Siblings of 5·18 Victims Also Eligible to Join Public Law Organizations

'5·18 Minju Yugongja Yewoo Act Amendment' Passed by the National Assembly's Political Affairs Committee

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Yoon Jamin] Min Hyung-bae, a member of the National Assembly (Democratic Party of Korea·Gwangju Gwangsan-gu Eul), announced that the "Amendment to the Act on the Treatment of 5·18 Democratic Merit Recipients" passed the National Assembly's Judiciary Committee on the 27th.

The amendment includes provisions allowing siblings of the victims of the 5·18 Gwangju Democratization Movement to join the 5·18 public law organizations.

The supplementary provisions include transitional measures that current members of existing 5·18-related corporations (5·18 Democratization Movement Injured Association, Detained Injured Association, Democratic Merit Recipients' Families Association) are regarded as having membership qualifications for the newly established public law organizations.

There had been criticism that siblings of 5·18 victims active in the three organizations were not legally recognized as bereaved families and thus could not be acknowledged as members of the new public law organizations.

Once the amendment is approved by the plenary session of the National Assembly, a legal basis will be established for siblings of victims, such as those in the 5·18 Democratic Merit Recipients' Families Association, to become members of public law organizations.

Assemblyman Min said, "It is fortunate that the issue where siblings of merit recipients without direct descendants, who have worked hard for the truth-finding of 5·18, could not even become members of public law organizations, can now be resolved," adding, "We will also strive to resolve the introduction of livelihood support payments (living adjustment allowance), which was not passed this time, soon."

Meanwhile, four amendment bills to the "Act on Compensation for Persons Related to the 5·18 Democratization Movement," which Assemblyman Min sponsored, were also included in the committee alternative at the first subcommittee of the Administrative Safety Committee on the same day.

The alternative added "sexual violence victims, wanted/arrested/detained persons," etc., to the scope of persons related to the 5·18 Gwangju Democratization Movement. It also established special provisions allowing criminal compensation claims for 5·18-related persons who were acquitted or failed to apply for criminal compensation in time. A basis for national budget support for the operation of the 5·18 Memorial Foundation was also established, and the definition of the 5·18 Democratization Movement was stipulated to be the same as that in the 5·18 Special Act.

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