This work juxtaposes the various forms of mediation from one historical event according to the linear timeline. The public memory of the incident is formed and molded with mediated images and languages.

In May 1980, there was a student massacre in Kwangju, South Korea, by the military government backed up by the U.S government.

Right after the incident, the government prohibited showing the image from the incident, picture, film, and video or even mentioning it publicly until 1997, when the military regime had ended.

The government arrested a considerable number of the student protestors, tortured them, and tried to uproot the protest groups from South Korea.  The total number of arrested students rose to a massive number.

When the military regime ended, they burned the document about this incident for several nights.  

Because the government intercepted information, most South Koreans misunderstood this incident. Even after the information released by the new government, people’s impression of the incident didn’t easily subvert since the old image created a strong image in the people. As time passed, the incident's importance became weaker than it was at the time. However, since the government pressure for the incident was released, it started to make an appearance in public media in various forms.

Here I could see the historical tragic event became popularized yet it’s form is consumptive melodrama, which is historicized and nostalgic at the same time.

<Various mediation in relation to the incident according to timeline>

1.“Kwangjoo is impeaching” (1980, Documentary/ Film, 20min)
“Kwanju is impeaching” (20min) was made by North Korean institution in Japan in 1980. In the North Korean community in Japan, this documentary film was shown right after the incident and praised as a very important film.

2. “Kwangju Democratic Uprising” (late 1990’s, Documentary/ Video)
This was made by South Korean democratic foundation in late 1990's. The related document was released by the government in 1997. It was 17 years after the incident. The original format was CD-ROM.

3. “Sandglass” (1995, TV Soap Opera, [not included in this work])
It is a Soap Opera program by South Korean TV station broadcasted in 1995. The background of the story is 1980 political turmoil including Kwangjoo student incident. This program was popular in South Korea at that time and average audience rating was 47.8% of total population of South Korea.

4.“Pepper Mint Candy” (2000, Film/ Drama, 130min)
It is a film made by Changdon-Lee in 2000. The protagonist was a soldier at the incident. He was serving as mandatory service obliged to every Korean man. He injured his foot and accidentally killed a schoolgirl. After the event, his life begins to degrade as he suicide in the end.

5. “5th Republic” (2005, TV Soap Opera, )
The Soap Opera, “The 5th Republic” was broadcasted in South Korea from April to September 2005 on MBC (Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation.)
In this part, the whole events of Kwangjoo massacre are dramatized and woven as popularized version, based on actual event and person. This was the first time, popular TV station made a video drama about Kwangju student massacre.

6. “ Splended Vacation” (2007, Film/ Drama,118 min) [not included in this work])
It is the first commercial narrative film focusing on the May 18 student massacre.