May 18 marks a central moment in the history of South Korea: the May 1980 Gwangju Democratic Uprising. The Gwangju Uprising was a wave of protests that took place in the southwestern city of Gwangju in May 18-27, 1980 that saw thousands of South Korean students, workers, mothers, teachers and farmers collectively deciding that they have had enough of the State’s violence and repression, and revolted against a tyrannical military dictatorship that controlled the country for more than 18 years.