Gwangju Uprising by Hwang Sok-yong

Gwangju Uprising

The Rebellion for Democracy in South Korea

Hwang Sok-yong, Lee Jae-Eui, Jeon Yong-Ho

Verso Books · Print & ebook · May 17, 2022

The essential account of the South Korean 1980 pro-democracy rebellion On May 18, 1980, student activists gathered in the South Korean city of Gwangju to protest the coup d’état and the martial law government of General Chun Doo-hwan.

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Who it’s for
An account of Gwangju’s 1980 uprising, compiled from eyewitness testimonies and placed in political context.
Genres
Korean History, Human Rights, Civil Rights
Published
Verso Books, May 17, 2022

About this book

The essential account of the South Korean 1980 pro-democracy rebellion On May 18, 1980, student activists gathered in the South Korean city of Gwangju to protest the coup d’état and the martial law government of General Chun Doo-hwan. The security forces responded with unmitigated violence. Over the next ten days hundreds of students, activists, and citizens were arrested, tortured, and murdered.

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The events of the uprising shaped over a decade of resistance to the repressive South Korean regime and paved the way for the country’s democratization. This fresh translation by Slin Jung of a text compiled from eyewitness testimonies presents a gripping and comprehensive account of both the events of the uprising and the political situation that preceded and followed the violence of that period. Included is a preface by acclaimed Korean novelist Hwang Sok-yong. Gwangju Uprising is a vital resource for those interested in East Asian contemporary history and the global struggle for democracy.

Gwangju Eyewitnesses

An account of Gwangju’s 1980 uprising, compiled from eyewitness testimonies and placed in political context.

Come here for

  • Eyewitness testimonies of the May 1980 uprising
  • Political context before and after the violence

Expect

  • Events across the uprising’s ten days
  • A fresh translation by Slin Jung

Where it sits

Korean History96%
Civil Rights28%
Human Rights25%

Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.

Publisher categories

  • Korean History
  • Human Rights
  • Asian Politics
Authors
Hwang Sok-yong, Lee Jae-Eui, Jeon Yong-Ho
Publisher
Verso Books
Published
May 17, 2022
Format
Print & ebook
Reading lane
Korean History