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"The Drop with Danno" on GFN 광주영어방송 98.7FM in Gwangju & 93.7FM in Yeosu, Korea. An eclectic radio curation of all things musical spanning the spectrum every week. Broadcasting 8-10pm KST nightly.
WITNESSING GWANGJU FINAL DRAFT
CHARACTER LIST
NARRATOR - this is the real Paul Courtright who narrates his story for us.
PAUL (American) - the younger version of Paul Courtright, played by an actor. He is from Boise, Idaho and is in his late twenties. He is passionate about working with leprosy patients in Korea and has committed himself to his role as a Peace Corps Volunteer.
Mr. PARK (Korean) - a shop owner near Hohyewon Village. He is middle aged and kind to Paul.
Mr. KIM (Korean) - the village leader. He is quite stern and tough on the outside, but he does care. He is very business like with Paul usually, but opens up when things start happening in Gwangju. Things have to be done in the right way for him to be happy.
Mrs. MOON (Korean) - a local woman who does Paul’s laundry and sometimes gives him food. She cares about Paul’s welfare and is a bit like a disapproving mother, wanting him to eat right, be healthy and stay safe.
BUS STATION WOMAN 1 (Korean) - just an ordinary passer by. Can be young to middle aged. Frightened and concerned.
BUS STATION WOMAN 2 (Korean) - just an ordinary passer by. Can be young to middle aged. Frightened and concerned and very upset.
BUS STATION MAN 1 (Korean) - just an ordinary passer by. Can be young to middle aged. Angry and concerned.
BUS STATION SOLDIER (Korean) - a young man who is in too deep and just severely injured someone for no good reason. He is very defensive and angry, takes out his anger on the crowd.
ERIK (American)- a young man in his early twenties working as a Peace Corps volunteer. He has experienced the demos in Gwangju first hand, seeing people die in front of him. He doesn’t know how to process what he has seen or what to do.
BUS DRIVER (Korean) - a middle aged man from Gwangju. He’s just trying to do his job and also wants to keep his passengers safe.
AJUMEONI (Korean) - Tim’s landlady. She’s kind and friendly and very used to Americans. She’s a surrogate mother of sorts to the volunteers, but also fiercely protective of her son Okjin.
OKJIN (Korean) - The Ajumeoni’s son, he is in his late teens/early twenties and is a university student. He has got caught up in the protests. He is a little shy around the Americans.
TIM (American) - a young Peace Corps volunteer in his late twenties from Brainerd, Minnesota. He is a natural leader and perhaps the bravest of the volunteers (along with Dave). He has experienced the demos and the violence first hand and wants to help however he can.
JUDI (American) - a young woman in her late twenties serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer. She keeps her ear to the ground and is always trying to find out what is going on. She is more level headed than Paul, Dave or Tim.
SOLDIERS (Korean) - young Korean men, angry and frightened and trying not to show it.
POST OFFICE CROWD (Korean) - a mixture of young, middle aged and old, male and female. Ordinary Gwangju citizens angry at the military.
POST OFFICE STAFF (Korean) - a young woman working at the post office counter.
POST OFFICE CROWD 1 (Korean) - an older man, angry at the violence.
POST OFFICE CROWD 2 (Korean) - a scared younger man.
POST OFFICE CROWD 3 (Korean) - a middle aged woman, angry and upset.
POST OFFICE POLICE OFFICER 1 (Korean) - a middle aged man, tired and hopeless. He feels completely out of control.
HALMEONI (Korean) - an old woman in her late seventies/early eighties. She is frail and her voice is relatively quiet and frail, but her spirit is strong. She wants to spread the word of what has happened in Gwangju.
NAMPYEONG WOMAN (Korean) - an excited and breathless young woman, thrilled that the people are beating the military.
NAMPYEONG MAN (Korean) - an excited and breathless young woman, thrilled that the people are beating the military.
NAMPYEONG LEADER (Korean) - a middle-aged man who is one of the leaders of the local rebellion. He has a commanding presence, but does not need to shout to get his point across.
NAMPYEONG GRANDFATHER (Korean) - an old man who still has a strong spirit and is proud of his people’s stand against the military.
GAGE WOMAN - a middle aged shop owner, who is agitated about a possible military attack.
DAVE (American) - a young Peace Corps volunteer in his late twenties. He is as brave as Tim and passionate about protecting the people of Gwangju.
STUDENT (Korean) - a young male university student in his late teens/early twenties who wants to find out whether America is supporting Chun Doo-hwan.
ROADBLOCK SOLDIER (Korean) - a young man in his early twenties. He is strict and follows the rules to the t. He has no time for anyone trying to sneak bu him. And he doesn’t care if you’re American.
AMBULANCE DRIVER (Korean) - a young university student in his early twenties who is in shock after seeing his friend shot. He is in a speaks softly, but he is very distraught.
DOCTOR (Korean) - a middle aged man who is overworked and yet still putting all his energy into helping the victims in Gwangju.
FATHER (Korean) - a middle aged man who is at the hospital to watch over his son (who has been shot by the military). He is tired, but patient in answering Paul’s questions, though he becomes emotional as he talks about what has happened.
GROUP STUDENT 1 (Korean) - a young man in his early twenties, breathless and worried he speaks quickly.
GROUP STUDENT 2 (Korean) - a young man in his early twenties, frightened and cautious.
GROUP YOUNG WOMAN (Korean) - a young woman in her late twenties, deeply distraught.
GROUP MAN (Korean) - a middle aged man who is angry at the lack of help from America and is a little aggressive in his tone towards Paul.
JIM (American) - in his early thirties, he is the Peace Corps director for Korea. He speaks with confidence and kindness and is also straight to the point.
Paul Courtright - Narrator
Actor 1 (Arlo) - Paul
Actor 2 (Paul Matthew) - Mr. Kim, Dave + Bus Station Man 1, Bus Driver, Post Office Police Officer, Nampyeong Grandfather, Father, Group Man
Actor 3 (이혜원) - Mrs. Moon, Ajumeoni + Bus Station Woman 2, Post Office Crowd 3, Gage Woman
Actor 4 (Michael) - Tim + Mr. Park, Post Office Crowd 1, Nampyeong Leader, Roadblock Soldier, Doctor, Group Student 1, Jim
Actor 5 (Dana) - Judi, Halmeoni + Bus Station Woman 1, Post Office Staff, Nampyeong Woman, Group Young Woman
Actor 6 (Daniel) - Okjin, Erik + Bus Station Soldier, Post Office Crowd 2, Nampyeong Man, Student, Ambulance Driver, Group Student 2
Crowds/Soldiers can be played by various members of the cast.
PART ONE
ANNOUNCER
The Gwangju Foreign Language Network presents Witnessing Gwangju. Written by Paul Matthews and adapted from the memoir by Paul Courtright.
The following drama takes place between May 14th and May 27th 1980.
We hear the sound of a cassette being put into a tape player. The lid closes and then play button is clicked. After a couple of seconds of his we hear James Taylor singing Sleep Come Free Me. The song plays for a few seconds, before fading down and we hear young Paul writing a letter. We hear the scratch of the pen on paper as he tries to compose his thoughts.
PAUL
Dear Mom and Dad, how are things? I got back to Hohyewon village just a few days ago after a couple of weeks touring Korea with the Peace Corps. I was starting to settle back into my usual routine, but something happened in Gwangju over the past few days and I don’t want you to worry, but… I…
The scratch of pen on paper stops.
PAUL
I… I… I can’t. I can’t tell them what happened. I just can’t… But the world has to know…
We hear the sound of Paul tearing up the paper and throwing it down.
Paul grunts in frustration.
Music fades up and then fades out as the narrator starts to speak.
NARRATOR
Why did it take me almost forty years to pull up my notes, letters, and other material and write? I can find many excuses but, simply put, remembering Gwangju was painful and I wanted to get on with my life.
It was not until much later that I realized that the uprising, now referred to as 5.18 (the date of the first massacre), was the birth of the democratic movement in Korea. There are people, far more knowledgeable than I, who have documented the events.
So, why write this memoir? First, I sought to have a narrative of the event that Westerners, particularly Americans, might be interested to read. Second, I realized that I still had unresolved psychological issues that I thought could be addressed by the task of writing this memoir.
Telling my story of 5.18 was important for me—partly to bring some closure to a traumatic period in my life. I hope that, as a foreigner who lived in the area at the time, my story will also help the healing still needed in Gwangju and the surrounding towns and villages. Finally, I hope that Westerners will better appreciate the importance of this event in the history of Korea and Korean-American relations. Korea’s history is intertwined with America’s and the more we learn from both, the better off we all will be in making informed decisions in the future.
