Restoration of Honor for Deceased Defendant in Democratization Protest...Prosecutors Rule 'Not Guilty'

A deceased person who became a suspect for protesting in relation to the May 18 Democratic Movement has had their honor restored after 43 years.

On the 24th, the Criminal Division 5 of the Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Lee Byung-joo) announced that it received the case, which had been deferred prosecution in 1980 related to the May 18 Gwangju Democratic Movement, from the military prosecution and ruled it as 'not a crime.'

This case involved suspect A, a university student around the time just before the May 18 Gwangju Democratic Movement, who was arrested by the military prosecution on charges of violating the martial law by participating in protests and group activities in university classrooms from March to May 1980 (violation of the proclamation order), but was released and had the prosecution deferred by the military prosecution about 20 days later.

The prosecution stated that since this was a legitimate act opposing crimes that destroy the constitutional order, they made the decision of 'not a crime' to restore the deceased's honor.

The bereaved family applied for reopening the case last August to restore A's honor, and the military prosecution, which took over the investigation again, transferred the case to the Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office in September last year.

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