Chinese ambassador pays tribute to Gwangju uprising victims at nat'l cemetery

▲ Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Dai Bing visits the May 19 National Cemetery in the southwestern city of Gwangju on Feb. 6, 2026. (Yonhap)

Chinese ambassador-uprising victims

Chinese ambassador pays tribute to Gwangju uprising victims at nat'l cemetery

GWANGJU, Feb. 6 (Yonhap) -- Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Dai Bing visited a national cemetery in the southwestern city of Gwangju on Friday and paid tribute to honor the victims from a 1980 pro-democracy uprising.

Dai laid chrysanthemums and burned incense during his visit to the May 18 National Cemetery, paying tribute to those who sacrificed their lives for democracy in South Korea.

The pro-democracy uprising erupted as citizens gathered to stand up against a military junta, led by then Gen. Chun Doo-hwan, who sent troops to the city to crack down on civilians. Chun ultimately seized power in a military coup.

His junta sent paratroopers and ruthlessly cracked down on civilians during the nine-day revolt. Official data put the death toll at over 200, with 1,800 others wounded, while critics argue that as many as 2,000 people were killed.

After paying tribute, Dai visited the grave of Moon Jae-hak, a young activist who was among those killed in the uprising and who inspired a central character in "Human Acts," a novel by Nobel Prize–winning South Korean author Han Kang.

He wrote a message in Chinese in the guestbook, expressing deep condolences to the souls of the democratic uprising. Dai moved to the memorial hall and watched a video on the Gwangju uprising.

While in Gwangju, he also plans to hold talks with Gwangju city government officials to discuss exchanges and cooperation projects between the city and China.

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