It was mid-May, 1980. I was a second-year Peace Corps Volunteer in South Korea. I worked in a tiny leprosy resettlement village called Hohyewon in Jeonnam Province, about thirty minutes from the city of Gwangju. I’d moved to Hohyewon from the small town of Naju, a few months before, to provide care for skin ulcers, manage drug treatments and the immunologic reactions that some patients faced, and provide basic eye care. The health center staff in Naju, where I was based the first half-year of my service, weren’t happy that I moved to the village—they seemed to like having a “round eye” around, likely because I was an oddity. On top of that, they believed I was crazy to trade life in the small town for life in the leprosy village. Life in Hohyewon was more challenging than in Naju, but I’d settled into a manageable routine and my language skills had moved beyond the rudimentary. I only used my Korean name, so everyone in the area knew me as Mr. Ko. I was kept busy and enjoyed my job, but that routine was about to be upended.
My story starts on May 14th, 1980. I’d spent two weeks away in Gangwon. The health education road show for the Peace Corp was done and after a quick stop in Seoul I was going to head back to Hohyewon village. I saw some protests in the city, even witnessed the police lobbing tear gas canisters into the crowds.
We hear the chanting of a crowd.
CROWD
Down with Chun Doo-hwan! End martial law!
Sounds of violence, police whistles that fade down under the narrator’s talking.
NARRATOR
I had a narrow escape when I got caught up in a clash between protestors and the police outside the Peace Corps office. I stank of tear gas. I found out later that a young policeman had died during the protests. The first death I knew of during a demo. Now, I was ready to go back to my village and keen to get home before dark, so I got up early and off to the bus station for the five-hour bus ride to Gwangju.
We hear the noise of the bus station and then of the bus itself as the narrator speaks.
NARRATOR
The bus station was not packed and, Gwangju being a major terminus for southwest Korea, there were frequent departures. I bought my ticket, boarded the bus, and settled into a window seat toward the back. Within thirty minutes we had left the big-city grime of Seoul and entered the riot of green that May in Korea puts on full display.
We hear the sound of the bus coming to a stop. The slight screech of the brakes and then the clank of the door opening. Paul has arrived near his village. We hear the sound of Paul’s feet on gravel walking away. In the distance, we hear the voice of Mr. Park, the shopkeeper. The sound of footsteps continues as Paul walks towards Mr. Park.
PARK (faintly - a little way away.)
Mr. Ko! Mr. Ko! Welcome back!
PAUL
Hello, Mr. Park.
PARK (closer now)
How are you?
PAUL
I’m well, Mr. Park. How’s your family?
PARK
They are well. Come on, this way, round the back of the shop. I kept it safe for you.
Paul and Mr. Park walk to the side of the shop. We hear the ringing of the bell.
PARK
See!
PAUL
Thank you for looking after my bicycle.
Uh… Mr. Park?
PARK
Yes?
PAUL
Did you hear about the demos in Seoul?
PARK
Oh, those students were only causing trouble.
We heard they’ve stopped their demos and are back at university.
We don’t have time for demos down here.
Now, I have something good for you.
Melons, fresh from the farm this morning.
Paul chuckles.
PAUL
Thanks, Mr. Park. You always take care of me.
I need to get back to the village. Lots of work to do.
PARK
Such a good man. You take care!
We hear the sound of the bicycle crunching on the gravel as Paul rides away. He rings his bell twice.
PAUL
Thanks again, Mr. Park.
Under the narration we hear the sound of the bicycle riding along the roads of Jeollanamdo. We can hear sounds of the countryside.
NARRATOR
I just wanted to get home, hunker down in my village. I was tired, tired of the upheaval, tired of being on the road and tired of the time away from Hohyewon.
Guilt had recently become my constant companion. Dad’s diagnosis of esophageal cancer and subsequent surgery weighed on me. I’d only returned to Korea a little over one month ago from a couple of weeks in Boise to be with my family for his surgery. My parents wanted me to remain in Boise and take over their tool rental business. They tried not to show their disappointment in my decision to return to Korea. Nonetheless, I couldn’t escape the knowledge that they wanted me there.
But I was needed here and the work ahead of me in Hohyewon was going to require a lot of me. In particular, many of my patients had eye conditions that needed treatment. I had learned about the specific eye conditions associated with leprosy and how to diagnose them, but that didn’t mean I was qualified to manage them. They needed to be evaluated for surgery or other specialized treatment by an ophthalmologist. My job was to get them the care they needed, and that care was far away from the village. But my first task was to get myself home.
Countryside sounds fade out. We hear 제비노정기 by 더봄밴드 start to play. We hear 15-30 seconds, before it fades out.
NARRATOR
The one person you could never escape in Hohyewon village was Mr. Kim, the village leader…
We hear a sharp knocking on the door of Paul’s room.
KIM (outside the door)
Mr. Ko! Open up.
Paul is groggy, he has been woken up.
PAUL
Hang on. I’m coming.
(under his breath)
Ugh, here we go.
KIM (outside the door, more agitated)
Mr. Ko!
The post is here!
PAUL (his spirits pick up slightly)
Ok! Ok!
We hear the sound of the door opening. Paul and Mr. Kim talk.
KIM
Some letters for you.
All the way from America.
PAUL
Thanks, Mr. Kim.
KIM
Did you hear the news?
PAUL
No.
KIM (tension in the voice)
There have been demos in Gwangju. Something bad happened there today.
PAUL
But I’m meant to take Park Sung-moon and Cheong Ko-sun to Suncheon tomorrow. We’re taking the bus and changing at Gwangju. I’ll drop them off at the hospital and then come straight back here.
KIM (lowering his voice)
Okay, be careful. There have been demos and some people have been killed. Martial law has been declared.
As Paul talks, we hear footsteps approaching.
Mrs. Moon arrives at the door. She has a gentle voice, but can be a little disapproving.
MOON
Morning, Mr. Kim.
Morning, Mr. Ko.
KIM (as he leaves)
Be careful.
We hear Kim’s footsteps as he walks off.
MOON
We’ve not seen you for a long time, Mr. Ko.
And you look so skinny. You need to eat better.
Here, some rice for you. Freshly cooked.
Oh, and you forgot to give me your laundry.
PAUL
Sorry, Mrs. Moon and thank you.
I’m happy to be back.
We hear the sound of Paul handing Mrs. Moon some clothes.
MOON (smells the nasty stink of the tear gas)
Oooooh, what’s that smell?
PAUL
Uh, there were demos in Seoul and tear gas smells really bad.
MOON
You stay out of trouble.
PAUL
I will.
MOON
Hurry up and eat.
PAUL (laughing)
I will.
Mrs. Moon walks away, we hear her footsteps.
NARRATOR
When I moved to Hohyewon village I was forced to figure out how to cook with limited options. My diet was still mostly vegetarian, with lots of cooked rice provided by my neighbors. A month earlier a grateful patient gave me a massive bag of sweet potatoes, a substantial increase in my future vitamin A intake.
And Mrs. Moon’s gift of rice was just what I needed. The smell of the rice made me hungry, and I dug into the large bag of sweet potatoes and sliced one. Fried, with the rice and some peanuts, it was perfect. I was in heaven.
We hear a snatch of Jackson Browne’s Running on Empty, just the chorus maybe…
As the narrator speaks we start to hear the low hubbub of Gwangju bus station.
NARRATOR
The next day we pulled into Gwangju bus station. My two patients and I walked into the nondescript two-story building to get tickets for Suncheon and stopped in our tracks. The air inside was charged with tension. There were soldiers everywhere. They looked like mannequins cut from the same mold—I couldn’t tell one from another. Camouflage uniform, helmet, sunglasses. They acted as if they owned every molecule of breathing space within shouting distance. What the hell was going on?
I glanced around at the other travelers in the large open space. Their faces exhibited a range of emotions—mostly fear, but I also detected hatred and disgust. No one, including me, made eye contact with the soldiers. The fear that emanated from the crowd started to infect me. I moved to buy our tickets so we could get out of there as quickly as possible.
PAUL
Mr. Park, Mr. Cheong. I have our tickets and the bus is about…
Paul is cut off by a scream. The following is chaotic with shouts and the sounds of someone being hit with clubs.
BUS STATION WOMAN 1
Stop it!
BUS STATION WOMAN 2
They’re killing him! They’re killing him!
BUS STATION MAN 1
Stop hitting him, you animals!
PAUL
What are they doing? He’s just a kid.
BUS STATION WOMAN 1
Is he dead? Oh god..
BUS STATION SOLDIER
Leave the area! Now!
BUS STATION WOMAN 2 (sobbing)
You killed him…
PAUL (worried)
We’ve got to get out of here.
