Gwangju Uprising distortion content prevalent despite punishment law

“With the 46th anniversary of the May 18 Gwangju Uprising falling on Monday, false claims about the pro-democracy movement, including claims that it was a riot or involved North Korean troops, continue to circulate online. According to the May 18 Foundation Sunday, it found 5,182 posts, comments and videos distorting or denigrating the uprising between February and November last year, up roughly 200 percent from the same period a year earlier. The uprising erupted in the southwestern city of Gwangju in 1980, when citizens stood up against the imposition of martial law extended nationwide by the military junta led by Chun Doo-hwan, who would become president later that year. The crackdown left hundreds dead or missing, and it has since been recognized as a pivotal moment in Korea's long road to democratization. Decades later, however, the uprising remains a target of online distortion among far-right circles. By platform, DC Inside — the largest Korean online forum — accounted for more than half of all cases with 2,677, followed by Naver News with 1,028 and Ilbe, a far-right online fo

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