Submission of a 'Urgent Recommendation' to the National Council of Chairpersons of Provincial and Metropolitan Councils
The Gwangju Metropolitan Council (Chairman Jeong Muchang) announced on the 16th that it has submitted a “Resolution Urging the Inclusion of the Spirit of May 18 in the Preamble of the Constitution” to the 3rd Extraordinary Meeting of the Council of Chairpersons of Provincial Councils of the Republic of Korea, to be held in Suncheon, Jeollanam-do on the 27th.
Through the resolution, the council stated, “The May 18 Democratic Movement was followed by the enactment of the ‘Special Act on the May 18 Democratic Movement, etc.’ in 1995, designated as a national memorial day in 1997, and registered as a UNESCO Memory of the World in 2011,” adding, “Despite the formation of a national consensus on the historical facts of May 18, distortion and disparagement continue to be repeated.”
It also pointed out, “South Korea’s democracy cannot be explained without including May 18,” and “Although democracy is the fundamental principle and ideological foundation of the Constitution, the spirit of May 18 is notably absent.”
Furthermore, it emphasized, “May 18 is not the history of a specific region or generation but the history of all of South Korea,” and “If its noble spirit is included in the preamble of the Constitution, it can be elevated to a value that all citizens learn and remember.”
Chairman Jeong Muchang said, “The Constitution represents what South Korea aspires to,” and added, “Now is a historic time to move forward from the memory of May 18 toward the future, so including it in the preamble of the Constitution should serve as an opportunity for all citizens to inherit the democratic spirit.”
He further stated, “In a situation where both ruling and opposition parties agree, the Yoon Suk-yeol administration and the newly inaugurated 22nd National Assembly must promptly reach an agreement on constitutional amendment.”
The “Inclusion of the Spirit of May 18 in the Preamble of the Constitution” was a common pledge among presidential candidates including President Yoon Suk-yeol, and during the 22nd general election, leaders of both ruling and opposition parties actively supported the pledge, promising to ensure its inclusion.
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