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죽음을 넘어 시대의 어둠을 넘어: 광주 5월 민주항쟁의 기록
5·18민주화운동에 대한 최초의 기억이자 완결판!
“이 빛나는 계절에 위대한 시민들은 세상을 바꾸어놓았다” - 황석영
32년 전의 '지하 베스트셀러', 이제 우리는 5·18을 떳떳하게 기억한다
전세계 자유와 정의의 투쟁에 영감을 준 5·18민주화운동의 용기와 진실
1985년 초판 출간 당시 5·18의 진실에 목말라하던 온 국민에게 큰 충격을 주며 ‘지하 베스트셀러’로 수많은 사람들이 숨죽여 읽던 책 『죽음을 넘어 시대의 어둠을 넘어』가 32년 만에 전면개정판으로 출간되었다. 『죽음을 넘어 시대의 어둠을 넘어』는 5·18민주화운동에 대한 최초의 체계적인 기록물로, 항쟁에 참여했던 광주시민의 시각과 증언을 온전히 담으려고 노력했을 뿐 아니라 이번 전면개정판에서는 최근까지 공개된 5·18 당시 계엄군의 군사작전 내용과 5·18 관련 재판 결과를 반영하여 역사적·법률적 성격을 규명하는 데도 애썼다. 또한 항쟁의 당사자 외에 당시 현장을 취재했던 내외신기자들의 증언과 기사 등을 통해 입체적이고 객관적으로 기술하고자 노력하였다.
1980년 항쟁 직후 당국의 엄혹한 감시를 피해 비밀리에 시작된 자료수집과 취재는 참여하는 모든 이가 위험을 감수해야 하는 집단작업이었다. 이런 제한된 여건 속에서 어렵사리 나온 초판은 320면에 불과했으나 이번 개정판은 그간의 5·18청문회와 재판, 특별법 제정 등에 따른 진상 조사와 연구를 토대로 방대한 추가자료를 정리해 초판의 2배에 달하는 600면이 넘는 분량으로 나왔다.
32년 전의 초판이 ‘폭도들의 무장난동’으로 왜곡된 항쟁의 진실을 알리기 위해서였다면 본 개정판은 2008년 보수정부 집권 이후 갈수록 노골화된 항쟁의 진상과 참여자에 대한 날조와 폄훼에 대항하기 위해 준비되었다. 초판이 전두환정권의 불법성과 폭력성을 폭로함으로써 1987년 6월항쟁의 기폭제가 된 것처럼 개정판은 박근혜정부 탄핵 이후 극우수구세력의 역사왜곡에 맞서 우리 현대사를 바로 세우고 평화와 인권의 대한민국으로 나아가기 위한 주춧돌이 될 것이다.
“이 빛나는 계절에 위대한 시민들은 세상을 바꾸어놓았다” - 황석영
32년 전의 '지하 베스트셀러', 이제 우리는 5·18을 떳떳하게 기억한다
전세계 자유와 정의의 투쟁에 영감을 준 5·18민주화운동의 용기와 진실
1985년 초판 출간 당시 5·18의 진실에 목말라하던 온 국민에게 큰 충격을 주며 ‘지하 베스트셀러’로 수많은 사람들이 숨죽여 읽던 책 『죽음을 넘어 시대의 어둠을 넘어』가 32년 만에 전면개정판으로 출간되었다. 『죽음을 넘어 시대의 어둠을 넘어』는 5·18민주화운동에 대한 최초의 체계적인 기록물로, 항쟁에 참여했던 광주시민의 시각과 증언을 온전히 담으려고 노력했을 뿐 아니라 이번 전면개정판에서는 최근까지 공개된 5·18 당시 계엄군의 군사작전 내용과 5·18 관련 재판 결과를 반영하여 역사적·법률적 성격을 규명하는 데도 애썼다. 또한 항쟁의 당사자 외에 당시 현장을 취재했던 내외신기자들의 증언과 기사 등을 통해 입체적이고 객관적으로 기술하고자 노력하였다.
1980년 항쟁 직후 당국의 엄혹한 감시를 피해 비밀리에 시작된 자료수집과 취재는 참여하는 모든 이가 위험을 감수해야 하는 집단작업이었다. 이런 제한된 여건 속에서 어렵사리 나온 초판은 320면에 불과했으나 이번 개정판은 그간의 5·18청문회와 재판, 특별법 제정 등에 따른 진상 조사와 연구를 토대로 방대한 추가자료를 정리해 초판의 2배에 달하는 600면이 넘는 분량으로 나왔다.
32년 전의 초판이 ‘폭도들의 무장난동’으로 왜곡된 항쟁의 진실을 알리기 위해서였다면 본 개정판은 2008년 보수정부 집권 이후 갈수록 노골화된 항쟁의 진상과 참여자에 대한 날조와 폄훼에 대항하기 위해 준비되었다. 초판이 전두환정권의 불법성과 폭력성을 폭로함으로써 1987년 6월항쟁의 기폭제가 된 것처럼 개정판은 박근혜정부 탄핵 이후 극우수구세력의 역사왜곡에 맞서 우리 현대사를 바로 세우고 평화와 인권의 대한민국으로 나아가기 위한 주춧돌이 될 것이다.
