"Long Journey Back"... Ruling and Opposition Parties Join Hands to Sing 'March for the Beloved'

Jung Jin-seok, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, Praises President Yoon Seok-yeol's Speech as 'Sincere'
Im I-ja: "Heartfelt and Moving"... Lee Yang-su: "Deeply Emotional That We Are All Moving Forward Together"

President Yoon Suk-yeol attended the 42nd anniversary ceremony of the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement held at the National May 18 Democratic Cemetery in Buk-gu, Gwangju, on the morning of the 18th, and led the singing of the "March for the Beloved." (Photo by Yonhap News)

[Asia Economy reporters Hyunju Lee and Boryeong Geum] "Did it take a long time to get here?"

At the 42nd anniversary ceremony of the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement, Jeong Jin-seok, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly from the People Power Party, said this to Kim Sang-hee, Deputy Speaker from the Democratic Party, who was sitting right next to him. Seeing Deputy Speaker Kim shedding tears throughout the ceremony, Deputy Speaker Jeong's heart also grew solemn.

In a phone interview with Asia Economy on the 18th, Deputy Speaker Jeong said, "I had come here once before in 2016 when I was acting party leader, but today’s ceremony showed us united as one," adding, "It truly feels like we have come a long way, after many twists and turns."

He emphasized, "We held hands and sang the 'March for the Beloved,' and this gave us a starting point to overcome enmity, conflict, and division, and to dream of harmony based on mutual respect and understanding."

Deputy Speaker Jeong highly praised President Yoon Seok-yeol’s speech delivered at the ceremony that day, saying, "It was filled with sincerity."

Im Eui-ja, a People Power Party lawmaker from the Korean Federation of Trade Unions, used the word 'touching' to describe her feelings about attending the ceremony. Lawmaker Im explained, "The democratization movement should not be viewed through partisan lenses, but it has taken 42 years to come this far," adding, "My heart was moved and touched." She sang the 'March for the Beloved' for the first time in years that day.

She continued, "Since former Emergency Committee Chairman Kim Jong-in, we have talked about national unity including Honam, and it seems those efforts are now bearing fruit," adding, "President Yoon always spoke about the spirit of May 18 during his presidential campaign, and I think today was the first step to fulfilling that promise."

She also emphasized 'national unity.' Lawmaker Im said, "The People Power Party, as the ruling party, and the government, as the government, must make efforts for national unity," adding, "I think we need to create an atmosphere where our people can live with less stress in a more harmonious environment."

People Power Party leader Lee Jun-seok, Democratic Party co-emergency committee chairs Park Ji-hyun and Yoon Ho-jung are singing "March for the Beloved" at the 42nd anniversary ceremony of the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement held on the 18th at the National May 18 Democratic Cemetery in Unjeong-dong, Buk-gu, Gwangju. (Photo by Yonhap News)

Lee Yang-su, a lawmaker who was President Yoon’s chief spokesperson during the presidential election, also said, "It was not easy to attend the ceremony before because of ideological divisions and polarization, but this time going together was deeply moving," adding, "In the past, when our party members went, they were doused with water, but now we can keep going."

Lawmaker Lee said, "President Yoon said during the election, 'Even after the election, we must keep going to Gwangju for reconciliation,'" adding, "Last month, as president-elect, he attended the Jeju 4.3 Memorial Ceremony, and today the May 18 ceremony. These actions resonate more with people and create a unifying atmosphere than repeating 'unity' 100 times in speeches."