Sound of the low rumble of a bus.
NARRATOR
We managed to get on the bus to Suncheon and as it worked its way through the outskirts of Gwangju, the city appeared calm and peaceful. I couldn’t get the image of the young man out of my head. His head was bowed and I only saw the soft profile of a young face. He had offered no resistance. Next, he was prone on the ground, beaten and broken by the soldiers. Was he dead?
The world had changed for all of us. Mr. Park, Mr. Cheong, and I had not shared a word since Gwangju. When I glanced at them they averted their eyes. I dropped them off at the hospital and went to see another Peace Corps Volunteer, Erik, who worked there.
Paul is slightly out of breath. He is shouting for Erik.
PAUL
Yeoboseyo!
The sound of a door opening.
ERIK
Hi!
Paul starts speaking in a rush, His voice goes up in pitch as he struggles to keep control.
PAUL
Erik! What’s going on in Gwangju? I just came from there and it was nuts. A young guy was clubbed right in front of me as I was getting on my bus. A couple of soldiers probably killed him! I can’t believe it. What the hell’s going on?
ERIK
You didn’t hear? There was a demo in Gwangju. Students marched, carrying banners demanding that Chun Doo-hwan resign and that Kim Dae-jung be released.
PAUL
Kim was arrested? What for?
ERIK
Martial law was declared Saturday night. Then Kim was arrested. Why? Who knows? Then all hell broke loose. I was with Tim near the university on Sunday.
PAUL
What’s going on with all of the soldiers? When I was in Seoul the demos were being managed by the police. I didn’t see any police in Gwangju.
ERIK
We heard that Chun sent in soldiers from Gyeongnam, knowing they would be loyal to him.
PAUL
What happened?
ERIK
Tim and I were out near the university. Students and other people were gathering in the street and, after a while, they started to march toward the provincial office. Police and soldiers blocked the way. The students stopped and some threw rocks. Then the soldiers charged. Everyone scattered. The students, people on the sidewalk, everyone took off running. It was total chaos. Tim and I ran into a gage. It soon filled up with bystanders and students. Three soldiers came in. They grabbed students and started beating the hell out of ’em with their clubs. Tim jumped between the students and soldiers and started yelling at the soldiers to stop. I couldn’t believe it—the soldiers actually stopped. I guess they didn’t expect to see a foreigner. Tim and I then dragged the injured students to the back of the gage. We spent the next few hours carrying people to the hospital. Students were killed! We saw others taken away by the soldiers. It scared the hell out of us.
PAUL
Does anyone outside of Gwangju know about this?
ERIK
I dunno. There’s been nothing on the news about it. I think some people here heard about it, but no one is talking about it.
Slight pause. The two are thinking.
PAUL
What’s going to happen next?
ERIK
Beats me, but from what you just told me, it sounds like it’s getting worse, not better.
PAUL
Erik, would you mind checking on Mr. Park and Mr. Cheong tomorrow? I brought them from Hohyewon. They’re having surgery tomorrow morning.
ERIK
Sure, I’ll check on them. What’re your plans?
PAUL
Oh man, I don’t know. I need to get back to my village today. I have no idea what else to do.
Under the narrator we hear the rumbling of the bus.
NARRATOR
So, I headed back to Gwangju. I was exhausted and wanted to sleep during the ride back, but I couldn’t. We were about five minutes from the bus station when…
PAUL
What the…
BUS DRIVER
Ayegomay!
We hear gasps of the other passengers.
We hear the patter of drizzle along with the sound of the bus.
NARRATOR
A block ahead of us fire consumed a city bus and a couple of taxis, all bunched together like some children’s toys. The debris all over the road was only visible through the darkness when flames rose and provided some light. It had started to drizzle, giving the scene an even more ominous cast. Farther in the distance, other vehicles burned.
We hear the sound of the bus stopping and the door clanking open.
BUS DRIVER
Everyone out. I’m not driving any farther. Get home quickly!
Sound of footsteps and commotion as passengers exit the bus.
BUS DRIVER
Hey, you.
PAUL
Yes.
BUS DRIVER
Do you have a place to go?
PAUL
Yes. I’m fine.
BUS DRIVER
Good. Then hurry. Hurry!
Sound of footsteps on the road underneath narration.
NARRATOR
The idea that I might get back to Hohyewon tonight was out of the question. So, I strode off to Tim’s place, another Peace Corps Volunteer living in Gwangju.
Sidewalk tiles and stones littered the ground. All of the bus stop canopies had been ripped off. Every gage was closed up tight and no streetlights illuminated the scene. It was as if the town had collectively decided that being open and being outside would invite danger and destruction. Who or what had caused this?
Sound of knocking on metal gate. We hear the ajumeoni rushing out to open the door.
AJUMEONI (hushed voice)
Aigo, I’m coming. I’m coming.
We hear the creak of the gate.
AJUMEONI
Quick, come in. It’s not safe out there.
Sound of Paul and Ajumeoni walking to the door, opening it and walking into the house as they talk.
PAUL
Thank you. Is Tim here?
AJUMEONI
Yes, yes. Come on.
Tim and Judi, both Peace Corp Volunteers, are in the living room along with Ok-jin, the son of the ajumeoni and a few of his friends.
TIM
Who is it?
JUDI
Oh, Paul. It’s you.
PAUL
Hi Tim, hi Judi. Hi Ok-jin!
OK-JIN
Hello!
TIM
Okjin and a few of his friends are hiding out here.
PAUL
Good to meet you all.
Tim, what the hell’s going on?
TIM
Yesterday was a massacre. Chun had his soldiers attack anyone demonstrating. Young, old, it didn’t matter. I don’t know how many people were killed. Some people said that it was more than a hundred.
PAUL
Oh my God. I was with Erik in Suncheon today. He told me about you guys in the gage. You were lucky the soldiers didn’t go after you.
TIM
I think the soldiers were surprised to see a ‘round eye.’ They didn’t know what to do.
Now the soldiers are going house to house searching for students. Some are being taken away. Others are being beaten. Paul, Judi, I need a favor.
PAUL/JUDI
Sure.
TIM
Can you stay here and protect Ok-jin and his friends? I need to go to another student’s house and spend the night there. If they’re rounding up students they’ll probably target his house. He’s been involved with the demos.
PAUL/JUDI
Sure.
We hear Tim and the ajumeoni leave, the door closing and then in the distance the gate opening and shutting.
JUDI
Ok-jin, if soldiers come to the gate and force their way in, it’ll be Paul and I that they will face.
PAUL
Agreed.
OK-JIN
Ok.
PAUL
Where can you hide?
OK-JIN
It is probably best if we go up on the roof. There are stairs in the back.
JUDI
Sounds like a plan.
Suddenly we hear gunshots and yelling in the distance. Soldiers are shouting at someone.
SOLDIERS (in the distance)
Stop! Stop
Stay where you are.
More gunshots. There are gasps in the living room
OK-JIN (whispering and scared)
What do we do?
PAUL
Stay calm and stay silent.
SOLDIERS (in the distance)
This way!
JUDI
I think they’re gone.
PAUL
Ok, best thing is get some sleep. There’s nothing else we can do right now.
NARRATOR
The rest of the night was uneventful. No soldiers pounding on the gate and Tim made it back for breakfast.
Living room again. It is morning. Tim, Judi and Paul are talking over breakfast.
TIM
So, no problems last night?
JUDI
It was fine.
TIM
So what do you have planned today.
PAUL
I need to get back to Hohyewon, but I also want to hit the post office.
JUDI (doubtful)
That’s right in the center of town…
TIM
Are you sure, Paul? Who knows what might happen today.
PAUL
Yeah, but it seems that the military has a pretty tight grip. People are afraid. What more can happen?
TIM (worried)
A lot…
JUDI
I need to head home.
TIM
Ok, stay safe guys.
PAUL
Will do.
JUDI
Take care.
We hear them getting up to leave.
As the narrator talks we hear the sound of a muted scared city.
NARRATOR
We headed our separate ways. Judi set off home. Tim walked to the hospital where he worked. I was off to the post office. Ok-jin and the other students stayed behind. His mother had been adamant; they were not to leave the house today.
Armored personnel carriers and tanks clustered at intersections—intimidating enough on their own, but even more ominous with soldiers milling about. A bulldozer pushed aside the burned-out husks of a bus and taxi. A few shopkeepers cleaned the area in front of their shops. I walked on and stepped over the broken sidewalk tiles, stones, and glass that covered much of the pavement and sidewalks. Everything was wrong with the scene. Schools were closed. Buses were not running. Taxi drivers were not hustling for passengers. More than all of these physical activities, there was an eerie sense of foreboding in the air.
