A Hero of May 1980, Yoon Sang-won
Recently, a variety of commemorative events took place in every nook and cranny of Gwangju to honor the memory of May 18 Gwangju Democratic Movement. What is more, the sentiment to recover the good reputations of the demonstrators has been running high, propelled by the Council for the Promotion of Democracy. Nonetheless, it is doubtful that the participants of the ceremonies think about the May 18 Democratic Movement in the true sense of the term. For this reason, it could be meaningful to bring a man, a spiritual symbol of the Pro-democracy Movement, to mind so as to remind us of the true meaning of May.
Amongst many of the fighters for democratization, a hero of March for the Beloved, Yoon Sang-won is being spotlighted these days due to the fact that he stuck to his own views to the last in a hard-fought field. His beautiful life can be summarized as follows.
He was born as the eldest son in Shinlyong-ri, Imgok-myeon, Jeonnam in August, 1950. After he graduated from Salesio High School in Gwangju, he went to Chonnam National University in 1971, majoring in Political Science & International Studies: in fact, he failed two times to enter the university. During his college days, he had been a quite normal undergraduate before he met Kim Sang-hyuk who was an activist student for the political struggle. He was persuaded to join the "Dokseo Club" by Kim; the club aimed to discuss social issues, especially political issues.
After graduation, he came to work for a bank located in Seoul. He was not satisfied with his work and came to a turning point in his life when he met Park Ki-soon. Park had established "Deul-bul Yahak" whose purpose was to protest for the rights of laborers whose human rights may have been infringed upon. After joining the club, he became immersed in the labor movement. In the end, all members of Deul-bul Yahak came to take part in May 18 Movement in 1980. Yoon Sang-won was the spokesman of the club. He desperately devoted himself to notifying the public and foreign cables of the actual conditions in Gwangju. To the last, when he was shot down dead, he cried for democratization. It was he who defended the Provincial Hall to the death. He ended his days at the age of 30.
Yoon Sang-won was fighting for the establishment of democracy in the foremost front. He endeavored to make dreams of democratization come true through self-sacrifice. So, it is our duty to think deeply about what he, along with other democratic activists, did in May, 1980 and what the true meaning of "May 18" is. By doing so, the spirit of democratization can be manifested plainly.