5·18 Movement 'Riots' Ruling Sparks Outcry from May 18 Groups

5·18 groups are strongly protesting a recent appellate court ruling that deemed the characterization of the 5·18 Gwangju Uprising as a 'riot' to be a mere expression of subjective opinion, calling for an immediate appeal by prosecutors.

The three legal organizations representing the 5·18 victims (the Association of Bereaved Families, the Association of Injured Persons, and the Association of Contributors) and the 5·18 Memorial Foundation issued a statement on the 21st, stating, "We cannot accept the court's narrow interpretation of the meaning of disseminating false information about the 5·18 movement based on the constitutional value of 'freedom of expression.'"

The groups argued, "Describing the citizens' resistance against the military coup as a 'riot' reverses the roles of the perpetrators of violence and those who resisted it," and emphasized that the Supreme Court should determine whether the expression is merely an opinion or constitutes the dissemination of false information.

They further pointed out, "The context in which the expression was used and its impact on the victims and their families must be considered."

Regarding the spread of distorted and mocking content about the 5·18 movement on social media platforms like YouTube and Instagram, they stressed, "The judiciary must make a strict judgment considering the overall impact of historical distortion on society."

Previously, on the 16th, the Daegu District Court's Criminal Appellate Division 2-3 (presided over by Lee Sang-kyun) overturned a lower court's ruling that had sentenced a man in his 40s, identified as A, to a fine of 1 million won for violating the Special Act on the 5·18 Gwangju Uprising (dissemination of false information) and acquitted him.

The appellate court explained its ruling of not guilty by stating that the term 'riot' used by A is a polysemous expression that can be interpreted in various ways and is understood as a means of emphasizing his subjective opinion.

* This article has been translated by AI.