Exhibition honoring German journalist Jürgen Hinzpeter to open in Gwangju

The Former Jeonnam Provincial Government Building will host "The Record Continues–The Blue-Eyed Witness, Hinzpeter's Legacy" from November 5 until March 28, 2027, to mark the 10th anniversary of the late journalist's passing. The exhibition features photographs, videos, and personal belongings of the man who served as the real-life model for the movie 'A Taxi Driver'.

A special exhibition highlighting the life and records of the late German journalist Jürgen Hinzpeter, who reported on the scenes of the 1980 May 18 Democratization Movement to inform the world of the atrocities in Gwangju, will be held at the Former Jeonnam Provincial Government Building in Gwangju.

The Former Jeonnam Provincial Government Building Restoration Team under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced that, in collaboration with the May 18 Memorial Foundation, it will host "The Record Continues–The Blue-Eyed Witness, Hinzpeter's Legacy" at the Special Exhibition Room of the Former Jeonnam Provincial Government Building (formerly the Police Bureau Civil Service Room) from November 5 until March 28, 2027. This exhibition was organized to mark the 10th anniversary of Hinzpeter's passing and to examine the significance of his reporting activities and records through photographs, videos, and personal belongings.

Hinzpeter was a figure who entered Gwangju in 1980, evading control by the martial law army, to cover the May 18 Democratization Movement and informed the international community of the situation in Gwangju by delivering footage filmed on-site abroad. He is also known as the real-life model for the German journalist appearing in the movie 'A Taxi Driver'.

The exhibition consists of three parts. Part 1, "Reviving May," introduces the process of entering Gwangju while evading martial law army control and the photographs and videos filmed at the time. Visitors can examine the reporting situation through reporting albums, business trip expense settlement statements, and maps reconstructed by estimating his movement routes.

Part 2, "Seeing the World," covers Hinzpeter's activities recording scenes in Gwangju as well as various locations around the world. By recreating his living space and exhibiting items he used during his lifetime—such as his passport, notebook, typewriter, reporting tapes, and collected books—the exhibition shows his life and perspective as a journalist.

Part 3, "Connecting May," highlights how his spirit of recording continues today through plaques and souvenirs he received and materials related to the "Hinzpeter International Reporting Award." On the opening day, the "2026 Hinzpeter International Reporting Award" ceremony, hosted by the May 18 Memorial Foundation, will also be held in the conference room of the Former Jeonnam Provincial Government Building.

On November 5, the opening day of the exhibition, an academic forum will also take place at Jeonil Building 245. Under the theme "Memory and Practice of the May 18 and the Korean Democratization Movement: The Value and Possibility of Transmission and Utilization of Intangible Heritage," the forum will examine the citizen participation, solidarity, and community practices that emerged during the democratization movement from the perspective of intangible heritage. The event will feature keynote presentations by Choi Jeong-gi, director of the May 18 International Research Institute, and Lee Yeong-bae, a professor at Gyeongkuk National University, followed by topical presentations and a general discussion.

A policy official from the Former Jeonnam Provincial Government Building Restoration Team stated, "This special exhibition and academic forum will serve as an opportunity to reflect on the significance of the records that informed the world of the truth of the May 18 Democratization Movement and to re-examine the values of democracy that citizens have protected."

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