“The Gwangju Massacre” and the tragic memories that martial law evokes in South Korea
“Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We do not transmit it to our children in the bloodstream. The only way they will inherit it is if we fight for it.” South Koreans have internalized this phrase from the late United States President Ronald Reagan. Thus, on the night of December 3, just minutes after President Yoon Suk Yeol appeared on your television screens announcing the imposition of martial law under the excuse of “crushing the anti-state forces” that sympathize with the archenemy North Korea, thousands of citizens rushed towards the headquarters of the National Assembly to express their disagreement with the measure. This despite the imposing presence of armed soldiers.Many of the protesters did not even wait for opposition lea...
