Interview with Song Seon-tae: Head of the May 18 Democratization Movement Truth Commission
Interview by Dr. Shin Gyonggu
The indebtedness of the survivors of May 18 should not be trapped by inaction but rather spurred into action to give back. The dedication of the survivors has managed to reveal the truth of the uprising with the help of national and international organizations, as well as activists and even non-activists. The Gwangju News has covered many involved with May 18, including Lee Jae-eui, who confessed that he was not brave enough to face the paratroopers at the last moment of the Uprising. But he produced the first full description of the uprising in 1985 under the title of Kwangju Diary: Beyond Death, Beyond the Darkness of the Age. It was one of the most epoch-shaping documents germane to the development of democratic movements in the 1980s. The Gwangju News also interviewed Mrs. Martha Huntley, widow of the late Reverend Charles Betts Huntley, who was not an activist in any sense. She in fact advised people not to join the resistance during the Uprising. But Mrs. Huntley and her late husband were busy helping the wounded and protecting fugitives during the Uprising. She also became an objective and convincing witness to the community spirit of the citizens and the atrocities of the military regime. The Gwangju News is again privileged to invite one of the survivors of the May 18 Movement, Song Seon-tae, who is leading the May 18 Truth Commission, an organization generally recognized as the last and most comprehensive truth-finding effort at the government level.
Dr. Shin Gyonggu: Thank you for taking the time to do this interview. Would you tell us about your experiences in the May 18 Uprising? How did these experiences change your life?
Song Seon-tae: I have not been able to live my life apart from the May 18 Democratization Movement. My entire life has been dominated by the sense of indebtedness, responsibility, and duty toward the victims of the Movement. And as a person who was responsible for planning the early stages of the May 18 Movement, I will devote the rest of my life to the truth, memory, and heritage of the Movement.
Dr. Shin Gyonggu: Could you please share a particularly important and personal anecdote from your experiences during the May 18 Uprising?
Song Seon-tae: We had plans to organize second and third backup student bodies in case the main uprising leadership got dismantled. However, when everything happened, all communication was lost and there was no way that I could contact my friends. So, I had no choice but to leave Gwangju in shame. I was like an arsonist who had set fire to the hearts of citizens of Gwangju and fled.
Dr. Shin Gyonggyu: What has been one of your most significant achievements as the head of the Truth Commission?
Song Seon-tae: Unfortunately, there are provisions in the law which forbid disclosure of the commission’s works before the final report is approved by the all-member committee. But I can tell you that we have made important progress in various unresolved issues.
Dr. Shin Gyonggu: What is the most difficult part in investigating the May 18 Uprising more than forty years after the fact?
Song Seon-tae: Closed hearts and minds of those who were responsible for the atrocity and members of the martial law forces who had participated in the operation. Many of them are still remaining silent despite the final verdict by the Supreme Court. Also, we have to cope with systematically destroyed, distorted, and falsified documents.
Dr. Shin Gyonggu: When doing research about the Uprising, how do you reach final conclusions about what happened when there are differing accounts of what occurred?
Song Seon-tae: When we talk about the truth of the May 18th Movement, it is a mixture of legal, narrative, social, and restorative truths. Based on this fundamental concept, the Commission will reconstitute a comprehensive picture of the event and prove it inductively. When faced with a lack of evidence, we would rather declare the case “unsolved” than jump to premature conclusions or make any logical leaps.
Dr. Shin Gyonggu: Please tell us about some of the Truth Commission’s biggest successes since its inauguration.
Song Seon-tae: The Commission is investigating 21 cases defined by the law and 201 submitted cases. The 21 cases are again divided into 325 sub-cases. We are doing our best despite being understaffed and under difficult circumstances.
I cannot disclose details here since the cases are yet to be concluded. But I can tell you that we are getting closer to the truth in 1) an order to open fire, 2) activities of Defense Security Command Commander Chun Doo-hwan, who is believed to be directly involved in invoking “self-defence rights” and the final suppression of the Movement, 3) atrocities committed against civilians, 4) the operation of a “body disposal unit,” and 5) false claims of North Korean army infiltration during the May 18 Movement.
Dr. Shin Gyonggu: Do you have an any newly found information regarding the May 18 Movement that may be different from what is generally understood?
Song Seon-tae: Until now, killings by the martial law forces had been believed to be a result of an excessive suppression of demonstrations. However, now we know that it was an unbelievable act of crimes against humanity. Exactly 116 out of 131 gunshot deaths – that is 89 percent – were the result of gunshots to the upper torso. The martial law forces opened fire indiscriminately on unarmed citizens, passersby, children, and the elderly. Also, we are receiving a series of testimonies about missing bodies during the cordoning operation. We have acquired statements from 54 former members of martial law forces that at least 50 bodies were secretly buried or had been disappeared around checkpoints along Gwangju-Hwasun and Gwangju-Mokpo roads and in the vicinity of the former Gwangju Prison.
Dr. Shin Gyonggu: How does the Truth Commission promote reconciliation among the parties involved?
Song Seon-tae: Last year, a former airborne trooper met with the family of Mr. Park, whom he had shot and killed, to confess and ask for forgiveness. Mr. Park’s family and the trooper hugged each other and they altogether burst into tears. This touching event showed us that there can be further forgiveness and reconciliation with confessing the truth.
Dr. Shin Gyonggu: Does the Truth Commission have any recommendations about how to care for victims traumatized by the events of May 18?
Song Seon-tae: A court process is underway regarding compensation for psychological damage resulting from the Movement. The Commission aims to promote restorative justice that can heal both the victims and the assailants, as well as the community as a whole, even after the legal compensation is made. We will adopt a National Report recommending psychological trauma care and restoration of honor to the government so people can reconcile based on the truth found by the Commission.
Dr. Shin Gyonggu: What advice would you give to the anti-military activists against the Myanmar military regime in terms of keeping evidence of the crimes committed by the regime?
Song Seon-tae: People of Myanmar must conduct a confidential citizen’s movement to acquire evidence of major human rights violations and crimes against humanity committed by the military government. Also, vigilance against the distortion or destruction of evidence should be conducted with the help of international human rights bodies. A nationwide movement of parrhesia between the victims and assailants must be promoted. Lastly, I would like to emphasize the importance of records and testimonies before they disappear in diverse ways because these promote domestic and international solidarity for the democratization of Myanmar and establish an important foundation for historical victory.
The Interviewer
Dr. Shin Gyonggu has served the Gwangju International Center (GIC) as its volunteer director since it started in 1999. He is proud to lead the GIC as a model of a democratic but efficient organization through self-directed staff members. While teaching at Chonnam National University, he served the university in various functions including Language Center Director and International Dean among others. Email: ggshin at gic.or.kr