Nevertheless, the military gangsters who seized power through the "December 12 army purge coup" responded to the people's growing demand for democracy with the May 17 military fascist action in spring of 1980 by an order of the U.S. imperialists.

The declaration of "emergency martial law" in the wake of "martial law" which lasted for more than half a year under the reign of the military forces and strengthened fascist dictatorial rule sparked off great resistance of the south Korean people. It triggered off the fierce Kwangju Popular Uprising on May 18.

The uprisers had put the city under their total control for more than 10 days.

Rodong Sinmun Saturday says in a bylined article in this regard:

The Kwangju Popular Uprising was patriotic and popular resistance to realize the desire of the south Korean people for independence, democracy and reunification and a heroic armed uprising unprecedented in the modern history of the East.

The uprising recorded a shining page in the history of the south Korean people's struggle against the U.S. and fascist forces and it still remains a symbol of the patriotic struggle of the people from all walks of life for independence, democracy and reunification.

What the Kwangju uprisers desired 33 years ago was independence, democracy and reunification.

However, foreign forces' domination and their stooges' dictatorial rule are still persisting in south Korea.

It was none other than the U.S. which instigated the south Korean troops to put down the uprising at the point of bayonet. It was again the U.S. which zealously patronized and backed the military gangsters in their operation to turn Kwangju into a scene of genocide. It was none other than the U.S. which wirepulled the pro-U.S. conservative forces' seizure of power after ouster of pro-democracy and reform forces in a bid to put an end to the June 15 era of reunification.

In order to translate the desire of the participants in the uprising into a reality, it is necessary to terminate the U.S. imperialists' colonial domination over south Korea and achieve the democratic development of society, concludes the article.