| Slogans in Kwangju are in many ways similar to those seen in Seoul and elsewhere. Why then has this southern city fallen into serious rioting and a very great loss of the government's ability to maintain public order? It is probable that regionalism is playing significant role in the intensity of the riot in Kwangju. Cholla people have felt themselves second class citizens for a long, long time and they escalated their protest to spirited confrontation with the authorities quickly in response to news of the detention of Kim Dae Jung, Cholla's leading politician, and the declaration of emergency martial law. |
