Hwasun-gun Holds Ceremony Commemorating the 43rd Anniversary of the May 18 Democratic Uprising

An Opportunity to Reexamine the Values of Democracy, Justice, and Freedom

On the 16th at 10 a.m., Hwasun-gun, Jeollanam-do, announced on the 17th that it attended the 43rd anniversary commemorative event of the May 18 Democratic Uprising held in front of the Hwasun Station May 18 Historic Site.

Hosted by the 43rd Anniversary Commemorative Event Committee of the May 18 Democratic Uprising, the event was held with about 100 attendees including Gu Bok-gyu, the governor of Hwasun-gun, Ha Seong-dong, chairman of the Hwasun-gun Council, council members, May 18 Democratic Uprising merit recipients and their families, and various organizations.

The event proceeded in the order of the national ceremony, flower offering and incense burning, commemorative speech for the May 18 Democratic Uprising, memorial speech, and the singing of the March for the Beloved.

Byun Jae-young, chairman of the Hwasun-gun branch of the May 18 Democratic Merit Recipients and Injured Association, said in his commemorative speech, "I cannot forget the tears of my mother who wetted the Mangwol-dong cemetery for over 40 years," and added, "We will actively continue activities to inherit the passionate democratic spirit of the comrades of May."

In the following memorial speech, Governor Gu Bok-gyu comforted the merit recipients and their families of the May 18 Democratic Uprising, stating, "Our county will do its best to honor the spirit of the May martyrs and to respect the merit recipients and their families."

Meanwhile, the Hwasun Station May 18 Historic Site, where this event was held for the first time, is a historically significant place where about 2,000 Hwasun citizens gathered to welcome the protesters during May 18, and where Hwasun youth began actively participating in the protests.