May 18 Witness 'Dolinger' Named Honorary Citizen of Yeongam

Memoir Fund Established to Support May 18 Victims’ Families

Last year, Mr. Dolinger visited Yeongam and shared his testimony of the Gwangju Uprising during the May 18 Democratic Movement commemorative ceremony, meeting with the residents. Photo provided by Yeongam County

Yeongam County in South Jeolla Province has selected a foreign witness, who helped reveal the truth of the May 18 Democratic Movement to the world, as an honorary citizen.

The county announced that it has chosen David Dolinger (Korean name: Im Dae-un), known as the “blue-eyed citizen soldier” during the May 18 Democratic Movement, as an honorary citizen of Yeongam.

Mr. Dolinger was dispatched to the Yeongam County Public Health Center as a Peace Corps volunteer in 1978, where he contributed to improving local residents’ health by providing medical services such as managing tuberculosis patients. It was during this period that he received the Korean name “Im Dae-un” and formed a connection with Yeongam.

Notably, during the May 18 Democratic Movement in 1980, he worked in Gwangju as an interpreter for the citizen militia and monitored martial law radio transmissions. He directly witnessed the brutality of state violence and is recognized for bringing these events to international attention. By serving as interpreter for the late martyr Yoon Sang-won’s press conference with foreign correspondents, he played a crucial role in conveying the citizens’ resistance to the world.

His ties with the county continue to this day. Last year, Mr. Dolinger visited Yeongam, where he shared his experiences from that time at the May 18 Democratic Movement Memorial Ceremony and reconnected with the residents.

In his book “My Name is Im Dae-un,” he described Mount Wolchul as “a spiritual place where I reflected on myself and planned my future,” and expressed his deep affection for Yeongam, even requesting that part of his remains be interred there after his death.

After publishing his memoir, he established a fund to support those recognized for their service during the May 18 Democratic Movement and their families, continuing his efforts to promote the values of democracy and human rights.

Park Youngha, Director of the Yeongam County Division of Autonomous Administration, stated, “Mr. David Dolinger not only contributed to the advancement of public health in Yeongam, but also to the progress of democracy and human rights in South Korea. Honoring him as an honorary citizen, in recognition of his view of Yeongam as his spiritual home, will be a source of pride for our community.”

Meanwhile, the honorary citizenship proposal was finalized after being approved at the Yeongam County Council’s plenary session on the 23rd.

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