President Lee Jae Myung, center, attends a ceremony in Gwangju, 267 kilometers south of Seoul, commemorating the May 18 democratization movement, Monday. Yonhap
President Lee Jae Myung said Monday the solidarity demonstrated during the 1980 pro-democracy movement in the southern city of Gwangju was revived in the public's efforts to thwart the 2024 martial law attempt and safeguard democracy.
Lee made the remarks at a ceremony in Gwangju commemorating the May 18 democratization movement, during which civilians stood up against the military junta led by then Gen. Chun Doo-hwan, who sent troops to suppress the movement. Chun later became president.
"A great Republic of Korea stopped armed martial law forces with its bare hands in 2024, just as the citizens of Gwangju did in May 1980," Lee said at the ceremony in the city located some 270 kilometers southwest of Seoul.
"The harmonious world that flowered when all of Gwangju joined forces ... was reborn as 'the revolution of light' in 2024 to safeguard democracy," the president said, referring to the thwarted martial law attempt by ousted former President Yoon Suk Yeol.
On Dec. 3, 2024, Yoon declared martial law to drive out what he called "anti-state forces" and deployed armed soldiers to the National Assembly. Parliament, however, voted it down hours later as large numbers of citizens rushed to the assembly to block the troops.
Lee pledged to make every effort to include the spirit of the May 18 democratization movement in the preamble to the Constitution.
Earlier this month, the ruling Democratic Party unsuccessfully sought to bring a constitutional revision bill to a vote in parliament, aimed at tightening the rules for declaring martial law and incorporating the spirit of the 1980 pro-democracy movement in the Constitution.
"In order for the spirit of May to take deeper root in our society, the democratization ideology of the May 18 movement should be enshrined in South Korea's Constitution," Lee said.
The president also called for bipartisan cooperation to that end, describing such a constitutional change as a promise made to the public.
Source: Korea Times News
