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2025 May 18 International Forum to be Held

Discussing the “Crisis of Democracy and Transitional Justice” (Oct. 30 – Nov. 1)

- Critical reflection through South Korean historical rectification since the 1980s and East Asian cases -

The May 18 Memorial Foundation (Chairman Yoon Mok-hyun) will host the 2025 May 18 International Forum for three days, from October 30 (Thursday) to November 1 (Saturday), at Daedong Hall in the May 18 Memorial & Culture Center.

Hosted and organized by the May 18 Memorial Foundation, this year’s forum is themed “Crisis of Democracy and Transitional Justice.” It aims to critically reflect on the historical rectification projects that have been carried out as state-led initiatives in South Korea since the 1980s.

The main forum program will take place on October 31 (Friday):

• Keynote Session: “Intersectionality of State Violence and Gender”
• Session 1: “Critique and Reflection on Korean Transitional Justice”
• Session 2: “Past and Present of East Asian Transitional Justice”
• The sessions will be followed by a comprehensive discussion to deepen the dialogue.

A variety of side events are also scheduled. On October 30, the documentary film <1980 Sabuk> will be screened, followed by a Guest Visit (GV) session. The film covers the Sabuk Incident, which influenced the military junta's decision to expand emergency martial law nationwide in early 1980. On November 1, a field trip to major historical sites of the May 18 Democratization Movement will be conducted.

The forum will feature prominent domestic and international scholars, including Kim Eun-shil (Professor Emeritus at Ewha Womans University), Kim Heon-jun (Professor at Korea University), Seo Ji-won (Professor at Seoul National University), and Peng Jen-yu (Research Fellow at Academia Sinica, Taiwan). These experts will examine the gendered aspects of state violence and engage in in-depth discussions on transitional justice in Korea and East Asia from political, social, and cultural perspectives.

Through this academic event, the May 18 Memorial Foundation seeks to critically examine the institutional aspects of historical rectification efforts pursued since the late 1980s and explore new directions for realizing transitional justice by comparing various East Asian cases. Furthermore, the Foundation expects the forum to establish itself as a platform for exploring the current status and future potential of Korean democracy—including the spirit of May 18, human rights, and peace—while expanding the discourse of May 18 research through active exchange among domestic and international researchers.