10 Editions of the 5·18 Representative Record 'Neomeo Neomeo' Gathered in One Place...

Seoul Archives, Exhibition of Original Author Interview Notes from the 18th to March Next Year

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] The Seoul Archives, under the Seoul Metropolitan Government, will hold a special exhibition where all 10 editions of the representative record of the May 18 Democratic Uprising, "Beyond Death, Beyond the Darkness of the Era" (hereinafter 'Neomeo Neomeo'), including the first edition, can be seen in one place.

The exhibition, opening on the 18th, is part of the 'May Peace Festival,' a 40th-anniversary commemorative project of the May 18 Democratic Uprising jointly hosted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and Gwangju City. It will be held simultaneously as an online exhibition through platforms such as YouTube, Naver TV, and 5·18 TV, and as a limited offline exhibition in line with social distancing measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

'Neomeo Neomeo' is a record compiled from the memories of Gwangju citizens at the time, and this exhibition commemorates and remembers that historic day 40 years ago through about 70 related records concerning the book. From the first edition (1985), which was published without revealing the author's name due to strict surveillance, to the fully revised edition (2017) published 32 years later revealing the actual authors' names and supplemented with additional materials, all 10 editions can be seen together for the first time in one place.

Author Lee Jae-ui's interview notes, who could not reveal his name due to strict surveillance, vividly contain the initial writing plans, research activities, and testimonies of about 40 people related to May 18 whom he met directly in Gwangju at the time.

Through the original article of the international edition of the American current affairs weekly magazine "Newsweek" (June 2, 1980), which was censored and unavailable at the time, records of that day conveyed by blue-eyed witnesses can also be confirmed.

The reading video "Again, Neomeo Neomeo" revives the records of Gwangju in the 1980s through the images and voices of people in 2020. Various citizens reading "Neomeo Neomeo" aloud in the heart of Gwangju and Seoul can be seen.

In the visitor participation space, "Stories of the Future Generation Remembering May 18" introduces the activities of the younger generation who are passing down the history of May 18 in various ways.

Jo Young-sam, director of the Seoul Archives, said, "Remembering and recording not only the past glory but also the wounds and shame is a stepping stone toward the future," adding, "I hope this exhibition will contribute to firmly establishing the May 18 Democratic Uprising, which was both a pain and a new starting point in modern Korean history, beyond Gwangju and beyond borders as a history of justice and human rights."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.