May 18 International Forum for Freedom, Justice, Democracy, Human Rights, and Peace

May 18 and the Responsibility

The May 18 International Forum, the first international academic event organized by the May 18 International Research Institute, will be held at the May 18 Memorial Culture Center and other locations in Gwangju. The first May 18 International Forum inherits the diverse responsibilities of the May 18 Democratic Uprising and promotes the scholarly debate regarding what responsibility is. The May 18 International Research Institute will share the discourse and outcomes of research on the May 18 Democratic Uprising with global citizens.

November 2 (Thursday). Reception and Screening

• Date: November 2, 2023, 14:00–17:30
• Location: Minjoo Hall, 1st Floor, The May 18 Memorial Culture Center
• Reception (14:00–15:00)
  • Opening event, congratulatory remarks, screening of introductory video of the May 18 International Research Institute, etc.
• Screening of the documentary film Good Light, Good Air (2021) and lecture with the audience will follow
  • Synopsis: The film illustrates the occurrences of state violence in the cities of Gwangju (which means “good light”) and Buenos Aires (“good air”). This work invites audiences to reflect on the ongoing memory activism of the victims of state violence and evokes the memories and mourning of state violence of the two resonating historical incidents and their present and future implications.
  • Lecture: Heungsoon Im (documentary filmmaker, winner of the Silver Lion at the Venice Biennale)
  • Moderator: Sohee Kang (Chonnam National University)

November 3 (Friday). International Conference on May 18

• Date: November 3, 2023, 10:00–18:00
• Location: Daedong Hall, 2nd floor, May 18 Memorial Culture Center
• Program

  Keynote speech	10:00–12:00	“What is responsibility?”			Moderator: Youngjin Lee (Kangwon National University)
  		Presentation 1	Tomiyama Ichiro (Doshisha University, Japan) Responsibility as Relationality – Thinking about Violence and afterwards
  		Presentation 2	Sangbong Kim (Chonnam National University) Between the Ethics of Response and the Ethics of Responsibility
  Topic Presentation	13:30–14:40	1. ”Historical Incident and Responsibility”			Moderator: Minhwan Kim (Hanshin University)
  		Presentation 1	Kyungseop Park (research fellow, May 18 International Research Institute) May 18, Responsibility, Justice
  		Presentation 2	David Butterworth (independent researcher, Northumbria University) The Human Rights Foreign Policy of the Carter Administration and Its Application in South Korea
  		Discussant	Jaehyung Kim (Korea National Open University)
  	14:40–14:50	Break
  	14:50–16:00	2. “May 18 and Social Responsibility”			Moderator: Kyungjoo Lee (Inha University)
  		Presentation 3	Hyunjung Kang (Chonnam National University) The Ethical Responsibility of the Martial Law Troops in the May 18 Democratization Movement
  		Presentation 4	Hunjoon Kim (Korea University) Social responsibility Through the Lens of Transitional Justice and May 18
  		Discussants	Kyewon Cho (Korea University), Daesung Jung (Pusan National University)
  	16:00–16:20	Break
  Discussion Forum	16:20–18:00	3. Comprehensive Discussion		Moderator: Kyoungnam Yoo (head of Research Division, May 18 International Research Institute)
  		Discussants	Kyungjoo Lee (Inha University), Minhwan Kim (Hanshin University), Youngjin Lee (Kangwon National University) and all participants

• * The event will provide simultaneous on-site interpretation in English and Japanese.
• * The event will be broadcast live on the official YouTube channel of the May 18 Foundation (channel’s name: The May 18 Foundation). However, live interpretation will not be provided for the YouTube livestream.

November 4일 (Saturday). May 18 Academy Network

• Date: November 4, 2023, 10:00–14:00
• Location: May 18 Liberty Park
• Program: Meeting for May 18 academic network, planning meeting for the 2024 May 18 International Forum, observers’ evaluation meeting, etc.

October 31 (Tuesday) - November 11 (Saturday). <May 18 and Responsibility> A linked archive exhibition

• Date of exhibition: October 31–November 11, 2023
• Location: Exhibition Hall, first basement floor, May 18 Memorial Culture Center
• Theme: May 18 and Responsibility
• Contents of display: Works related to Korean folk art and archival materials that cover the theme, May 18 and responsibility
  *November 2 (Thursday). <May 18 and Responsibility> linked special session
• Date: November 2, 2023, 10:30
• Location: Exhibition Hall, First basement floor, May 18 Memorial Culture Center
• Subject: May 18 and Responsibility in Culture and the Arts
  • Lecture: Sohl Lee (Stony Brook University in New York)
  • Moderator: Taehyun Kim (Hankuk University of Foreign Studies)
  • Talk: Kyungtaek Na (photojournalist), Yongchul Shin (Democracy Park, Busan), Joowan Kang (Roh Moo Hyun Foundation), Jaeseob Han (Videographers’ Solidarity in Gwangju)

For more information, please visit

https://518.org/nsub.jsp?PID=0302&page=&category=&searchText=&searchType=&action=Read&idx=28
For inquiries: +82-62-360-0574 / ksj@518.org