Gwangju Then and Now
From History Notes by Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective
September 17, 2025 · 7 min
About this episode
This episode discusses the historical significance of Gwangju as a center of civil resistance in South Korea since the May 1980 military crackdown.
Gwangju, a major city in southwestern South Korea, has beenwidely recognized as a center of civil resistance since May 1980, when a brutal military crackdown targeted citizens protesting against dictatorship. Written by Hieyoon Kim. Narration by Dr. Nicholas B.Breyfogle. Video production by Hannah Keller, Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle, and Laura Seeger. A transcript is available at https://origins.osu.edu/read/gwangju-isnt-over . This is a production of Origins: Current Events inHistorical Perspective at the Goldberg Center in the Department of History at The Ohio State University and the Department of History at Miami University. Be sure to subscribe to our channel to receive updates about our videos and podcasts. For more information about Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective , please visit origins.osu.edu . Learn More About Gwangju: Human Acts by Han Kang, translated by Deborah Smith https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/536652/human-acts-by-han-kang/ Mirror Nation by Don Mee Choi https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/violence-repeated-on-don-mee-chois-mirror-nation/ Gwangju uprising: the rebellion for democracy inSouth Korea. Edited by Hwang Sok-yong, Lee Jae-eui…
People in this episode
Host: Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle
Topics covered
- Gwangju
- civil resistance
- South Korea
- democracy
- military crackdown
- historical perspective
Keywords
- Gwangju
- civil resistance
- South Korea
- democracy
- military crackdown
- Hieyoon Kim
- Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective, Goldberg Center, Department of History at The Ohio State University, Department of History at Miami University
Books & works: Human Acts, Mirror Nation, Gwangju uprising: the rebellion for democracy in South Korea
Places: South Korea, Gwangju
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