Seoul: The Supreme Court has upheld lower courts’ rulings in favor of psychological damage compensation for hundreds of victims of the brutal crackdown on the 1980 pro-democracy uprising in the southwestern city of Gwangju, judicial officials said Monday.

According to Yonhap News Agency, in the ruling finalized by the top court last Thursday, the government was ordered to pay 43 billion won (US$30.6 million) to 854 Gwangju uprising-related victims and their families to compensate them for their psychological sufferings. District and appellate courts, recognizing the need for mental damage compensation in line with the Constitutional Court’s ruling, set compensation for arrest, detention or imprisonment at 300,000 won per day, while awarding 5 million won for injuries without disabilities. In case of disabilities caused by injuries, a compensation of 30 million won was recognized, with 15 million won added for every 5 percent increase in the labor ability loss rate.

The lawsuit was launched in November 2021
after the Constitutional Court ruled in May of the same year that past compensation failed to properly address and heal the psychological pains of the victims. On May 18, 1980, the military cracked down on demonstrators, including students, protesting against then President Chun Doo-hwan, who had taken power in a military coup a year earlier. The harsh quelling of the uprising left more than 200 dead and 1,800 others wounded.