[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Jin-hyung] The Gwangju Metropolitan City District Mayors' Council strongly demanded an immediate withdrawal along with a public apology from the Yoon Seok-yeol administration regarding the Ministry of Education's removal of the May 18 Democratic Movement from the curriculum on the 6th.
Kim Byung-nae, chairman of the District Mayors' Council, along with Im Taek, mayor of Dong-gu, Kim Yi-gang, mayor of Seo-gu, Moon In, mayor of Buk-gu, and Park Byung-gyu, mayor of Gwangsan-gu, stated, "In the 2022 revised social studies curriculum, while the April 19 Revolution and the June Democratic Uprising remain, only the May 18 Democratic Movement was excluded, which is a clear challenge to democracy."
The Gwangju District Mayors' Council also expressed regret, saying that the Yoon Seok-yeol administration's exclusion of the May 18 Democratic Movement is an act that completely denies the history of democracy.
The council said, "President Yoon attended the 42nd anniversary ceremony of the May 18 Democratic Movement last year and promised the 'inclusion of the May 18 spirit in the Constitution' and the 'restoration of the universal value of the May spirit,' yet less than a year later, he is trying to erase the May 18 Democratic Movement. This is an act that clearly goes against the development and inheritance of democracy."
They added, "The May 18 Democratic Movement has already been designated as a national memorial day through historical evaluation and is a proud symbol of our country's democracy, having been registered as a UNESCO Memory of the World."
Finally, they strongly urged, "The Ministry of Education must issue a public apology for damaging the spirit of democracy and committing a retrogressive mistake, immediately take corrective action, and make every effort to ensure that the noble history and values of the May 18 Democratic Movement are properly conveyed to future generations."
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