Attendance at the Launch Ceremony of the 5·18 Minjung Uprising Commemoration Committee
"Making Next Year the First Year to Include the 45th Anniversary in the Constitution Preamble"
Gwangju Mayor Kang Gi-jung once again emphasized that the spirit of the May 18 Democratic Movement should be included in the preamble of the Constitution.
On the 19th, Mayor Kang attended the ‘Launch Ceremony of the 44th Anniversary May 18 People’s Uprising Commemoration Committee’ held at the National May 18 Democratic Cemetery, stating, “To prevent distortion and disparagement of the May 18 Democratic Movement, the spirit of May 18 must be included in the constitutional preamble.”
He continued, “In 1980, the new military regime created fake news labeling the movement as composed of subversive forces and rioters, and in 2024, candidates for the National Assembly from a major political party and the Senior Secretary for Civil Society at the Presidential Office have shamelessly made outrageous remarks and sophistries.”
He also said, “A history without perpetrators has lasted too long, and the time during which victims had to hide has been too lengthy. A history without perpetrators cannot reveal the truth, cannot lead to reflection, and is difficult to carry forward into the future,” emphasizing, “Thoroughly investigating the truth and leaving records must come before punishment, compensation, and restoration of honor.”
Furthermore, he declared, “The 45th anniversary of the May 18 Democratic Movement next year will be the inaugural year for including the spirit of May 18 in the constitutional preamble.”
Mayor Kang stated, “Including the spirit of May 18 in the constitutional preamble will stop the disparagement and distortion of May 18 and elevate the spirit of May 18 as a value that all citizens learn and remember,” adding, “We will unite the power of Gwangju City, the City Council, the May 18 People’s Uprising Commemoration Association, the Memorial Foundation, civic groups, and countless ‘Na-deul’ to move forward together.”
He also said, “This year’s 44th anniversary of the May 18 Democratic Movement should be a time of ‘emptying and reflection,’” explaining, “Only by emptying can we fill. We must shake off the conflicts, monopolies, and hatred remaining within us and reconcile, moving forward on the path of unity as we have led the history of last May.”
He urged clear truth-finding by the May 18 Truth Investigation Committee.
Mayor Kang pointed out, “The May 18 Truth Investigation Committee is concluding its activities and preparing a report without clearly investigating the most sought-after issues by the public, such as the person responsible for the shooting, the secret burial incident, the distortion and fabrication of May 18, and the armory attack incident.”
He added, “Together with everyone present here and the newly formed 22nd National Assembly, we will support the supplementation of the ‘unfinished report’ and determine the tasks and direction based on the final report.”
He further stated, “Through the ‘Basic Ordinance on the Succession of the Spirit of the May 18 Democratic Movement in Gwangju,’ which Gwangju City and the City Council are jointly promoting, we will include provisions in the ordinance to clearly define the inclusion of the spirit of May 18 in the constitutional preamble and the roles of the administration, the council, and various institutions.”
Gwangju City and the City Council are working to consolidate ten May 18-related ordinances into a single integrated ordinance.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