I approached the post office, a large single-story redbrick building that was built during the Japanese occupation. Off to one side, I saw a crowd of about twenty people, an amorphous, unorganized group from all walks of life.
We hear a crowd of people shouting at the soldiers.
POST OFFICE CROWD (a mix of voices overlapping)
Shame on you!
Murderers!
Get your soldiers out of here!
Shame!
Down with Chun Doo-hwan!
Killers!
Release Kim Dae-jung!
Leave us alone!
Shame on you! Go!
We hear Paul open the door to the post office and close it behind him. The sounds of shouting become muffled and the post office is relatively quiet.
PAUL
Hello. I just need a few stamps for some international mail.
POST OFFICE STAFF
Here you are…
Her sentence is cut off by a the loud smash of the window breaking as a tear gas canister lands in the post office. We hear the hiss of the gas escaping and the shocked screams and coughing of the workers and customers of the post office.
POST OFFICE CROWD (a jumble of scared voices overlapping)
No!
Tear gas!
Cover your mouths!
Damn soldiers.
PAUL
Everyone out!
We hear the scrambling of people as they run out of the post office into the street. We hear Paul running.
PAUL (to himself out of breath and worried)
I’ve got to get home.
Oh, thank god, the police…
A crowd of people are talking to a police officer. Both the police officer and the crowd are tired and hopeless.
POST OFFICE CROWD 1
Officer, what’s going on?
POST OFFICE CROWD 2
You’re supposed to protect us.
POST OFFICE POLICE OFFICER
I know, I know, but I don’t know what’s happening. We weren’t told that the soldiers were coming here.
POST OFFICE CROWD 3
Why are they doing this to us? Why have they killed our students?
POST OFFICE POLICE OFFICER
These are soldiers from Gyeongnam. We’re also shocked by what happened on Sunday and Monday. We were home with our families when the soldiers started attacking.
POST OFFICE CROWD 1 (forcefully)
What can we do?
POST OFFICE POLICE OFFICER
There’ll probably be more trouble. Go home. Make sure young people stay inside and protect them.
Paul is stopped by a halmeoni (an old woman).
HALMEONI
Hey, you!
NARRATOR
A halmeoni, dressed in a slightly worn but still serviceable bright pink and lime-green hanbok, grabbed my arm. I assumed that she needed help to cross the street. She was less than 150 centimeters in height, slight, and bent over. Her grip, however, was firm. She faced me and peered directly in my eyes.
HALMEONI
Are you an American?
PAUL
Yes.
HALMEONI
Have you seen what happened?
PAUL (stammering slightly)
Yes. I’m sorry.
HALMEONI (forcefully)
We’ll have to be sorry later. Now, you must be our voice. Koreans have no voice. The world doesn’t know what our soldiers are doing. But you, an American, can make sure people hear about us. You have to speak for us.
PAUL (falteringly)
I’ll try.
HALMEONI
You must tell our story.
We hear the Halmeoni walk away.
HALMEONI (voice becoming distant, shouting back to Paul)
You must tell our story.
NARRATOR
I couldn’t move. It was all mind-boggling. I blinked a couple of times and took a breath. Slowly, I took stock, first of myself, then of the shrinking space around me. Normally-respectful citizens cursed the troops. The street leading to the provincial office building was blocked off and soldiers did not allow anyone to pass. The tension increased with each second. As with any fire, the fuel was plentiful, the oxygen too. All that was needed was a spark. Damn, I needed to get out.
I bought a ticket at the bus station and got the four o’clock bus to Nampyeong. I had been a bundle of nerves for the last nine hours. I gazed out the window while I waited for the bus engine to turn over. My body started to melt into the seat. I felt as if every nerve ending in my body had switched off. I was cocooned again and heading home.
As the narrator finishes speaking we hear James Taylor singing Nothing Like A Hundred Miles. We hear 15 to 30 seconds. The music gets interrupted by the knocking at the door it then fades down.
We are back at Paul’s house.
We hear a sharp knocking on the door of Paul’s room.
KIM (outside the door)
Mr. Ko! Open up.
Paul hurries to the door.
PAUL
I’m coming, Mr. Kim.
Paul opens the door.
KIM
Mr. Ko, we were worried about you.
Did Mr. Park and Mr. Cheong make it to Suncheon?
PAUL
Yes, they’ll have their surgery today and will return later this week.
KIM (clearing his throat)
Ahem. We heard that many people in Gwangju were killed on Sunday. Is that true?
PAUL (as he talks he gets emotional and angry)
Yes, that’s true. There were soldiers from Gyeongnam in Gwangju. They killed many people, mostly university students. People are very angry,.
KIM
I see. There are no buses today. And our phone isn’t working. Mr. Shin has a daughter and Mr. Nam has two sons at Jeonnam University in Gwangju. They’ve not heard from them. There are a few other families that have children at schools in Gwangju. They’re quite worried.
PAUL
I’m sorry.
KIM
Are you going back to Gwangju today?
PAUL
I was going to go to Masan tomorrow. But, I could go to Gwangju today, then get the Masan bus tomorrow.
KIM
We’ll get you a list of students in Gwangju. Call them when you get there.
PAUL (confused)
Didn’t you say that the phone isn’t working?
KIM
Yes, but the phones might be working within Gwangju.
PAUL
Ok. I can leave for Nampyeong in about forty-five minutes. Would that be enough time to collect the names and phone numbers?
KIM
Yes.
Uh… Mr. Ko…
PAUL
Yes?
KIM
Thank you.
NARRATOR
He got me the list. Six names and six phone numbers. I headed back to Gwangju, hitching a ride on a motorbike. The rider dropped me off at Nampyeong, near Mr. Park’s gage. In the distance, I could see the intersection was packed with people.
Sounds of a jubilant crowd, amidst cheers we hear a few snatches of shouting.
CROWD (jumbled voices)
We did it!
We kicked them out!
Gwangju is free!
Draw and quarter Chun Doo-hwan!
Paul talks to a breathless and excited young woman and young man. As the talk the crowd noises fade down to a murmur in the background.
PAUL
What’s going on? Is the military no longer in Gwangju?
NAMPYEONG MAN
Most of Gwangju! They still hold the provincial capital and train station, but the rest of Gwangju is free. We heard that they’ve left Naju, Mokpo, Hwasun - they left late yesterday.
NAMPYEONG WOMAN
It started yesterday afternoon. People were fed up. The bus drivers and taxi drivers led the way. They created a barrier, protecting people, and some rammed the military vehicles.
PAUL (worried)
Were many people killed?
NAMPYEONG WOMAN (hesitant)
Some, from what we’ve heard - but not many…
NAMPYEONG MAN
The bus and taxi drivers used their vehicles to ram the military lines. Now, the military will have no choice - they’ll have to leave the provincial office.
PAUL
Really? What happened in Naju and other towns?
NAMPYEONG MAN (becoming excited as he talks)
I’m from Naju. We heard what was happening in Gwangju. Everyone gathered near the train station. There were no soldiers in Naju, so no one was hurt. But the large police headquarters was burned. It seems that the same thing has been happening everywhere south of Gwangju.
PAUL
So, this area in Jeonnam is not under military control? And the people are now in charge?
NAMPYEONG WOMAN (almost shouting in excitement)
Yes! No more soldiers!
PAUL
Wow!
NAMPYEONG WOMAN
As you can see, everyone’s happy!
PAUL
But, what’s going on over there?
NAMPYEONG MAN
Those two men? They’re arguing about the armory in the police station.
NARRATOR
My heart lurched. The Korean military had not planned on a rebellious public. All Korean men undergo military training and are quite handy using rifles. Not only did the handful of men who entered the police station know how to use the weapons stored there, but every single man on the street did too.
We hear a loud crack as the door to the police station is forced open and cheers from the crowd.
CROWD (jumbled voices)
We’re in!
Grab the weapons!
Down with Chun Doo-hwan!
NAMPYEONG MAN
I won’t take a rifle. We cannot shoot at soldiers.
NAMPYEONG WOMAN
Then how do we protect ourselves?
NAMPYEONG MAN
Has anything like the killing of civilians by the military ever happened in America?
PAUL (pausing slightly)
Yes, about ten years ago soldiers shot at a number of university students.
NAMPYEONG MAN (shocked)
Really?
PAUL
It was at Kent State University. Students were protesting against the Vietnam War.
NAMPYEONG WOMAN (upset)
What happened after the shooting?
PAUL (a little embarrassed)
I really don’t know. Everyone was really angry that it happened. I don’t know what happened to the soldiers or their leaders…
We hear a jeep arrive, beeping as it pulls up to the crowd. The crowd quiets.
