in class. For that, he was fired and sued. For incidents that occurred in Gwangju in May 1980 that requires intelligence, planning, training, and synchronized execution by specialized experts, such explosive ordnance specialists, and not ordinary citizens, see here.
5.18 political groups, numerous and well-funded, pressured the university board members and the chancellor, and they fired Professor Park Hoon-tak. The 5.18 groups took another step to silence him—they sued Professor Park of Gyeongju for W30,000,000 in damages for daring to speak on the topic in a way that is different from the wide-spread narrative. The location in which they filed the lawsuit is a favored venue by the May 18 organizations. It was at a court in Gwangju, the Plaintiff’s location, not in Gyeongju, the Defendant’s location. Defendants for 5.18 related lawsuits are forced to travel to Gwangju for court hearings no matter where the defendants live, and the system is designed for the plaintiffs to win, with a built-in biased system. This peculiar arrangement of suppressing free speech is condoned, and even encouraged, by the South Korean government, especially the National Assembly (Equivalent to the US Congress). Once branded by the 5.18 groups (“May organizations”), it is difficult for an individual to get employment. Consequently, Professor Park now works as a laborer at a distribution center.
The Lecture
In spring 2021, Professor Park Hoon-tak gave an online lecture to his class on the topic “Social Issues and Human Rights.” He stated:
“In 1980, martial law was declared in Gwangju. When the 20th Division [headquarters elements of the Republic of Korea military] tried to enter Gwangju, a mob of 300 to 600 men drove out the 20th.”
“The mob seized vehicles of the 20th Division, went to Asia Motors in Gwangju, seized dozens of armored vehicles and buses, robbed more than forty armories, and gathered in Gwangju, and shot firearms. Mobs attacked the Gwangju prison five times. Is this a democratization movement?”
“About 200 people died in Gwangju, and 70% of them died from Carbines [shorter semi-automatic rifle] in the back…Carbines are not rifles used by the Armed Forces, but rifles that rioters seized from the arsenals.”
“One person who has done a lot of research on the Gwangju riots is Dr. Ji Man Won. The 5.18 Distortion Punishment Act is intended to silence the truth of the Gwangju incident,”
“I will give a midterm exam assignment to see whether the 5.18 Distortion Punishment Law violates academic freedom and freedom of expression.”
The May organizations
Various May organizations immediately protested and demanded the professor to face “pamyeon” (파면) (firing without pensions) as well as a criminal investigation. These groups include the 5.18 Commemoration Foundation (5.18기념재단), National Council on 5.18 Meritorious Persons (5.18 유공자 전국협의회), 5.18 Democracy Meritorious Persons’ Bereaved Family Association (5·18민주유공자유족회), Solidarity for Pohang Citizens’ Organizations (포항시민단체연대회), Disparaging the 5.18 Democratic Movement Daily Newspaper Daegu North Gyeongsang Countermeasures Committee (5.18민주화운동폄훼 매일신문 대구경북대책위), Uiduk University Student Association (위덕대학교 총학생회), and more.
The 5.18 Commemoration Foundation and other related organizations strongly condemned Professor Park for giving an “anti-democratic lecture denigrating and distorting the 5.18 Democratic Movement.”
Bak Hyun-guk (백현국), co-chairman of the “Together with the Masses,” (민중과 함께) in Daegu and the former chairman of the National Council on 5.18 Meritorious Persons, said, “A professor who defended Ji Man-won, who has already been punished several times for disparaging and distorting the May 18 democracy movement, and lecturing on false facts due to political bias, is not qualified to stand on the lectern. We will absolutely take legal actions.” For decades of legal actions taken by the May organizations against Dr. Jim Man-won for his research on the Gwangju May 1980 incident, see here, here, here, and here.
The response to the pressures was swift. On April 8, 2021, the university stated he would be excluded from giving lectures and further personnel action would be taken. Both the university and Professor Park were coerced to apologize.
After obtaining a written and verbal public apology from Professor Park, the group criticized it as “not sincere enough” and continued to apply pressure. On April 12, 2021, the Pohang Citizens’ Coalition met with Chancelor Chang Ik and other university officials and called for the dismissal of Professor Park.
In the end, the coercion led to the firing of Professor Park. Four other professors and researchers have been fired this way for daring to discuss the Gwangju Uprising in May 1980 that is different from the widely circulating version.
Suing for Defamation in Gwangju Court
For the May groups, the firing was not enough. On April 14, 2021, they sued him at a Gwangju court for defaming the May organizations and the May 18 Meritorious Persons. The suing is also an additional measure to silence him with financial hardship by bearing expensive court and lawyer fees, as well as placing him under psychological stress.
The fact that the court is located in Gwangju, the preferred forum for the May organizations, and not the court in the defendant’s residence is yet another odd situation. This jurisdiction problem arises with any lawsuits related to the Gwangju incident, which is different from other cases. It places additional hardship on the defendants by forcing then to travel to Gwangju, no matter where they reside, and is against the norms in South Korea and of other liberal democracies. The Gwangju court rules favorably for the May 18 organizations.
Online Censorship
In addition, Park’s YouTube channel, which had 90,000 subscribers, also can no longer be found. Starting July 2020, the Korea Communications Standards Commission (KCSC 방송통신심의위원회 or 방심회 for short ), which censors the internet, “made requests” to Google Korea, which then deleted entire Youtube Channels (with all of their videos) as well as videos from other YouTube channels for “distorting history” related to the Gwangju incident of May 1980. The 5.18 Commemoration Foundation Institute (5.18 기념제단연구소) actively monitors YouTube and notifies KCSC of YouTube videos that it deems to “distort 5.18.” On October 10, 2018, the Deobureo Minjoo Party (Democratic Party of Korea) formed a comprehensive Special Committee on Measures Against Fake News and set up a reporting hotline. Pak Kwang-on (박광온), its chairman, paid a personal visit to Google Korea with a list of 104 Youtube videos to be removed.
The National Assembly
The National Assembly also made it one of its priorities to introduce a law to criminalize 5.18 discussions and passed the “Special Law related to the 5.18 Democratization Movement” (5·18민주화운동 등에 관한 특별법) (“5.18 History Distortion Punishment Act), which punishes people with 5 years and/or ₩50,000,000 (~$42,000) for “the denial, distortion, fabrication, or dissemination of false facts.” It applies to “publications such as newspapers and magazines, broadcasts and contents using information or communication, exhibits and performances, discussion, social gatherings, press conferences, and rallies.” It excludes cases of arts, scholarship, research, theories, reporting on events and reporting on history. The enforcement of the law began on January 2022.
Suppression of Freedom and Human Rights
The pressures of these organizations make it difficult to obtain employment after firings. Professor Park Hoon-tak now works as a laborer at a distribution center. This is sad, unfair, and unjust. The special interest groups and the government are participating in the suppression of freedom of speech and academic freedom. Further, the denial of rights and various legal and other activities amount to violations of human rights…all in the name of “democracy.”
