Many townsfolk were growing unhappy with the military presence in their cities, and on 18 May, the citizens of Gwangju organized into what became known as the Gwangju Democratization Movement.
Banyak warga kota yang tumbuh tidak senang dengan kehadiran militer di kota-kota mereka, dan pada tanggal 18 Mei, warga Gwangju diatur dalam apa yang dikenal sebagai Gerakan Demokratisasi Gwangju.