NAMPYEONG LEADER (commanding)
Stop! Stop this now. Return the guns. If you keep the guns it’ll only give the military an excuse to retaliate - and to kill again.
The crowd’s mood has turned from jubilant to somber. There are murmurs.
CROWD (jumbled voices)
Give up the guns?
He’s right, you know.
But what if they attack.
We don’t need weapons.
An old man’s voice stands out from the crowd.
NAMPYEONG GRANDFATHER (shouting)
If we return the guns they can be used against us. Break them!
The crowd shouts and we were the clank and crack and smash of guns being broken.
CROWD (jumbled voices)
Yes!
Break them!
Smash them!
That’s it.
NARRATOR
In a flash, the somber mood became joyous again. Young and old snatched rifles and smashed them in the street. My friends joined in the righteous destruction. A ripple of fulfillment ran through the throng as the final rifles were destroyed. The whole process, from the time the armory was opened until the arsenal was destroyed, had taken less than an hour. There was a sense of accomplishment on the faces of people around me. The pile of metal and wood remained in the street, a memorial to a day like no other.
I hitched another ride to the outskirts of Gwangju and stopped by a gage…
GAGE WOMAN
We heard the military is going to return tonight. They’ll kill many people.
NARRATOR
Shocked. I headed back to my village and then I realized…
PAUL( to himself)
The list! I completely forgot about it. Ok, ok, if I head to Naju tomorrow then I can go to the health center and see if I can call from the Peace Corps in Seoul from there. And if I can’t… I’ll head into Gwangju.
(sighs)
I just wish I had someone to talk to in English…
NARRATOR
I got back to my place in the fading light, exhausted and hungry.
The best I could do was write a letter to a buddy, to make sense of the day. I wrote but soon realized I still couldn’t make sense of everything that I had seen, heard, or felt. All I could do was recount it. That would have to do. I finished the letter, then found an envelope and some of the stamps that I’d bought just a couple of days ago. As I licked the stamps, the taste of the glue brought me back to the tear gas and the chaos outside the post office. The halmeoni was facing me again, keen that I tell the story of how people were being brutalized by the military.
HALMEONI
You must tell our story.
NARRATOR
I kept one part of my promise to the halmeoni. I sat on the floor and started to write again. I wrote and wrote and wrote.
We hear Dire Straits singing Where Do You Think You’re Going? We hear a few verses. The song fades out.
END OF PART ONE
PART TWO
We hear the end of Dire Straits singing Where Do You Think You’re Going? The song fades out as the knocking on the door starts.
We are back at Paul’s house.
We hear a sharp knocking on the door of Paul’s room.
KIM (outside the door)
Mr. Ko! Open…
Before Mr. Kim has time to finish Paul opens the door.
PAUL
Good morning, Mr. Kim. I’m sorry, I didn’t make it into Gwangju yesterday, I couldn’t call any of the students,.
KIM
I see. Did you hear the helicopters last night? We heard that the military has returned. Where are you going now?
PAUL
To Naju, to the health center. I’ll try to call the Peace Corps in Seoul from there.
KIM
Mr. Ko, you must be very careful. We don’t know what happened last night, but it’s probably not a good sign.
PAUL
I’ll be careful.
NARRATOR
No buses were running, so I rode my bike. When I got to Naju I discovered the phones weren’t working there either. So, I decided to go to Gwangju. I rode past buses with dozens of bullet holes, blood everywhere and as I cycled the words of the halmeoni outside the Gwangju post office came back to me.
HALMEONI
You must tell our story.
NARRATOR
She was right. The world beyond Korea had no idea what had happened. In fact, no one except the perpetrators knew what happened to the people on the bullet-penetrated buses. We needed witnesses.
I made it back to Tim’s house.
We hear Paul knocking on the gate and the sound of the ajumeoni coming out to open it. She is less concerned/frightened than last time.
AJUMEONI
Oh, you’re back. Come in. Come in.
PAUL
Thank you.
We hear them walk up to the house.
AJUMEONI
No one’s home. They’ve gone to a rally in front of the provincial building.
PAUL
Can I keep my bike here?
AJUMEONI
Sure. Put it over there next to Ok-jin’s.
We hear Paul pull out the list of students’ names and numbers from his backpack.
PAUL
Um. Some of the Hohyewon families have students in Gwangju. They’re worried. I have a favor. Could you call them to make sure they’re okay?
AJUMEONI
Sure. I’m off out, but I’ll call when I get back.
PAUL (sighing with relief)
Thank you.
AJUMEONI (caring)
Don’t worry.
NARRATOR
I headed to the center of town, there was a massive crowd filling the central plaza-like area around the large fountain in front of the provincial office building and, after a search of the crowd, I realized that there was no way to find Tim here. I was starving and searched for a gage to get some food. Ramen and kimchi brought a sense of normalcy and familiarity to the late afternoon. Then I returned to Tim’s house.
We are back in Tim’s living room. Tim, Dave, Ok-jin and Paul are there. We can hear the tv news on in the background.
TIM
Paul! Good to see you.
DAVE
Hi.
PAUL
Hey, Dave, when did you arrive? Hey, Ok-jin.
OK-JIN
Hi!
DAVE
Just a couple of hours ago.
PAUL
Where’s Judi?
TIM
She’s back at her place.
Have you heard what they’re saying about the massacre on the news?
PAUL
No, what?
TIM
They’re calling the demonstrators ‘communists’ and saying that they are sympathetic to North Korea.
PAUL (shouting)
What? That’s complete B.S!
OK-JIN
The announcer said that riotous students destroyed property and loyal troops are trying to keep the peace.
PAUL
What about the killings? The atrocities?
DAVE
No mention. All blame has been put on the students.
OK-JIN
They’re saying it’s the evil influence from North Korea.
PAUL
What the hell? Is that what the government is saying about Sunday?
OK-JIN
Yes, that’s what they have been saying
PAUL
Does anyone, outside of Gwangju, know what really happened?
OK-JIN
No. We don’t think so. It seems that Chun wants to isolate us.
I can’t stand it.
We hear Ok-jin stand up and turn the tv off.
TIM
You saw the buildings that were burned?
PAUL
Yeah…
TIM (getting angry)
Those were the two TV stations. People were so angry with the military government and Chun for how they’ve been portraying what happened that they set them on fire yesterday. It serves ’em right.
DAVE
If Koreans in the rest of the country knew of the massacre, they, or at least the students, would be demonstrating in every city on every day.
PAUL
If they knew that the people here had driven out Chun’s army, they might try to do the same
TIM
Hearing what’s on TV, there’s going to be zero support for the people of Jeonnam in the rest of the country.
DAVE
Yeah, and this demonizing of the people of Jeonnam only plays into the regional stereotypes already held by many people from other provinces.
PAUL
The military’s not going to let the people of Gwangju stay in control for long. They’re going to move back in and take control. It’s just a matter of when.
TIM
Agreed. The question isn’t ‘will’ the military retaliate, but ‘when.’ From the rally today it’s clear there’s little interest in giving up. Ugh.
We hear Tim stand up and pace in frustration as Paul and Dave talk. As the two talk they get more and more pissed off.
PAUL
That TV broadcast is really going to piss people off.
DAVE
Yep, but then what happens?
PAUL
I’ve no idea. But there’s no way the people can hold off the military circling the town.
DAVE
Yeah, I know we’re supposed to remain apolitical, but that’s just not possible anymore.
PAUL
Agreed. But, we still need to figure out how to remain observers. We all know how we feel. Those a-holes who killed people need to be brought to justice!
DAVE
I’m struggling to figure out what I can do. About the only thing I can think of is to talk to the media, but there are no media here.
PAUL
Yeah, there’s nothing. Except for all those lies on the TV about this. And I don’t see how we can change that. Do you have any idea what the US government’s saying or doing about Gwangju?
DAVE
No idea. But I can’t see Chun moving back into Gwangju without some kind of agreement from the US military.
PAUL
Yeah, you’re probably right. But hell, that would make the US government complicit in the atrocities! Do you think the embassy knows what really happened here?
DAVE
Well, if they do know, and do nothing, they’re going to get an earful from me!
We hear gunshots in the distance, but they don’t react. We hear the ajumeoni enter with some food. We hear the clatter of bowls and chopsticks being set on the table. Her entrance calms the mood a little.
AJUMEONI
Oh, you boys must be hungry.
Here, keep your strength up.
PAUL/DAVE
Thank you.
TIM
Thanks.
AJUMEONI
It’s no bother.
TIM
The city is surrounded and there is no food coming in.
PAUL
I feel like there’s nothing I can do.
We hear Paul get up and move into the kitchen, following the ajumeoni.
PAUL
Ajumeoni, thank you for helping us.
