On the 17th, one day before the 45th anniversary of the May 18 Democratic Movement, a memorial ritual honoring the spirits of the May victims is being held at the National May 18 Democratic Cemetery in Unjeong-dong, Buk-gu, Gwangju. Photo by Yonhap News
On the eve of the 45th anniversary of the May 18 Democratic Movement, a memorial ceremony was held at the National May 18 Democratic Cemetery in Buk-gu, Gwangju to honor and comfort the spirits of the May victims and to commemorate their spirit of sacrifice.
The memorial ritual, organized by the May 18 Democratic Merit Families Association (the Families Association), was attended by more than 500 people, including families of May 18 victims, Gwangju Mayor Kang Gijung, Jeonnam Province Vice Governor Myung Changhwan, Gwangju Superintendent of Education Lee Jungseon, Gwangju Regional Office of Patriots and Veterans Affairs Director Kim Seokki, National Assembly member Kim Sangwook, as well as various dignitaries and citizens.
The memorial event was divided into two parts: the first part was the memorial ritual, and the second part was the memorial ceremony.
The first part, the memorial ritual, was conducted in the traditional ceremonial format. Yang Jaehyuk, president of the Families Association, Jeong Jongmun, head of the Gwangju branch of the Families Association, and Yoon Namsik, president of the May 18 Democratic Movement Merit Association, each took the roles of chief officiant, secondary officiant, and final officiant, respectively.
During the second part, the memorial ceremony, members of the Gwangju Poetry Recitation Association read poems in remembrance, and attendees sang "March for the Beloved" together to honor the spirits of the victims.
Yang Jaehyuk, president of the Families Association, said, "We must work together to build a just and peaceful community so that the spirit of May 18 can continue to live and breathe in our society," and added, "The May spirit should be enshrined in the Constitution as the foundation of the nation's legitimacy and the spiritual basis of the Constitution."
He continued, "The truth will ultimately survive, and memory always becomes the force that changes the world," and stated, "May 18 is not an event of the past, but a living spirit that continues to sustain democracy in Korea at this very moment."
Mayor Kang said, "As we mark the 45th anniversary of May 18, we stand in the midst of a journey toward a new democratic government," and vowed, "We will not be ashamed in front of the spirits of May who led us here, and we will ensure that the spirit of May 18 is included in the preamble of the Constitution."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
