Cultural Memories of State Violence

A cross-cultural comparison of commemorative practices at Hiroshima’s Genbaku Dome and Kwangju’s May 18 Democracy Cemetery reveals distinct societal responses to state violence. While Hiroshima exhibits ambivalence about its victimhood, maintaining a moral stance as an anti-nuclear pacifist leader despite political compromises, Kwangju has transformed from a site of protest into a symbol of Korean democratization, rejecting self-victimization in favor of resistance and heroism. The study highlights how Japanese cultural modes permit situational logic and ambivalence, whereas Korean cultural narratives emphasize resistance and the aggrandizement of tragic pasts.

Kim, M. (2022). Cultural Memories of State Violence. Cultures of Memory in Asia, 7–27. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003242253-2