AJUMEONI
Don’t mention it. It’s a difficult time for everyone. We’re grateful that you’re all here. I called the numbers you gave me. The students were not there, but the people who answered all said that the students are fine.
PAUL (sigh of relief)
Many thanks.
We hear 임을 위한 행진곡 (Marching For our Beloved) by Baek Gi-wan, Hwang Sok-yong and Kim Jong-ryul. (There is a beautiful version by 김형석,이은미 done for KBS for the 40th anniversary of 5.18) If possible the version we hear should be slow and soft. We hear a verse or two before it fades out.
NARRATOR
I decided to leave Gwangju the next day. Before I could get very far I was stopped by a group of students.
We are outside Paul is walking with his bike when he is stopped by university students. The students are respectful in their questioning. Paul doesn’t really know how to answer their questions about America’s involvement.
STUDENT
Hello! Excuse me!
PAUL
Yes?
STUDENT
Did you see what the military did to our people?
PAUL
Yes, but I only saw a bit. What I saw was horrible.
STUDENT
Does the American government support Chun?
PAUL (slightly stammering)
The American people support you.
STUDENT
Yes, but did your government allow this?
PAUL
I don’t know.
STUDENT
You foreigners must tell the story. No one knows what has happened here. No one in Korea. No one outside of Korea.
PAUL
Yes, I’ll try.
STUDENT
Where are you going?
PAUL
Back to my village.
STUDENT
We heard the military isn’t allowing anyone to leave Gwangju.
NARRATOR
I was deep in a hole and dirt was piling up around me. I’d been given that task already but couldn’t figure out how to fulfill it. And I was sure that if I were able to get out of here and talked about what I saw, the Korean military would have me kicked out of the country. I wasn’t ready to leave Korea.
As Paul talks we hear the sound of his bicycle riding along the road.
PAUL (frustrated to himself)
What am I supposed to do? I want to follow the guidelines laid down by the Peace Corps. Don’t get involved. Don’t engage in political acts. Don’t voice your opinion about local politics. Don’t threaten our position as guests here in Korea. After what I’ve seen, how is that even possible? And am I even going to be able to get out of the city?
NARRATOR
My ride out of Gwangju didn’t last long. A new roadblock had been put up. A line of tanks and soldiers.
Paul cycles to a halt in front of a roadblock. He is confronted by a soldier. We hear him get off his bike. We can also hear the sound of the countryside. Paul is frightened, but determined to be brave.
PAUL
Hey! I’m an American Peace Corps Volunteer. I live in Naju County and work at the health center!
There is no response from the soldier, just the sound of the wind/countryside/birds.
PAUL (emphasizing the word “American”)
I said… I’m an American Peace Corps Volunteer. I live in Naju County and work at the health center!
ROADBLOCK SOLDIER
You cannot pass. Go back!
PAUL
Why can’t I go to Naju?
I have work. I have leprosy patients who need care.
ROADBLOCK SOLDIER
No one is allowed to leave Gwangju by order of General Chun.
Paul sighs.
NARRATOR
I wanted to yell, “Why have you killed people in Gwangju?” but kept that question from exploding out of my mouth. I had no choice but to turn around. I felt useless, frustrated, and humiliated. I headed back to Tim’s house.
Back in Tim’s living room. Paul is in mid-conversation with Tim, Dave and Judi.
PAUL
They wouldn’t let me through…
TIM
That’s not a good sign.
JUDI
Oh man…
PAUL (gets louder)
You know what, Judi? I felt completely useless today. There’s nothing we can do. The military’s not going to let this end well. They’re a bunch of arrogant a-holes!
JUDI
Too right.
TIM
That’s for sure. If they’re not letting us out, they’re trying to isolate all of us. If you couldn’t get out going south, then the same is true everywhere.
DAVE
The military’s going to invade soon.
PAUL (still frustrated and angry)
I know, Dave. They must have a tight band around the entire city. What’s happened here, and is still happening here, is completely unknown outside of Jeonnam.
TIM
Things may have changed. Dave and I ran into two German TV reporters today. Somehow, information has gotten out; otherwise, those reporters wouldn’t be here.
DAVE
Yep, now maybe the story can get out,
PAUL
That’s the best news I’ve had all week!
JUDI
How’d they get into Gwangju?
DAVE
They said that they came in using one of the small back roads. They don’t speak Korean and they have no escort. It’s a wonder they made it.
PAUL
Getting in may be easier than getting out.
TIM
We agreed to meet with them at eight tonight. They want to get our stories. They also want us to help translate for them.
JUDI
Translating for reporters? Would that be okay? Would that get us into trouble?
DAVE
Tim and I have been talking about that.
TIM
Translating means that we’re not taking one side or another. We’re only helping the reporters understand what people are saying.
PAUL
Okay, so we’re not giving our opinions. We’re not going to be quoted, right?
TIM
Yep, we’ll just translate what the reporters ask and what the people say.
PAUL
But won’t Chun and the military find out? I’m sure there are spies around town. If they learn that we translated for the reporters we’ll be in deep trouble.
DAVE
Chun can rot in hell! The Germans want to interview Tim at his hospital tomorrow.
JUDI
That’s great. Tim’s the only one of us who can tell them about Sunday. Between translating and Tim telling what he saw, the story will get out.
TIM
I said that I’d tell them what I saw on Sunday but that I’d want my identity hidden. They could call me a ‘foreigner in Gwangju.’
PAUL
Really? Don’t you think that Chun will figure out it was you? There’s only a handful of us here in Gwangju.
TIM
Well, I think it’s a risk we have to take. There are a few missionaries here, but I don’t think they’ll translate for the reporters. If we don’t help, who will?
JUDI
Guys, there’s another wrinkle we have to discuss. I had a phone call from the guy who runs the USIS here. He told me that he had a radio message from the embassy and that we’ve been ordered to leave Gwangju.
TIM/DAVE/PAUL (jumbled voices)
What?
How?
JUDI
He said we’re to go to the air base just outside of town. And that if we come upon a roadblock, we’re to say that we’re from the US Embassy and that we’ve been instructed to go to the base. We are to wait there until…
Judi sighs.
DAVE
Until what?
TIM
What did you tell him?
JUDI
I told him that I’d talk to you. He said that we had to leave by midday tomorrow.
PAUL
Does he know who’s here?
JUDI
I don’t think so. He only mentioned Julie, Tim, and me. He said that he’s going to call back tomorrow morning. I thought about this on the way over and I think we should have a joint response.
TIM
Yeah, that makes sense. He said we can get out through the air base? But Paul couldn’t get out through Naju. I don’t like it. I can’t leave.
DAVE
I’m not leaving Gwangju.
JUDI
Same for me.
PAUL
Yeah, well, I tried once and it didn’t work. I’m staying.
TIM
You know, I think we have an obligation to stay. It’s an obligation to our friends here. To the people we work with here. We can’t run away.
JUDI
If we all leave, everyone in Gwangju will know it. I haven’t seen any other foreigners on the street.
TIM
Yeah, it would send the wrong message. People would think that we gave up on them.
PAUL
Everyone here has really taken good care of us. They don’t want anything to happen to us. They’re protecting us.
TIM
Given everything we’ve seen, the only people we should be afraid of are the soldiers.
PAUL
Yeah, trying to cross the military lines makes no sense.
DAVE
They must have no idea what’s really happening here.
JUDI
They’re not asking us to leave. They’re ordering us to leave.
PAUL
And if we refuse? We just agreed that we’re not going to leave.
JUDI
Do you think we’ll be kicked out of the country?
PAUL
Who knows what Chun and the military will do? The first question is, will Peace Corps and the embassy believe us? Will they back us up?
TIM
Well, it might depend upon what the USIS guy says when he gets to Seoul.
DAVE
He’s going to be angry if we refuse the order to leave.
PAUL
Damn! I wish I’d gotten out today. We’ve got to let the embassy and Peace Corps know what’s going on here.
TIM
Yeah, bummer. But, we’re all here now. At least now we have a plan.
NARRATOR
The notion of being a witness had seemed fairly straightforward a few days ago. Now it had become much more complicated—and dangerous. It seemed as if the people in Gwangju had been cut adrift by their own government. In just a few days they’d gone from being part of the “we” to being the enemy. As they became the enemy, the middle ground we tried to occupy shrunk. The people in Gwangju wanted us as witnesses. The military didn’t. It seemed that now, simply by being witnesses we had crossed some invisible line. There was no doubt what Chun and his coup leaders would say—they would want us out. What would our own government say? Would they back us up? Would we be allowed to stay?
A few hours later, we started to walk to the small hotel where the German reporters as well as some reporters from the AP stayed. Along the way, we made some decisions.
