Veterans Affairs Office Uploads and Then Deletes 5·18 Photos from 'Martial Law Troops' Perspective'

The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs deleted a photo included in an SNS campaign related to the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement after controversy arose over the photo being viewed from the perspective of the martial law troops.

On the 18th, the Ministry posted several photos on its official SNS accounts such as Twitter, showing scenes of Geumnam-ro in Gwangju and the Jeonnam Provincial Office in 1980 under the theme "The Past, Present, and Future of May 18."

On the 18th, through SNS accounts like Twitter and Facebook, the Ministry posted a poster featuring a photo capturing the standoff between Gwangju citizens and martial law troops during the Gwangju Democratization Movement, with the phrase "May 18 Democratization Movement Memorial Day, the May Spirit that steadfastly upheld the values of liberal democracy and human rights."

In response, Park Yong-jin, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, criticized on Facebook, "Do we really have to see such a photo, where the martial law troops are the main characters, as the image commemorating May 18 by the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs in today's Republic of Korea in 2023?"

Following repeated criticisms that the photo was inappropriate, the Ministry promptly deleted the problematic photo.

The Ministry stated, "The intention was to show several cuts of photos related to May 18 and to overcome the painful history of the past, protect liberal democracy and human rights, and move toward future integration. However, no matter how good the purpose and intention were, if even one bereaved family member of May 18 or a single citizen feels uncomfortable, it cannot convey a good meaning. We will pay close attention to fully respecting the will of the citizens."

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