Media Home
UN Web TV
UN Audiovisual Library
UN PhotoOHCHR / SOUTH KOREA NATIONAL CEMETERY
STORY: OHCHR / SOUTH KOREA NATIONAL CEMETERY
TRT: 03:14
SOURCE: OHCHR
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 14 MAY 2026, GWANGJU, SOUTH KOREA
1. Various shots, UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk participating in a ceremony at the May 18th National Cemetery in Gwangju
2. Various shots, Türk with performing ceremony with incense at shrine
3. Various shots, Türk in the cemetery in front of tombstones
4. Various shots, Türk in a mausoleum with pictures of the victims
5. Various shots, Türk addressing the press
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights:
“The Gwangju Cemetery stands as a very powerful site of remembrance. And we must never forget the sacrifice of those who are honoured here, and that of so many other people around the world who continue to pay the ultimate price in the search for freedom, in the search for a better world, and in advocating for a fairer, better and more just and equitable world for all of us.”
7. Wide shot, reporters
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights:
“These memorials reflect a deeper spirit of the universal struggle for freedom against oppression and for peace, and they preserve our collective memory. They remind us that we should never take human rights for granted.”
9. Various shots, Türk signing visitors’ book
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: “Especially now when we see so many geopolitical tensions and so many conflicts around the world. And democratic backsliding is an extremely important reminder that sustainable peace must be grounded in victims’ rights to truth, to justice, to reparations and guarantees of non-recurrence. And this must be non-negotiable.”
11. Various shots, a group of visitors at the shrine
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on Thursday (14 May) visited the May 18 National Cemetery in Gwangju, South Korea. The cemetery also stands as memorial for the victims of the May 18 Democratic Uprising, honoring those who sacrificed their lives for democracy in the Republic of Korea.
“The Gwangju Cemetery stands as a very powerful site of remembrance,” Türk told reporters at the site. “And we must never forget the sacrifice of those who are honoured here, and that of so many other people around the world who continue to pay the ultimate price in the search for freedom, in the search for a better world, and in advocating for a fairer, better and more just and equitable world for all of us,” he added.
The May 18 Democratisation Movement (1980) was pivotal 10-day citizen struggle against military rule. Thousands were killed or injured.
The movement paved the way for democratic reforms and ultimately the election in 1997 of President Kim Dae-jung, who later won the Nobel Peace Prize. In 1995, the National Assembly passed a special law enabling prosecution of those responsible; former President Chun and 15 others were arrested on charges of insurrection.
The May 18 Democratization Movement Truth Commission, established in 2019, continues investigating casualties, sexual violence, secret burials, and the chain of command.
“These memorials reflect a deeper spirit of the universal struggle for freedom against oppression and for peace, and they preserve our collective memory. They remind us that we should never take human rights for granted,” the High Commissioner stated.
“Especially now when we see so many geopolitical tensions and so many conflicts around the world. And democratic backsliding is an extremely important reminder that sustainable peace must be grounded in victims’ rights to truth, to justice, to reparations and guarantees of non-recurrence. And this must be non-negotiable,” he said.
The cemetery serves as a key memorial site symbolizing Korea’s democratic movement, and annual commemorations are held each May.
