E2024-G081
UNESCO Human Rights Documentary Heritage Archives
Narrative
The former Gwangju Catholic Center building, built in 1976, was a witness to the May 18 Democratic Uprising, being located on Geumnam-ro Road where citizens gathered in protest. In 2015, the building was reopened as the 5.18 Archives, having been remodeled to house the collection of documents from the uprising listed on the UNESCO Memory of the World Register in May 2011.
The official name for the UNESCO-inscribed collection is “Human Rights Documentary Heritage 1980 Archives for the May 18th Democratic Uprising against Military Regime, in Gwangju.” The collection includes 4,271 volumes of books, some 858,900 pages of documents, 2,017 film cuts, and 1,733 photos and is divided into nine categories: documents provided by government offices; court martial records of the May 18 Uprising and Kim Dae-jung insurrection case; primary documents such as citizens' statements, declarations, diaries, and journalists’ notes; black and white films and photographs; citizens’ testimonies after the Uprising; hospital records of the victims; the Minutes of the Special Fact-finding Committee on May 18 Democratic Uprising Investigation by the National Assembly; records of government compensation for the victims; and declassified U.S. government documents on the May 18 Uprising. The collection was inscribed to the register due to its significance in playing a pivotal role not only in the democratization of South Korea but also for influencing other countries in Asia to follow in Korea’s footsteps on the path toward democracy.
The archives have several exhibition halls, an auditorium and seminar room, and library. The area of Geumnam-ro Road in front of the former Gwangju Catholic Center was also designated as Gwangju Historic Site No. 4, under the name “The Road of Resistance, Geumnam-ro.”
Network Graph
Resources
| type | resource | title | description/caption | URL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 해설 | UNESCO | Human Rights Documentary Heritage 1980 Archives for the May 18th Democratic Uprising against Military Regime, in Gwangju, Republic of Korea | https://www.unesco.org/en/memory-world/human-rights-documentary-heritage-1980-archives-may-18th-democratic-uprising-against-military-regime |
Story Map
- May 18 Legacy: Voices of Democracy and Remembrance
- UNESCO Human Rights Documentary Heritage Archives
- Chonnam National University: Where the Call for Democracy Began
- Witness to History: The Jeonil Building and Former Jeollanam-do Provincial Office
- Remembrance through Revitalization: Jeonil Building 245 and Democracy Square
- Tales from the Outside: Foreign Witnesses’ Accounts of the May 18 Democratic Uprising
- The Role of Catholic Leaders in the May 18 Democratic Uprising
- The Role of the YWCA in the May 18 Democratic Uprising
- Representing the People in the May 18 Democratic Uprising: The Citizen Emergency Headquarters
