Gwangju Mayor Lee Yong-seop: "Expecting Wise Judgment from the Court in Jeon Du-hwan Trial"

Gwangju City Council: "May This Be a Historic Judgment Restoring the Honor of the Victims..."

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Seon-gang] Lee Yong-seop, Mayor of Gwangju Metropolitan City, stated on the 26th, “I expect a wise judgment from the court in the trial of Jeon Du-hwan, a sinner of history.”

Mayor Lee explained in a statement that day, “The day of historical judgment is just four days away,” adding, “The ‘defendant Jeon Du-hwan,’ who has been on trial for distorting the May history and defaming the late Father Cho Bi-o through his memoirs, will receive the first trial verdict on the 30th.”

He emphasized, “It took as long as 40 years, or as short as 3 years and 7 months, for the truth to come out,” and said, “The right and wrong have already been determined during the trial process. Numerous witnesses are testifying to ‘the truth of that day,’ and Jeon Du-hwan’s shameless attitude, who does not bow his head before the May spirits and the citizens of Gwangju, clearly shows the cruelty of the military boots that trampled innocent citizens in May 1980.”

He continued, “This is the time to set history straight. I hope the court will clearly ascertain the truth and make a wise judgment to punish Jeon Du-hwan, a sinner of history,” adding, “The ‘Jeon Du-hwan trial’ should serve as a precedent to prevent those who distort and belittle the May 18 from ever rising again.”

He further stated, “All truths must be revealed without a single doubt, including who gave the ‘first shooting order’ that aimed guns at innocent citizens during May 18, how many disappeared persons there are, and where they were secretly buried,” and said, “Only by setting history on justice and truth is our living duty.”

The Gwangju Metropolitan Council also expressed, “We hope this will be a historic judgment that punishes those responsible for violating the constitutional history of the Republic of Korea and massacring the citizens of Gwangju, restoring the honor of the victims.”

In a statement that day, the council members emphasized, “Although it has been revealed that Jeon Du-hwan was the actual person responsible for the May 18 massacre, he still consistently denies responsibility, claiming he is unrelated to May 18, and distorts historical facts by denying helicopter shootings.”

They added, “This trial is by no means limited to the defamation trial against the late Father Cho Bi-o personally. It is defamation against the citizens of Gwangju who experienced May 1980 and have lived with its wounds until now, as well as the people who recognize the May 18 Democratic Movement as a proud part of the history of the Republic of Korea.”

They also said, “May 18 is a democratization movement recognized by the government beyond ideology and political factions, and is a proud history of the Republic of Korea registered as a UNESCO Memory of the World,” adding, “Jeon Du-hwan should no longer hide, but now ask for forgiveness and apologize to the citizens of Gwangju and the people for his actions in May 1980 in Gwangju, and receive appropriate punishment as his duty.”

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