May 18 Foundation: 66% of Citizens Say Next Administration Should Include May 18 in Constitution Preamble

Regarding the May 18 Democratization Movement, South Korean citizens identified the most urgent issues that need to be re-investigated as the concealment, distortion, and fabrication of facts, as well as clarifying responsibility for the shootings. In addition, 6 out of 10 respondents stated that the next administration should include the spirit of the May 18 Democratization Movement in the preamble to the Constitution.

According to the May 18 Memorial Foundation on May 13, a survey on public awareness of the May 18 Democratization Movement was conducted by Southern Post, a specialized academic research and public opinion polling agency, commissioned by the foundation. The survey targeted 1,000 adults aged 18 and over nationwide. Among the respondents, 67.4% answered that it is 'necessary' to include the May 18 Democratization Movement in the preamble to the Constitution.

As for the tasks that the new government should pursue in relation to the May 18 Democratization Movement, "concealment, distortion, and fabrication of the May 18 Democratization Movement" was cited most frequently at 33.9%, followed by "clarifying the circumstances and responsibility for the shootings during May 18" (24.2%), and "allegations of secret burials of May 18 victims" (15.1%).

Regarding the most urgent issue that needs to be re-investigated in connection with the May 18 Democratization Movement, "concealment, distortion, and fabrication of the May 18 Democratization Movement" was cited most frequently at 33.9%. This was followed by "clarifying the circumstances and responsibility for the shootings during May 18" (24.2%), and "allegations of secret burials of May 18 victims" (15.1%).

Regarding the necessity of the May 18 Memorial Foundation's ongoing efforts to recover slush funds of the new military regime, 73.0% of respondents answered that such efforts are "necessary." The national awareness index for May 18, which comprehensively evaluates awareness, contribution, and overall image, was 72.9 points, the same as last year.

The margin of error for this survey is ±3.10 percentage points at a 95% confidence level.