A group of ethnic Koreans who had fought for democracy in their homeland during the military rule of the country ... have visited the May 18 Cemetery in Kwangju.

Twenty-eight former democracy activists Saturday paid homage in the cemetery in this southwestern city where some two hundred victims of the May 18th pro-democracy uprising lie buried.

The 28 activists are among 33 overseas Korean dissidents who arrived in Seoul Friday ... setting foot in their home country for the first time in decades.

Many of them were barred from entering the country... because of their ideological differences with past military regimes.

Most of them have been either expatriated or on self-imposed exile in Japan or Europe, waging struggles against the military dictatorship from the early 60s through the late 80s.

Their homecoming was made possible after President Roh Moo-hyun granted a request from a local civic group to lift a ban on their visit.