Events during 1980 democratic uprising led to psychological disorder
A man who served in the military during the suppression of the Gwangju uprising in 1980 is asking the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs for formal recognition as someone who has performed meritorious service to the state. Lawyer Jeon Seong, representing Kim Dong-gwan, 48, said on Sunday that he wants Kim to be recognized for "meritorious service to the state" because he was injured while on duty. Kim has a serious psychological disorder, which he "clearly got while serving in the military at a unique time in modern Korean history," said Jeon. "The beatings and abusive treatment he received from his superiors made the symptoms worse."Kim was a dispatcher during the suppression of the Gwangju democratic uprising, in which hundreds died, and was beaten repeatedly after challenging superiors who directed soldiers to massacre civilians. Shortly after being discharged from the military in November of the same year, he was diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and has spent time in more than 20 mental hospitals in the 26 years since. An official at the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs said that so far no one has been granted recognition for meritorious service to the state for having psychological disorders resulting from shock and fear after being part of the military forces that put down the popular uprising. "It might be hard to prove that Kim was injured while on duty, because there are no records of him being treated while in the military," said the official. "So far, no one has been given similar recognition."