608 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 1985
About the author
Hwang Sok-yong
73 books339 followersHwang Sok-yong (황석영) was born in Hsinking (today Changchun), Manchukuo, during the period of Japanese rule. His family returned to Korea after liberation in 1945. He later obtained a bachelor's degree in philosophy from Dongguk University (동국대학교).
In 1964 he was jailed for political reasons and met labor activists. Upon his release he worked at a cigarette factory and at several construction sites around the country.
In 1966–1969 he was part of Korea's military corps during the Vietnam War, reluctantly fighting for the American cause that he saw as an attack on a liberation struggle.
In 1964 he was jailed for political reasons and met labor activists. Upon his release he worked at a cigarette factory and at several construction sites around the country.
In 1966–1969 he was part of Korea's military corps during the Vietnam War, reluctantly fighting for the American cause that he saw as an attack on a liberation struggle.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
February 15, 2025
Insanely impressive historical doc! I will say though, for the purpose of being a book given out at a museum, it is incredibly dense. Would sometimes drag through.
However, it's a very thought provoking example of resistance and the price of it. And how the state will continue to resist acknowledging a massacre decades in the future.
However, it's a very thought provoking example of resistance and the price of it. And how the state will continue to resist acknowledging a massacre decades in the future.
February 21, 2024
Important but not really a book for reading as such. This catalogues in great detail the extraordinary uprising in this city in 1980 against the rightwing dictatorship of Chun Doo-hwan, which put Gwangju in the control of armed students and factory workers for several days, before being crushed with extreme violence. The book, first published as samizdat in 1985, was designed to outline precisely what happened, who shot who and when, and was aimed at the (then official, now more culty and online) claims that it was incited by North Korea, was just rioting, etc etc. It does this well, but if you don't know much about the context of the ROK under the dictatorships of Park and Chun, you'd be quite lost as to how and why all this happened in the first place, and it becomes essentially a list of atrocities. There are I assume books in Korean that give a wider history of the events, and maybe Verso should translate them sometime too.
June 8, 2023
Gwangju Uprising: The Rebellion for Democracy in South Korea deserves all the accolades and awards! This is an excellent account of a complicated and multi faceted event. It serves as great reference book of democracy's struggles under an authoritarian military regime. The book's use of multiple sources of information provides credible and verifiable facts concerning the protests in Gwangju South Korea in 1980. For me, an ignorant one, of the episode, I found the level of detail overwhelming. However, the detailed chronology of events and participants is absolutely necessary for accountability. May the dead and survivals have peace. A huge sense of gratitude to the media, journalists and others who risked their own lives to document the uprising. A free press is so important to all peoples regardless of their style of governance.
February 23, 2024
Rounding my ratings up to 5🌟 because from the deepest, sincerest part of my heart, this book deserves it. The amount of research, fact checking, reviewing etc that went into this,,, I can't even begin to fathom.
Plus the fact that Hwang Sok-yong and the late Na Byeong-sik were imprisoned in the efforts of getting this book—and the truth—out to the general public is just so enraging to me.
Getting back to the book. It's not an easy read, which is why my actual rating is 4.5🌟. At parts it can feel so dry but at others the testimonies were so harrowing and emotional it's almost impossible to continue reading. It took me awhile to finish reading this for that very reason (and because this book is pretty long too, of course).
It's not something I can easily go back to but I feel so fortunate to have even found out about this book's existence especially considering all the methods used (and still being used) to suppress and silence those who so much as try to have an honest conversation about the Gwangju Uprising.
Plus the fact that Hwang Sok-yong and the late Na Byeong-sik were imprisoned in the efforts of getting this book—and the truth—out to the general public is just so enraging to me.
Getting back to the book. It's not an easy read, which is why my actual rating is 4.5🌟. At parts it can feel so dry but at others the testimonies were so harrowing and emotional it's almost impossible to continue reading. It took me awhile to finish reading this for that very reason (and because this book is pretty long too, of course).
It's not something I can easily go back to but I feel so fortunate to have even found out about this book's existence especially considering all the methods used (and still being used) to suppress and silence those who so much as try to have an honest conversation about the Gwangju Uprising.
December 28, 2025
A very intersting read, that I devoured. The sacrifice that the students, the blue collar workers, and every single civilian that was murdered in Gwangju, should inspire us and make us look to what privilege democracy is, and how it must be defended.
March 25, 2025
“Gwangju Uprising” by Hwang Sok-yong, Lee Jae-eui and Jeon Yong-ho isn’t the book for readers who know little about South Korea. It is a book written primarily for Korean readers and, I dare say, for those who are personally related to the events described. It doesn’t contextualise the Gwangju Uprising or explain clearly the events that led to pro-democracy student protests at that time.
