A South Korean Apology

A 27-year-old apologizes for the massacre led by his grandfather.

On May 18, 1980, paratroopers under the control of General Chun Doo-hwan tortured, beat, and killed hundreds of pro-democracy activists in Gwangju, South Korea. The activists were protesting Chun's coup and declaration of martial law, as well as nearly two decades of authoritarian rule by his predecessor. On May 18, 2023, 27-year-old Chun Woo-won, pictured bowing, met with survivors to apologize for his grandfather's initiation of the Gwangju Massacre.