Hong Jun-pyo Visits 5·18 National Cemetery, Says "May Spirit Can Be Included in the Preamble of the Constitution"

Visitation the Day Before the May 18 Memorial Ceremony... "Meritorious Persons List Must Be Disclosed"

Written in Guestbook: 'Jinchungboguk'... Emphasizing the 'Dalbit Alliance' with Gwangju

Hong Jun-pyo, Mayor of Daegu Metropolitan City, expressed a positive view on the 'Inclusion of the May Spirit in the Constitution.'

On the 17th, a day before the 44th anniversary ceremony of the May 18 Democratic Movement, Mayor Hong and the Daegu city delegation paid tribute at the Gwangju National May 18 Democratic Cemetery. The tribute was attended by Gwangju Mayor Kang Ki-jung and Gwangju City Council Chairman Jeong Mu-chang, among others.

A delegation including Hong Jun-pyo, Mayor of Daegu Metropolitan City, and Kang Ki-jung, Mayor of Gwangju Metropolitan City, visited the National 5.18 Democratic Cemetery on the 17th, one day before the 5.18 Democratic Movement commemoration ceremony, to pay their respects.

This was Mayor Hong’s third visit to the May 18 Democratic Cemetery, following visits in 2017 and 2021. In the guestbook, he wrote 'Jinchungboguk (盡忠報國),' meaning to repay the country’s grace with utmost loyalty.

They honored the spirits of martyr Yoon Sang-won, who served as the spokesperson for the citizen army during May 18, and martyr Jeon Young-jin, a third-year student at Daedong High School who died at the site of the mass shooting in front of the provincial government office on May 21, 1980.

Mayor Hong Jun-pyo stated, "Our country’s constitution includes the March 1st Movement, which resisted Japanese colonial rule, and the April 19 Revolution, which opposed Syngman Rhee’s dictatorship. The May 18 Movement is a monumental movement that resisted military dictatorship on the same level," adding, "Therefore, I believe it is appropriate to include it in the preamble of the constitution."

He continued, "However, May 18 merit recipients are demanding to be elevated to 'national merit recipients,' but there is no organization among South Korea’s national merit recipients whose list is kept confidential," and said, "In a country that honors the spirit of the May 18 sacrifice, why is the list kept secret? It should be disclosed."

Furthermore, he explained, "Do not distort the call for disclosure of the list as damaging the May 18 spirit," and said, "They did not commit any crime; they sacrificed their lives for the country, so why should the list be kept secret?"

He also mentioned the joint efforts of Gwangju and Daegu for the third achievement following the simultaneous passage of the Military Airport Relocation Special Act and the Dalbit Railroad Act.

Mayor Hong said, "We plan to discuss with Mayor Kang Ki-jung to amend the shortcomings of the previously passed laws," adding, "The core of the amendment is balanced national development and regional development."

He added, "We are preparing an amendment with Mayor Kang to turn the military airport relocation sites in Gwangju and Daegu into regulation-free zones like Dubai to attract industries," emphasizing, "If the amendment passes, Gwangju and Daegu will stand tall as central cities of South Korea’s regions."

In response, Gwangju Mayor Kang Ki-jung said, "Gwangju and Daegu are cities symbolizing democratization movements with histories of May 18 and February 28, but they must transform into cities with many strong small and medium enterprises," and pledged, "We will join hands with Daegu to nurture them into shining and central cities of South Korea."