Special Exhibition of Records and Personal Effects Marks 10th Anniversary of German Journalist Jurgen Hinzpeter, Who Brought the Truth of May 18 to the World

Opens Nov. 5 at the planning exhibition hall of the Former Jeonnam Provincial Government Office
Photos, footage, reporting albums, and a typewriter on display
Academic forum on the May 18 Movement to be held at Jeonil Building 245

An exhibition highlighting the life of the late German journalist Jürgen Hinzpeter (1937-2016), who entered Gwangju during the May 18 Democratization Movement in 1980 and informed the world of the truth, will be held.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's Former Jeonnam Provincial Government Building Restoration Promotion Team announced on November 3 that it will hold a special exhibition, "The Record Continues: The Legacy Left by Hinzpeter, the Blue-Eyed Witness," jointly with the May 18 Memorial Foundation from November 5, 2026, to March 28, 2027, in the former Jeonnam Provincial Government Building's special exhibition hall (the Provincial Police Bureau's public service office).

The special exhibition was organized to mark the 10th anniversary of Hinzpeter's death. He was also the real-life model for the foreign correspondent featured in the film "A Taxi Driver." Through his photographs, video footage and personal effects, the exhibition explores his life as a journalist who documented events on the ground and reported the truth throughout his career, as well as the significance of his records.

Former Jeonnam Provincial Government Building

Part 1, "Bringing May Back to Life," introduces how Hinzpeter entered Gwangju while evading the martial law forces' control, along with photographs and video footage he shot at the time. Visitors can learn about the urgent reporting conditions through his reporting albums, expense settlement forms and a map reconstructed based on his estimated route. Part 2, "Seeing the World," focuses on Hinzpeter's work documenting events in Gwangju and around the world. It recreates his living space and displays personal effects, including his passport, notebooks, typewriter, reporting tapes and collected books, offering a glimpse into his life and perspective as a journalist. Part 3, "Passing May On," explores the journalistic spirit he upheld, which continues to this day, through his awards and mementos and materials related to the Hinzpeter International Journalism Award. After the opening ceremony, the 2026 Hinzpeter International Journalism Award ceremony, hosted by the May 18 Memorial Foundation, will be held in the former Jeonnam Provincial Government Building's conference room.

On November 5, the opening day of the special exhibition, an academic forum will also be held at Jeonil Building 245 in Dong-gu, Jeonnam-Gwangju, under the theme "Memories and Practices of May 18 and Korea's Democratization Movement: The Value of Intangible Heritage and the Potential for Its Transmission and Use." The forum will examine the significance of civic participation, solidarity and community-based practices in the May 18 and Korea's democratization movements from the perspective of intangible heritage. It will also discuss ways to pass these historical experiences and values on to future generations and promote them throughout society. Following keynote presentations by Choi Jeonggi, director of the May 18 International Research Institute, and Professor Lee Yeongbae of National Gyeongkuk University, there will be presentations on specific topics and a general discussion.

A policy official from the Former Jeonnam Provincial Government Building Restoration Promotion Team said, "We hope this special exhibition and academic forum will provide an opportunity to reflect on the significance of the records that informed the world of the truth about the May 18 Democratization Movement and to revisit the value of democracy upheld by citizens."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.