Gwangju Uprising was a several days long uprising, started non-violently by students in May 1980, who demanded democracy and removal of the military dictator Chun Doo-hwan from power. In South Korea it is known as May 18 Democratization Movement. Very quickly soldiers and paratroopers from the Republic of Korea Special Warfare Command started shooting at people, brutally beating thousands of protesters and ordinary citizens of all ages, using bayonets, torturing, sexually harassing and indiscriminately killing many, also farmers and residents of villages near Gwangju who happened to be on the roads in those days. Official number of people killed is not know but it is estimated that as many as around 2,000 people were killed within just a few days, before the uprising was suppressed.
The authors of the book list meticulously every single event, no matter how minor, minute by minute, in many parts of the city. They mention the fate of hundreds of people as the large part of the book is based on personal testimonies. The attention to detail and accuracy are impressive but the tone is more of objective reporting. I didn’t expect the book about the Gwangju Massacre to be so devoid of emotion but I believe it was necessary. All authors were directly involved in the uprising and I imagine that this style of writing was least affecting their own mental health and helping them process their trauma instead.
Despite it being neutral in tone, it was a harrowing read. So many lives cut short unnecessarily, so much suffering, so much pain that is haunting Koreans until this day. “Gwangju Uprising” is paired well with “Human Acts” by Han Kang and the novella “There a Petal Silently Falls” by Ch’oe Yun.
Gwangju Uprising was a several days long uprising, started non-violently by students in May 1980, who demanded democracy and removal of the military dictator Chun Doo-hwan from power. In South Korea it is known as May 18 Democratization Movement. Very quickly soldiers and paratroopers from the Republic of Korea Special Warfare Command started shooting at people, brutally beating thousands of protesters and ordinary citizens of all ages, using bayonets, torturing, sexually harassing and indiscriminately killing many, also farmers and residents of villages near Gwangju who happened to be on the roads in those days. Official number of people killed is not know but it is estimated that as many as around 2,000 people were killed within just a few days, before the uprising was suppressed.
The authors of the book list meticulously every single event, no matter how minor, minute by minute, in many parts of the city. They mention the fate of hundreds of people as the large part of the book is based on personal testimonies. The attention to detail and accuracy are impressive but the tone is more of objective reporting. I didn’t expect the book about the Gwangju Massacre to be so devoid of emotion but I believe it was necessary. All authors were directly involved in the uprising and I imagine that this style of writing was least affecting their own mental health and helping them process their trauma instead.
Despite it being neutral in tone, it was a harrowing read. So many lives cut short unnecessarily, so much suffering, so much pain that is haunting Koreans until this day. “Gwangju Uprising” is paired well with “Human Acts” by Han Kang and the novella “There a Petal Silently Falls” by Ch’oe Yun.
January 21, 2026
Gwangju Uprising: The Rebellion for Democracy in South Korea is a comprehensive account of 5.18 from both military and civilian perspectives. Hwang Sok-yong took on a mammoth-sized task in covering the Gwangju Uprising, which has been subjected to suppression and revisionism from far-right South Koreans in the past and present.
As a Korean adoptee born in Gwangju, it was both empowering and heart-wrenching to hear the testimonies of ordinary civilians-turned-revolutionaries. Although I knew the basic facts of the uprising, I was unaware that residents of Gwangju ran the city independently for several days after the paratroopers and the Singunbu sphere of influence retreated, albeit tactically. The events of May 1980 were led and influenced by student democracy movements, but were supported and led by ordinary citizens who lent their time, resources, and efforts after witnessing the indiscriminate detainment, beating, and slaughter of activists by paratroopers. It goes to show that political oppression never truly silences the will of the people.
I leave this reading experience with a profound sense of pride knowing that I was born in a city that resisted in the face of extreme oppression.
As a Korean adoptee born in Gwangju, it was both empowering and heart-wrenching to hear the testimonies of ordinary civilians-turned-revolutionaries. Although I knew the basic facts of the uprising, I was unaware that residents of Gwangju ran the city independently for several days after the paratroopers and the Singunbu sphere of influence retreated, albeit tactically. The events of May 1980 were led and influenced by student democracy movements, but were supported and led by ordinary citizens who lent their time, resources, and efforts after witnessing the indiscriminate detainment, beating, and slaughter of activists by paratroopers. It goes to show that political oppression never truly silences the will of the people.
I leave this reading experience with a profound sense of pride knowing that I was born in a city that resisted in the face of extreme oppression.
December 7, 2022
A late contender for my favorite book of the year. This famous all encompassing account of the events in Gwangju in May 1980 has recently been released in English for the first time. It presents in graphic and intense detail the demonstrations against the martial law in Korea and the subsequent military crackdown leaving over 200 civilians dead. This one of the most important moments in Korean history but yet is almost unknown by us in the west. Epsically in this modern age were South Korea's hyper capitalist success and export of cultural products are filled with references to this Era, its important to learn the history it comes out of. From Bong Jon Ho and Park Chan Wook to squid game and BTS. The gwanju uprising cast a shadow over Korean society were an activist cultural still gleams inspiration from it and fights for justice.
January 14, 2023
Detailed account of South Korea's fight for democracy. Courageous protestors up against the indiscriminate brutality, violence, and killings committed by the military, which was ordered by Chun Doo-hwan.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews