Word: kwangju
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Before the incident, the crowds greeting the Pontiff in cities like Taegu and Pusan as well as Seoul were large and enthusiastic. At Kwangju, site of an antigovernment protest in which at least 183 people died, the Pope was greeted by thunderous applause and cheers from 70,000 who had gathered for a stadium Mass. In his address, John Paul spoke of those "haunted by the memory of the unfortunate events of this place." Throughout his trip, and even during a private meeting with President Chun Doo-Hwan, John Paul pointedly appealed for human rights and the dignity of workers...
...leading opponent of the current military government in South Korea was charged with sedition and sentenced to death earlier this year for his alleged role in the Kwangju uprising. He is awaiting a verdict on an appeal to the South Korean Supreme Court...
...however, when the generals had failed to lift martial law and set a timetable for a transfer of political power to an elected civilian government, violent uprisings erupted in Seoul, Kwangju and other cities. Kim was arrested and indicted on six charges, including the capital crimes of sedition and conspiracy to commit sedition. He denied those charges, insisting that in fact he had pleaded with antigovernment students for restraint. Kim further testified that a plot to overthrow the government would hardly make sense since he had reason to believe he could win the election. In the end, the inciting...
...Kwangju's 800,000 citizens were awakened by the screech of tank treads and the flutter of helicopters flying in assault formations over the city's roofs. Paratroopers armed with machine guns, stun grenades and handguns stormed rebel strongholds in the provincial government offices, the tourist hotel, the local radio station and the city park. The rebels fought back with carbines, pistols and M16 rifles they had seized from government arsenals. But the civilian youths were scarcely a match for the crack airborne troops. In less than two hours the soldiers had secured Kwangju. As the sun rose...
...army assault on Kwangju climaxed a wave of civil turmoil that has shaken the country more seriously than any other in the past two decades. The trouble began three weeks ago, when students in Seoul staged a series of demonstrations. The protests were directed against the martial law that has been in effect ever since the assassination of President Park Chung Hee last October, and against the failure of the weak government of interim President Choi Kyu Hah to produce democratic reforms. The military-backed regime-dominated by the country's emerging strongman, Lieut. General Chun Du Hwan, head...