Gwangju Uprising: the Rebellion for Democracy in South Korea by Hwang Sok-yong & Lee Jae-eui & Jeon Yong-ho

Author:Hwang Sok-yong & Lee Jae-eui & Jeon Yong-ho
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Verso Books

11

Liberation IV

(Sunday, May 25: Day 8 of the Uprising)

The Poison Pin Incident

At 8:00 a.m. on May 25, Jang Gye-beom (age 23, bar manager), head of the resistance intelligence team, staggered into the office of the Director of Agriculture and Forestry at Province Hall, cradling his shoulder. “I’ve been pricked with a poison pin!” he cried.

When Shin Man-sik of the investigation department went over for a closer look, Jang refused his assistance and asked Jeong Hyang-gyu (age 32, driver, real name Jeong Hyeong-gyu) for help. Jeong pulled off Jang’s shirt, motioned as if sucking on the wound, and collapsed. Other members of the investigation department rushed them to Chonnam University Hospital. An air of distrust began to run through Province Hall. The conflicts within the two Settlement Committees had put everyone on edge overnight, and the prospect of a drawn-out battle with martial law troops had already drained morale. The poisoning incident further deflated enthusiasm at Province Hall. In a matter of minutes, rumors of North Korean infiltrators in the building spread like wildfire. People began to leave the premises one by one.

Resistance leaders guessed that the commotion was caused by intelligence agents working for martial law authorities or by those under the orders of agents. Student Settlement Committee vice-chair Kim Jong-bae calmed the resistance members and immediately instructed Kim Jun-bong of the investigation department to observe Jang Gye-beom. Kim went back and forth from the hospital to Province Hall, keeping a close eye on Jang, and stationed six armed resistance members in the hallways and just outside Jang’s hospital room. Jang’s family had already arrived, and the hospital was packed with reporters. Jang quietly called Kim over to tell him, “Kim Jong-bae of the leadership team and some of the women in the broadcasting office are commies—investigate them.” Kim warned Jang not to make wild accusations and returned to Province Hall to report the situation to the leaders.

Kim investigated the alleged poison pin used to attack Jang and found that it was a simple pin attached to an ordinary ballpoint pen. The owner of the pen was a student preparing for university entrance exams who had joined the resistance. When Kim took the circumstances into account, he concluded that Jang was the most suspicious person involved in the case. He went to the hospital and showed the pen to Jang’s doctor, explaining the situation. The doctor responded that Jang’s condition was likely caused by a temporary paralyzing substance rather than a poison pin.1 By the time Kim Jun-bong returned to the hospital room at 6:00 p.m., both Jang and Jeong were nowhere to be found. Reporters from KBS, the Chosun Ilbo, and other media had crowded the hospital to cover the incident. Resistance leaders at Province Hall immediately deployed Yun Seok-ru (age 22) and the mobile patrol squad to track them down. Although Jang had disappeared completely, they took Jeong Hyang-gyu into custody and brought him to the investigation department at Province Hall. The Settlement Committee officially announced that Jang Gye-beom was a spy planted by the government.

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