Even more significant than these protests are televised legislative hearings into formerly taboo subjects like the Kwangju incident.

American officials are bracing for more criticism as the legislature prepares to investigate the Kwangju incident.

After taking office last year, he publicly described the Kwangju incident as a pro-democracy uprising and agreed to compensate the victims.

These include allegations of corruption and the 1980 Kwangju incident, in which Government troops killed hundreds of demonstrators.

For many Koreans, the Kwangju incident was unforgiveable and the Government's silence intolerable.

For the first time, the Government agreed that the Kwangju incident could be considered "a part of the democratization efforts of students and citizens."

This gulf of distrust and bitterness is seldom so vast as in discussions of the Kwangju incident.

Instead, the leading response was the Kwangju incident.

"The Kwangju incident was the driving force to bring me into this political world," said Mr. Kim.

Mr. Chun said little about the Kwangju incident.