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
