Jeonbuk National University (JBNU) Archives and History Museum (Director Eun-hee Kim) will hold a special JBNU history exhibition, "The Resonance of May 18: Photo Exhibition in Memory of Martyr Lee Se-jong," as part of the National University Promotion Project.

This exhibition commemorates the 42nd anniversary of May 18 and honors Lee Se-jong, who represents JBNU's democratization movement. The exhibition will be held from May 16 to May 21 and from June 2 to June 30 in the Central Hall, JBNU University Museum. The exhibition features 27 personal effects of the martyr. 

At approximately 1:30 a.m. on May 18, 1980, Lee Se-jong (then a second-year student in the Department of Agronomy) was found dead in the First Student Hall at JBNU with his body bruised and covered in blood. The circumstances of his death remained unclear. In 1993, Professor Dong-geun Lee of JBNU, who had examined the body at the time, raised the possibility that death resulted from collective assault by martial law troops prior to a fall. Ultimately, in October 1998 the compensation review board for Gwangju democratization recognized him as a May 18 death, restoring his honor, and he was interred in April 1999 at the National May 18 Democratic Cemetery in Gwangju. Members of the university community erected a memorial stone in his honor and hold a commemorative ceremony every May 17 to reaffirm the spirit of May 18.

The personal effects of the martyr on display were donated to the JBNU Archives and History Museum by his family in 2010. A photograph from his days at Jeonra High School and a high-school textbook inscribed in his own handwriting show Lee Se-jong as the earnest young man full of dreams that he was. The admission ticket to the College of Agriculture at JBNU symbolizes his first connection to the university. The bloodstained clothing he was wearing at the time of his death and the school flag that covered his body reflect the horrific circumstances of that time. The handouts used at memorial events for Lee Se-jong reveal the wishes of JBNU community members who sought to honor his legacy.

Eun-hee Kim, Director of the JBNU Archives and History Museum, said, "The martyr's personal effects are not only democratization historical materials but also valuable resources that connect the spirit of May 18 from the past to the present and the future," adding, "Through this photo exhibition, I hope to elevate the spirit of May 18 not only at JBNU but throughout the Jeonbuk region, and to see Lee Se-jong's youthful spirit revived."