(1 Oct 1995) Korean/Nat
A military crackdown on a pro-democracy movement 15 years ago continues to take centre stage in today's South Korea.
The 1980 massacre of 200 civilians during an uprising in the southern city of Kwangju was re-enacted Sunday for a movie reconstruction.
The film re-enactment came a day after thousands of students marched through Seoul demanding that two former presidents be tried in connection with the deaths.
Scenes of strife on the streets of South Korea.
But if the burning vehicles and clouds of tear gas had you fooled, the slightly too well-behaved rioters give the game away -- this isn't for real but a reconstruction of the dramatic events of 15 years ago.
A half-kilometre stretch of the central Kooman-ro in Seoul was cordoned off to give director Chang Sun-woo space to recreate the Kwangju uprising for a film entitled "Flower Petals".
Around five-thousand extras were drafted in to recreate a scene where troops open fire on an angry mob killing 200 people.
To many Koreans the crushing of the uprising remains a fresh and traumatic memory.
SOUNDBITE: (in Korean)
"I saw the whole thing happen in person from where I am standing. There was a lot of tear gas and people were running and then the shots began. As a citizen, I felt such rage."
SUPER CAPTION: Hwang, Il-soo, 53 years old citizen of Kwangju
The film follows two days of real protests and violent clashes with police as students took to the streets of Seoul calling for the prosecution of two former presidents in connection with the massacre.
The students are angry that Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo have not been tried for ordering the Kwangju crackdown.
Prosecutors decided several months ago not to indict the former presidents, and current president Kim Young-sam has urged Koreans to let history judge the case.
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