| May 18th National Cemetery | |
| Established: | 1997 |
| Country: | Korea |
| Location: | Gwangju |
| Type: | National Cemetery |
| Size: | 166201m2 |
| Interments: | Over 700 |
May 18th National Cemetery is a cemetery for those who participated in the Gwangju Uprising.[1] [2] Built by the government of South Korea in 1997, it is located in Gwangju. Every May, on the anniversary of the uprising, it is common for citizens to visit the cemetery to honor the dead.[3]
The Gwangju Uprising, also known as May 18 Democratic Uprising, was a democratic movement in South Korea directed against the Chun Doo-hwan government, which violently suppressed Gwangju citizens. Under the Kim Young-sam administration, there was a movement to make May 18th National Cemetery a democratic shrine.[4]
The previous May 18th Cemetery, or the "Mangweol-dong Cemetery", was the former burial site of those who died during the May 18th Democratic Uprising and the proceeding democratic movement. Some of those interred there for 17 years were delivered to the cemetery in garbage trucks.[5] Due to the cemetery's reputation as a Mangweol-dong, a "holy ground for democracy", the military had plans to destroy the graveyard. Those plans never came to fruition.
Following the democratization of Korea, a plan to create a National Cemetery was announced in 1993, giving rise to the New National Cemetery for the May 18th Democratic Uprising. Construction began in November 1994 and the new cemetery was opened in May 1997.[6] Bodies from the Mangweol-dong Cemetery were exhumed and re-interred in the new location, while the old cemetery was restored to its former state.[7] The new cemetery was promoted to the status of a national cemetery by presidential decree by Kim Dae-jung on July 27, 2002, and renamed the National Cemetery for the May 18th Democratic Uprising on January 30, 2006.[6] An annual commemoration is held each May, in which people pay their respect to those who died at both the old and new cemeteries.[3]
Taryn Assaf observed that
The two cemeteries came to represent two different aspects of the uprising: the new, designed to represent a commemoration of past sacrifices and the old marked by the symbolism of a continuing struggle. Interesting to note is the suggestion evident in the process of naming. Equating 'new' with 'official' and 'old' with 'unofficial' serve to influence popular conception of the significance of the different actors involved in the uprising, their place in history, their ideologies and their legacies.[8]
Old Cemetery
New cemetery
The Memorial Monument consists of two parallel pillars tall, based on a traditional Korean "flagpole" design (dang-gan-ji-ju). This monument represents the concepts of new life, survival, and seeds of hope.[4] Near the center point of the pillars is an ovular sculpture, representing "resurrection". To the right and left of the monument are two bronze sculptures called "Grassroots Resistance of May".[15]
The Memorial Hall allows visitors to view and interactively experience the events of the May 18th Democratic Uprising. The exhibition includes a historical record of the Uprising, tributes to victims, a virtual tour of important landmarks in the democratic movement, and facilities for educational presentations.[16]
This building is designed in the form of a dolmen, a traditional tomb dating to the prehistoric period. Portraits of those who are buried in the May 18th National Cemetery are enshrined on the walls of this building.[15]
A two-story exhibition space with facilities for viewing video footage of the Gwangju Uprising.[15]
A memorial hill planted with "Trees of Democracy" representing "the will of all Korean people to commemorate the noble sacrifice" of Uprising participants.[15]
Several memorial gates stand on the grounds. At the entrance is the Gate of Democracy, which contains a visitor guestbook. The Gate Cherishing the Memory of the Deceased stands approximately three stories high. The Gateway to History contains historic photographs and video documentaries.[15]
Numerous statues honor Uprising victims and express hope for peace and justice, including the Bronze Statue of Armed Resistance and the Statue of a Peaceful and Prosperous World. A series of relief sculptures titled "Seven Scenes From History" depicts the history of resistance to oppression in Korea.[15]