망월동에 내리는 오월의 비

망월동에 내리는 오월의 비

이팝꽃이 흐드러진
망월동에 비가 내립니다
40년전 그날도 이팝은 꽃을 피워
님의 꽃상여가 되어 주었습니다

이팝꽃 송이송이에 알알이 맺힌 빗방울
모진 세월 떠날 수 없는 님의 영혼처럼
다하지 못한 그날의 진실을
매단 듯 합니다

청춘의 젊음으로 부르짓던 민주의 노래
옳바른 민주주의 꽃피우기위한 님들의 함성
님떠난 불혹에도 그 진실은 왜곡되어
슬픈 넋은 오늘도 오월의 비가되어 울고 웁니다

님들겯 찾을 날 머지 않은 어미는
파뿌리 휘날리며 망월동을 오릅니다
굽은 등에는 젊은 날의 님의 초상화가
아직도 얹혀 있고
죽기전 자식 죽음의 진실을
하늘에 묻습니다

마음의 한으로
겨레의 가슴에 묻힌 님들이여
고맙습니다
감사합니다
이팝꽃처럼 사라진 님들의 영혼앞에
마월동 오월의 비는 눈물로 기도합니다

부디, 편히 영면하소서.

-도연/ 김주화-

May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement

(Hangul: 5·18 광주 민주화 운동;
Hanja: 五– 八光州民主化運動), was
an uprising of Gwangju’s citizens in the city of
Gwangju in South Korea, from May 18
to 27, 1980. Estimates suggest
that up to 606 people may have died.

During this period, Gwangju citizens
took up arms (by robbing local armories and police stations) when local Chonnam University students who were demonstrating against the martial law government were fired upon, killed, raped and beaten by government troops. The uprising ended on May 27, 1980. The event is sometimes called 5·18 (May 18; Hangul: 오일팔; Hanja: 五 – 八; RR: Oilpal), in reference to the date the movement began.

Support or denial of the Gwangju Uprising has long acted as a litmus test between conservative and far right groups and beliefs, and mainstream and progressive sectors of the population. The far right groups have sought to discredit the uprising. One of such arguments point to the fact that it occurred before Chun Doo-hwan officially took office, and so contend that it could not really have been a simple student protest against him that started it; however, Chun Doo-hwan had become the de facto leader of South Korea at that time since coming into power on December 12, 1979, after leading a successful military coup of the previous South Korean government.

During Chun Doo-hwan’s presidency, the authorities defined the incident as a rebellion instigated by Communist sympathizers and rioters.

By 1997, a national cemetery and day of commemoration (May 18), along with acts to “compensate, and restore honor” to victims, were established.

In 2011, 1980 Archives for the May 18th Democratic Uprising against Military Regime located in Gwangju’s city hall were inscribed on the UNESCO Memory of the World Register.

*****

The movie about ‘The Namyoungdong Torture House’
and The Democratization Movement
during the former president Chun Doo-hwan’s Tyranny.