Gwangju Uprising 1980: South Korea's Bloody May for Democracy

In May 1980, the South Korean city of Gwangju rose up against the newly installed military dictator Chun Doo-hwan. What began as student protests turned into a city-wide uprising as citizens armed themselves, formed a militia, and held their city for ten days. The military's brutal crackdown left hundreds dead and thousands wounded. This episode pieces together the ten-day siege: the spark at Chonnam National University, the taxi drivers turned couriers, the makeshift radio station broadcasting hope, and the final assault by the Black Berets. We explore the immediate cover-up, the survivors' long fight for truth, and how Gwangju's ghost became the moral engine of South Korea's democracy movement—from the June Struggle to the Candlelight Revolution. A story of ordinary people who, for ten days, created a self-governing city, and whose sacrifice shaped the nation's conscience.

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