TIM
We’re all staying, right? We’re all ready to translate.
PAUL
Yeah, but you’re going to end up with the lion’s share.
TIM
That’s fine. We’ll each tell the journalists what we saw.
JUDI
We’re only going to talk about what we saw. Not what we heard.
PAUL
Agreed. There are way too many rumors floating out there.
TIM
We’re going to avoid giving any TV interviews. We’ll only do TV interviews if our identity can be masked.
JUDI/DAVE/PAUL
Agreed.
NARRATOR
We gathered in the small hotel restaurant, sitting around a table while the reporters started taking notes. Tim’s experience was the most horrific and he was the first to talk. There were no interruptions and the Germans wrote furiously. Dave, Judi, and I were rapt listeners yet again, as Tim described the episode on May 18. He’d pulled bloodied students away from soldiers. He’d intervened to prevent further beatings and possibly, death, and he’d helped carry people to the hospital. We all knew that it was the most important story to get out. At the end, he said that being tall and blond helped. One after another, Dave, Judi, and I told our stories. As I listened to the others, I realized that although we’d all seen different things, we’d all come away with a common perspective on the wrongs committed in Gwangju. When we finished our stories, I was exhausted and it seemed that everyone else, including the Germans, were equally fatigued.
But for the first time, I felt that I had a purpose being in Gwangju.
We hear 아침이슬 by 양희은 start to play. We hear 15 to 30 seconds.
NARRATOR
The next day Tim took a couple of German reporters to the provincial office to meet with the leaders. I stayed with Robin, a photographer with Time Magazine, and another reporter to see the temporary mortuary.
We hear the approaching siren of an ambulance. We can also hear street noises.
NARRATOR
Two young men got out of the front and opened the back of the ambulance. They reached in and pulled out a gurney with slow, deliberate movements. They stared at the body on the gurney with sadness and I didn’t want to interrupt them. The two men, and the dead body of the young man on the stretcher that they placed gently on the ground, were probably two or three years younger than me. None of them could have weighed over sixty kilograms. All three wore a white sash, but the one on the body on the gurney was rumpled and bloody. Blood had also dried on his shirt where a bullet had pierced his abdomen. It was hard to look - and it was hard not to look.
I translated for Robin and the German reporter as the driver told his story.
The ambulance driver speaks. His voice is low and soft and he is very distraught.
AMBULANCE DRIVER
We’re friends from university. We were part of a group guarding the road to Hwasun. At around three in the morning a group of soldiers tried to invade Gwangju. There was a lot of shooting, and that was when Jun-shik was shot.
PAUL
Did the soldiers get into Gwangju?
AMBULANCE DRIVER
No.
PAUL
Where is Jun-shik from?
AMBULANCE DRIVER
Gwangju. We all go to Jeonnam University.
PAUL
How will his family know what happened?
A doctor who is working at the temporary mortuary interrupts.
DOCTOR
We’ll notify his relatives. We’ll clean him. He’ll be put in an open coffin. Then he’ll be put in the mortuary here. Come this way.
We hear the sound of footsteps and as the narrator speaks they enter the mortuary and we can hear the cries and moans of mourners.
NARRATOR
We headed into the mortuary. It was obvious that this room had been repurposed. Chairs and tables were stacked along the sides and, in the middle, rows of half-open pine boxes lay from one end to the other. I heard cries and I didn’t want to continue. But we needed to do this. Their stories needed to be told.
I translated again.
DOCTOR
We keep the bodies here for a short time - mainly to get them identified.
PAUL
There are more bodies?
DOCTOR
Oh yes, most are at one of the hospitals.
PAUL
How long do they stay here?
DOCTOR
Usually just a few hours when…
They are interrupted by the wailing of an old woman. Her voices fades out as the narrator speaks.
NARRATOR
It seemed important to me to count the number of bodies. I counted boxes, content to deceive myself, even though I knew boxes and bodies were one and the same. There were about fifty boxes.
PAUL
How was this old woman killed?
DOCTOR
She was killed when the soldiers opened fire from a helicopter. No one has identified her yet - we don’t know anything about her except where she was killed.
NARRATOR
She appeared to be resting quietly. She could have been the halmeoni that grabbed my arm in front of the post office earlier in the week. I suspected that this halmeoni, if she were alive, would have made the same demand of me - bear witness and tell the story.
DOCTOR
And this child was killed at the same time. We’re trying to find the mother. We’re not sure if the halmeoni and child are related or not. You know, you’re the first foreigner reporters here. Please show the world what happened.
NARRATOR
We headed to the provincial office to witness the meeting of the citizen committee and then headed to the hospital to find more stories and to take more photos. In one of the wards we heard a piercing cry. Inside a nearby room a young man bent over a bed that cradled a young girl, only twelve or thirteen. Her body wrapped up, not moving.
We hear the cries of the young man. A father of another patient speaks to Paul. They talk quietly, walking away from the young man to his son’s hospital bed.
PAUL
What’s going on?
FATHER
The girl was his younger sister. She was brought here a few days ago. She had surgery, but… she died this morning, just before her older brother arrived.
PAUL
How was she killed?
FATHER
I don’t know. But like my son here, she was probably shot by the soldiers when they fired on bus and taxi drivers. The drivers were shielding people, trying to stop the killing.
PAUL
We are sorry your son was injured. Will he be okay?
FATHER
I hope so. He’s a student at Jeonnam University. He’s a good boy and wasn’t part of the demos.
PAUL
How was he shot?
FATHER
I asked my son the same question. He said that he was with some friends when the military attacked some taxi drivers and bus drivers. You heard about this?
PAUL
Yes, I heard about that from my friends. I also saw buses and taxis with many bullet holes.
FATHER
What’s happening to our country? Why are they doing this to us? We don’t like Chun, but we were willing to let him be the president as long as we were safe and our country prospered.
The father sighs.
FATHER
We can’t go back, but we don’t know how to go forward.
PAUL (feeling inadequate)
I understand. Thank you. I hope my friend here can let everyone know what happened.
NARRATOR
There were more stories to hear. When we headed to another rally a large group gathered around us. The stories came too fast to keep track of…
We hear the sound of a crowd and voices overlap as they tell their stories to Paul.
GROUP STUDENT 1
We crossed into Gwangju near Damyang, but only thirty of us made it. I don’t know what happened to my friends. Were they captured by soldiers?
GROUP STUDENT 2
We heard that some students coming from Seoul were shot at from helicopters…
GROUP YOUNG WOMAN
There was a bus with some old people from Hwasun trying to reach Gwangju to find their children. We heard that soldiers shot at it…
NARRATOR
As they related their stories the vision of the halmeoni and the young child in the mortuary resurfaced in my head. Everyone had a story - but how would the stories be captured and substantiated?
A middle aged man talks to Paul.
GROUP MAN
You’re American, right?
PAUL
Yes…
GROUP MAN
Why didn’t the American government stop Chun from attacking?
PAUL
I have not been able to call the US Embassy in Seoul. I don’t think that they know what actually happened here. We have seen what happened and, we’ll tell them - and everyone we can.
NARRATOR
And I had a plan. I would try to get out of Gwangju the next day. Not by the roads but by hiking over the hills to an area not far from Hohyewon village. I needed to do my bit, and let the US Embassy and the Peace Corps know what was really going on.
As the narrator finishes speaking we hear Jackson Browne singing The Pretender. We hear 15 to 30 seconds. The music gets interrupted by the knocking at the door it then fades down.
We are back at Hohyewon Village.
We hear a sharp knocking on the door of Mr. Kim’s house.
PAUL (outside the door)
Mr. Kim! Yoboseyo!
Mr. Kim hurries to the door.
KIM
Mr. Ko?
Mr. Kim opens the door. He is surprised.
KIM
Mr. Ko! You’re back! Come in!
The Peace Corps office in Seoul called. I told them you were in Gwangju,
PAUL (surprised)
The phone works?
KIM
Yes, it started working again yesterday. They want you to call them immediately.
PAUL
Ok. I will.
And I have good news. All the students on the list you gave me are okay. The ajumeoni at my friend’s house called all of them.
KIM
Thank you.
We hear Mr. Kim pick up the phone and dial. We hear the phone ringing down the line. Mr. Kim hands the phone to Paul. The phone connects to Jim the Peace Corps Director. His voice sounds tinny down the line.
KIM
Here.
PAUL
Thanks.
Hello? This is Paul Courtright.
JIM
Paul! Jim here! Am I glad to hear your voice! Where are you? How are you? How are Tim, Dave, Julie and Judi?
PAUL (takes a deep breath)
We’re all fine. Everyone is still trapped in Gwangju. I just got out today.
