"President Yoon, Declare the Inclusion of the May Spirit in the Constitution at the 5·18 Memorial Ceremony"

Gwangju Metropolitan Council Members from the Democratic Party Strongly Urge

Members of the Gwangju Metropolitan City Council affiliated with the Democratic Party of Korea urged President Yoon Suk-yeol to declare the direct inclusion of the May 18 Democratic Movement spirit in the preamble of the Constitution at the upcoming May 18 Democratic Movement Commemoration Ceremony on the 18th.

At last year's 42nd anniversary ceremony, President Yoon Suk-yeol stated, "The May spirit is the restoration of universal values and the very spirit of the liberal democratic Constitution," adding, "That spirit belongs to all of us and is a precious asset of the Republic of Korea."

He also emphasized, "The May spirit, which defended liberal democracy with blood, is the cornerstone of national unity, and let us work together so that the power of justice and truth embraced by May may shine forever beyond the times."

The council members said, "Not only has a strong will regarding May 18 been shown through the 42nd anniversary address, but the inclusion of the May 18 spirit in the constitutional preamble was also a common pledge among both ruling and opposition parties during the last presidential election," adding, "In particular, the people of the Republic of Korea remember that President Yoon consistently emphasized the inheritance of the May spirit since his candidacy."

They continued, "However, it is regrettable that constitutional amendment discussions have not progressed over the past year since his inauguration. A senior ruling party official caused controversy by making remarks opposing the inclusion of the May 18 spirit in the Constitution," and stated, "The 'Jeon Du-hwan Recovery 3 Acts' for recovering fines following the death of former President Jeon Du-hwan are still pending in the National Assembly. While the investigation and punishment of those responsible are slow, distortion and disparagement continue unabated."

Furthermore, they said, "Recently, five young members of the Gwangju Metropolitan City Council delivered a solemn message calling for reflection and innovation ahead of the 43rd anniversary of the May 18 Democratic Movement," emphasizing, "The May 18 Democratic Movement is a noble and proud history of the Republic of Korea that transcends generations and regions, and it must be further inherited and developed to move toward the future and the world."

They also explained, "The May 18 spirit contains universal values pursued by humanity that the world is paying attention to," and added, "Including the spirit of the May 18 Democratic Movement in the constitutional preamble is a fundamental solution and a practical tool to establish the identity of May 18 and to eradicate the history of distortion."

They concluded, "The government should actively take steps for the investigation and globalization of May 18, and must lead national unity by implementing a constitutional amendment to include the May 18 spirit in the preamble simultaneously with next year's general election."