First published 2022
On May 18, 1980, student activists fill the streets of Gwangju to challenge General Chun Doo-hwan's military coup. What begins as protest becomes something far more dangerous when security forces answer with brutal violence. Over ten days, hundreds of students, activists, and ordinary citizens face arrest, torture, and death. The city transforms into a battleground where young people must choose between safety and resistance. Hwang Sok-yong builds this account from eyewitness testimonies, creating a vivid record of those who stood against South Korea's repressive regime. The uprising becomes a catalyst that shapes a decade of resistance and ultimately paves the way for the country's move toward democracy in the 1990s. This is the story of ordinary people who refused to surrender their hopes for freedom.
Genres: historical-fiction, political-thriller, social-justice, activism
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: ordinary-people, resistance
Setting: Gwangju, South Korea
Period: 1980
560 pages · Paperback · Verso Books
Content warnings: torture, violence