"Get out of Gwangju!" Roh Tae-woo's son, who watched the May 18 play, apologizes after citizen protests

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jumi Lee] No Jaeheon, son of former President Roh Tae-woo, faced protests from citizens while watching a play about the May 18 Democratic Movement in Gwangju.

No visited Gwangju for personal reasons and watched the play "One-Eyed Clown - A Promise on a Spring Day" held at Gwangju Art Hall from 7 p.m. on the 25th.

This play is set in Gwangju in May 1980. It is adapted from the autobiographical story of the protagonist Lee Ji-hyun, who lost one eye while participating in the May 18 uprising.

No was reportedly focused on the performance throughout, unable to take his eyes off the stage. He laughed at a scene impersonating former President Roh and applauded at the line "Chun Doo-hwan, step down."

No Jae-heon, son of former President Roh Tae-woo, is bowing his head after watching the play "One-Eyed Clown," which deals with the May 18 Democratic Uprising, at Gwangju Art Hall in Dong-gu, Gwangju on the 25th, in response to criticism coming from some seats in the audience.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the other hand, citizens did not welcome No. After the performance ended, some audience members voiced protests against him.

When Lee, the director of the play, tried to bring No on stage to hear his impressions, shouts such as "Get out of Gwangju!", "Roh Tae-woo's apology comes first," and "Children of the five culprits responsible for the Gwangju massacre" were heard.

Faced with continued protests, No eventually bowed his head, apologized, and left the venue. He said, "Today is a day of remembrance for the May families, and I am sorry for unintentionally causing trouble," adding, "I am grateful just to have been allowed to watch the play."

As he left the venue, No shared his thoughts on the play. He said, "While watching the play, I could not gauge how much I could understand the pain of that day, but I felt a heavy emotion in my heart seeing the artists of Gwangju turning sorrow into beauty, and many people supporting that."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Regarding calls for responsible actions related to uncovering the truth about May 18, he refrained from commenting, saying, "There will be an opportunity to speak next time."

Meanwhile, No visited the National May 18 Democratic Cemetery three times from 2019 until last month. He is the first direct family member of a new military regime leader who oppressed innocent citizens during the uprising period to pay respects there. No’s repeated visits to the cemetery are known to reflect the wishes of former President Roh, who is currently ill.

May 18 organizations, including the May 18 Memorial Foundation, criticized the Roh family’s "show of remorse" as insincere and called for an apology and responsible actions regarding the massacre of citizens in 1980 in statements issued in June last year and this month.

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