Lee Jae Myung of the Democratic Party of Korea, Lee Jun Seok of the Reform New Party, and Kwon Young Guk, presidential candidates of the Democratic Labor Party, are singing the "March for the Beloved" at the 45th anniversary ceremony of the May 18 Democratic Uprising held on the 18th at the National May 18 Democratic Cemetery in Buk District, Gwangju Metropolitan City. Photo by Yonhap News
The presidential candidates for the 21st election, who attended the 45th anniversary ceremony of the May 18 Democratic Uprising, pledged to include the "spirit of May 18" in the preamble of the Constitution.
Lee Jae Myung, the Democratic Party of Korea's presidential candidate, met with reporters immediately after the ceremony held at the National May 18 Democratic Cemetery in Gwangju on the 18th and stated, "May 18 is not just a part of history; it is a spirit that saved the present and revived people during the December 3 Martial Law last year."
Lee added, "Even the old ruling party verbally agreed to the inclusion of the May 18 spirit in the preamble of the Constitution whenever May 18 came around. If there is agreement to at least reflect the wording of May 18, I believe constitutional amendment could be possible in next year’s local elections. However, given that the old ruling party is known to change its stance frequently, the feasibility seems low at this point."
However, he explained, "There are two positions: one insists that the spirit of May must be included in the preamble, while the other questions whether it is appropriate to enumerate every democratization process. Our party's position is not that it is absolutely impossible."
Lee Jun Seok, the Reform New Party candidate, also met with reporters after the ceremony and said, "We have consistently expressed a positive stance on this issue. If constitutional amendment is actually pursued, we intend to review it positively." "Our Reform New Party will continue to honor the spirits of May in Gwangju with utmost respect."
He continued, "In fact, many people were shocked that such a Martial Law incident occurred for the first time in 45 years, and I believe the shock felt by the citizens of Gwangju is even greater than that of citizens in other regions. I hope this state of emergency ends quickly and that everything returns to normal through the proper operation of the Republic of Korea."
Kwon Young Guk, the Democratic Labor Party candidate who attended the ceremony, also emphasized in a separately released "Message for the 45th Anniversary of May 18" that "the spirit of May is a precious seed that has cultivated the history of democracy and progress in the Republic of Korea," and "this spirit must be inscribed in the Constitution."
Kim Moon Soo, the People Power Party's presidential candidate, did not attend the ceremony, but visited the May 18 Democratic Cemetery in Gwangju the previous day to pay his respects.
Shin Dong Wook, chief spokesperson for the People Power Party's Central Election Committee, stated, "The People Power Party will actively promote the inclusion of the spirit of May 18 in the preamble of the Constitution, so that the state can take responsibility and achieve historical justice by carrying on the spirit of May." "Currently, the Republic of Korea's foundation of separation of powers is being shaken by the Democratic Party's style of dictatorship," he added.
He went on to say, "May 18 should serve as an opportunity for unity and harmony. It must no longer be misused as a source of conflict and division."
Kim Moon Soo visited the National May 18 Democratic Cemetery the previous day and paid his respects for about 30 minutes. Initially, Kim had planned to attend the ceremony held on this day, but ultimately decided not to participate, citing preparation for the presidential TV debate as the reason.
Meanwhile, acting President and Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs and Minister of Education Lee Ju Ho stated in his commemorative address, "We must constantly revive the spirit of May in all our lives and open the path to genuine national unity through dialogue and compromise."
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