JIM
Are you safe?
PAUL
Yes, I’m safe. I’m in my village. The roads in and out of Gwangju are blocked and I had to walk over the hill to get out.
JIM
Can you travel? You should come to Seoul tomorrow. Use whatever form of transport you need. You’ll be reimbursed.
PAUL
I’ll try. The military has Gwangju completely blockaded. They’re not letting anyone in or out. I don’t know the situation for the rest of Jeonnam… but I’ll try to get to my health center in Naju tomorrow morning and see if they can help.
JIM
When you get to Seoul, call me.
PAUL (becomes passionate)
Do you know what happened here? The military killed hundreds of people, maybe thousands - men, women and children. It was a massacre. What you’ve seen on Korean TV is not true. There are no communist sympathizers. Chun Doo-hwan caused this, not the people of Gwangju!
JIM (calmly)
I want you to come to Seoul as soon as you can. Go to the embassy. I’ll meet you there. You can tell them everything you’ve seen. OK?
PAUL (shakily)
OK.
JIM
Take care. I’ll see you soon.
Paul hangs up the phone.
KIM
So?
PAUL (shakily)
So, tomorrow I go to the Naju Health Center. I’ll ask them to help me to get to Seoul.
KIM
The buses still aren’t running. But you can get a ride from anyone on the roads. They’ll help you.
PAUL
I hope so.
Paul sighs.
KIM
Travel safely. Tell them what you saw.
PAUL (starting to choke up)
Thank you. I understand.
NARRATOR
I worried about my friends in Gwangju. I worried about myself. I worried that no one would know what happened in Gwangju. I worried that I would fail. I felt lost. I sat down and started a letter to my parents, relating the events…
We are back in Paul’s room. It is a repeat of the first scene.
PAUL
Dear Mom and Dad, how are things? I got back to Hohyewon village just a few days ago after a couple of weeks touring Korea with the Peace Corps. I was starting to settle back into my usual routine, but something happened in Gwangju over the past few days and I don’t want you to worry, but… I…
The scratch of pen on paper stops.
PAUL
I… I… I can’t. I can’t tell them what happened. I just can’t… But the world has to know…
We hear the sound of Paul tearing up the paper and throwing it down.
Paul grunts in frustration.
NARRATOR
After a few minutes I stopped. I couldn’t send this, it was not something for Mom and Dad. But I would tell the embassy everything.
As the narrator finishes speaking we hear James Taylor singing Up On the Roof. We hear 15 to 30 seconds. Then the music fades down.
NARRATOR
Mr. Moon, a taxi driver much braver than me, got me to Jeonju and then I took the bus to Seoul. Jim met me at the embassy, gave me a hug and we were ushered inside.
Paul and Jim are walking into the US Embassy in Gwanghwamun. We hear the noises of a busy office.
JIM
It’s good to see you, Paul.
PAUL
Thanks for arranging this, Jim
JIM
Of course, of course. I’ve made you an appointment with the Chargé d’Affairs.
PAUL
I’ve got one hell of a story for him.
NARRATOR
At least I thought I did. The embassy was abuzz with activity, but we were left alone, sitting outside the Chargé d’Affairs office for the next two hours. No one ever came. We got up and left. I was shocked, How were they going to understand what really happened. Now, with my book and this drama, I’m finally telling the story the halmeoni wanted to be heard.
As the narrator finishes speaking we hear the first verse of Communiqué by Dire Straits. It fades out as the narrator speaks again.
NARRATOR
Within a few hours it was all over. The military invaded Gwangju and the Gwangju Uprising came to an end. My friends were safe, but no-one in Seoul knew the truth, they accepted the military narrative. Eventually, I made it back to Hohyewon village, but the military was watching me. They tried to expel us from Korea, but the Peace Corps director called their bluff. They backed down and I stayed. In 1981 Peace Corps Korea closed its doors for good. I stayed and taught at Seoul International School for a while and finally left in 82. I’ve returned over the years but it was never the time to talk about Gwangju. But 40 years on my book has been published and I kept my promise to that halmeoni.
America failed Korea and Koreans in 1980. I only hope that as an American writing this, both Americans and Koreans will better appreciate our shared history, our shared desires, and our shared pain. We have so much to learn from each other - I’m continuing to learn.
We hear 상록수 by 양희은 start to play. We hear 15 to 30 seconds before it fades down and we hear the credits read out over the top.
ANNOUNCER
You have been listening to Witnessing Gwangju. Written by Paul Matthews and adapted from the memoir by Paul Courtright.
It featured Paul Courtright as the narrator.
Arlo Matisz as young Paul.
Michael Pursey as Tim, Mr. Park and Jim.
Paul Matthews as Dave and Mr. Kim
Dana Han as Judi and the Halmeoni.
Miss Lee as the Ajumeoni.
And Daniel Springer as Erik and Okjin.
Other minor characters were played by members of the cast.
Witnessing Gwangju was edited and directed by No Hyung-jin and is a production for the Gwangju Foreign Language Network.
The music fades up again and the rest of the song plays out.
END OF PART TWO
SFX AND MUSIC LIST (songs are in bold)
This is just a guide. I’m not sure what the station is able to do in terms of SFX.
1 - cassette being put in player, lid closing, play button pressed, slight hiss as tape plays
2 - Sleep Come Free Me by James Taylor
3 - scratch of pen on paper
4 - tearing up paper, throwing down paper
5 - crowd chanting
6 - sounds of violence, police whistles
7 - background of bus station, bus starts to move off and drive down the road
8 - bus stops, brakes screech, clank of door opening, footsteps on gravel
9 - footsteps, ringing of bicycle bell
10 - bicycle wheels on gravel, ringing of bicycle bell
11 - bicycle on road, sounds of countryside
12 - 제비노정기 by 더봄밴드
13 - knocking on door
14 - door opening
15 - footsteps approaching
16 - footsteps leaving
17 - clothes being hand over
18 - footsteps leaving
19 - Running on Empty by Jackson Browne
20 - background of tense bus station
21 - scream, chaotic shouts, sound of someone being hit with clubs
22 - low rumble of a bus
23 - door opening
24 - low rumble of the bus
25 - gasps of passengers, patter of drizzle on top of rumble of bus
26 - bus stops and clank of door opening
27 - footsteps and commotion as passengers exit bus
28 - footsteps on road
29 - knocking on metal gate, door opens in distance, fast footsteps coming towards us
30 - creak of gate opening
31 - creak of gate closing, footsteps, door opens
31a - footsteps leaving, door opens and closes, gate creaks open and closed in distance
32 - gunshots and shouting in the distance
33 - people getting up to leave
34 - crowd of people outside post office
35 - door opening and closing, muffled sound of crowd
36 - smash of window breaking, clunk of tear gas canister landing, hiss of tear gas, chaotic sounds of escape
37 - running footsteps and chaos
38 - background of chaotic street
39 - footsteps walking away
40 - Nothing Like a Hundred Miles by James Taylor
41 - knocking at door
42 - door opening
43 - background of crowd cheering
44 - low volume background of crowd cheering
45 - crack/smash of police station door being forced open, with more cheers
46 - jeep drives towards us, horn beeps several times
47 - background of crowd becomes serious
48 - shouting and breaking of guns
49 - Where Do You Think You’re Going by Dire Straits
PART TWO
49a - Where Do You Think You’re Going by Dire Straits
50 - knocking at door
51 - door opening
52 - knocking on metal gate, door opens in distance, footsteps coming towards us
53 - creak of gate opening, closing, footsteps and bicycle
54 - paper being pulled out of backpack
55 - low background sound of tv news
56 - person stands up, click of tv being turned off
57 - person standing up and pacing
58 - gunshots in the distance, footsteps, clatter of tray with bowls and chopsticks being placed on table
59 - footsteps
60 - 임을 위한 행진곡 by 김형석,이은미
61 - footsteps and bicycle
62 - bicycle riding on road
63 - background of countryside
64 - 아침이슬 by 양희은
65 - approaching ambulance siren, background of street noises
66 - footsteps moving from outside to inside
67 - old woman wailing
68 - young man crying with grief, footsteps and crying fades awayu
69 - background of crowd noise
70 - The Pretender by Jackson Browne
71 - knocking on door
72 - hurried footsteps, door opening
73 - phone being picked up and number being dialed (rotary phone), phone ringing down the line, click of phone being picked up at the other end.
74 - tinny voice effect of Jim down the line
75 - phone put back down on the receiver
76 - scratch of pen on paper
77 - tearing up paper, throwing down paper
78 - Up On the Roof by James Taylor
79 - background of busy embassy office
80 - Communiqué by Dire Straits
81 - 상록수 by 양희은