South Korea in the late 1970s: Between oppression and a yearning for democracy

Abstract

The Gwangju Uprising, also known as the Gwangju Massacre, was a popular uprising in South Korea that took place from May 18-27, 1980. It began as a student protest against the authoritarian government of General Chun Doo-hwan, and the demonstrations were violently suppressed by government forces, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of people. In the late 1970s, South Korea was at a historical crossroads. On the one hand, the country was experiencing rapid economic growth under the authoritarian government of President Park Chung-hee, based on strict centralized planning, large-scale industrialization and repression of civil liberties. However, this “economic miracle” came at a high social cost, as social inequality grew unconscionably, the working class was subjected to harsh labor conditions and political dissent was brutally repressed.