Journal for the Study of Religion and History (ISSN: 3068-4803)

No. 4 (2026): Advance Online Publication: JSRH
一般论文

The May 18 Gwangju Popular Uprising and the Activities of the Korean Catholic Church: From the 1980 Gwangju Uprising to the 1987 June Democratic Uprising

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  • Hyeyoung NOH

已出版 2026-11-12

关键词

  • May 18 Gwangju Popular Uprising, Korean Catholic Church, prophetic mission, new military junta, June Democratic Uprising, state and religion, democratization movement
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The May 18 Gwangju Popular Uprising and the Activities of the Korean Catholic Church: From the 1980 Gwangju Uprising to the 1987 June Democratic Uprising. (2026). Journal for the Study of Religion and History (ISSN: 3068-4803), 4, 98–133. https://doi.org/10.30250/

摘要

This study examines the social role and prophetic mission fulfilled by the Korean Catholic Church during and after the May 18 Gwangju Popular Uprising of 1980, analyzing its profound impact on the South Korean democratization movement. Although the Catholic Church, awakened to social issues following the Second Vatican Council, had grown into an axis of resistance during the 1970s, it initially exposed the limitations of an institutional church and showed signs of helplessness during the early stages of the uprising in the face of the brutal suppression by the new military junta. However, centered around the priests of the Archdiocese of Gwangju and the Diocese of Jeonju, the Church progressively put its prophetic mission into practice against state violence through acts such as participating in the Citizens’ Settlement Measures Committee, undertaking the “March of Death” to prevent further bloodshed, and organizing movements after the suppression to expose the truth and support detainees (e.g., Monday Masses and Prayer Meetings on the Current Situation). Notably, the 1982 Busan US Cultural Center Arson Incident marked a critical turning point; faced with the arrest of Father Benedictus Choi Ki-sik, the Church proclaimed to society that the legitimacy of a priest’s conscience and pastoral practice supersedes the standards of positive law. Fueled by this incident and intertwined with sustained efforts to “visualize the truth” of the May 18 uprising (via photo exhibitions, the distribution of video media, and publications), the Church gradually established itself as a mass-oriented, active focal point of the anti-government struggle. Ultimately, the exposure of the fabricated truth regarding the torture and death of Park Jong-cheol during the 7th-anniversary memorial Mass for the Gwangju Uprising at Myeongdong Cathedral in 1987 served as the decisive catalyst for the June Democratic Uprising. In conclusion, this study reveals that the Gwangju Popular Uprising served as a historical watershed, transforming the Korean Catholic Church into a proactive agent that spearheaded the nation’s democratization by refusing to remain silent against state violence and bearing the cross in profound solidarity with the grassroots minjung.

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参考文献

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