President Lee: We Will Boldly Uphold the Spirit of May 18

President Lee Jae-myung stated on May 18, "The government of the people will boldly carry forward the spirit of May 18, striving for the 'country where the people are the masters' that Gwangju has long yearned for."

In his commemorative speech at the 46th anniversary of the May 18 Democratic Movement held at the May 18 Democratic Square in front of the former Jeonnam Provincial Office in Gwangju, President Lee emphasized, "With the freedom, equality, and unity that May Gwangju has left us, I will do my utmost to overcome the current crisis and pass on a glorious and brighter future."

He promised that the government would continuously document, remember, compensate, and honor the May 18 movement, stating, "The Gwangju of 1980 saved today's Republic of Korea and will continue to save its future. We will include the May 18 movement in the preamble of the Constitution, designate the Jeonnam Provincial Office as a 'living shrine of K-Democracy,' and establish a system for the official registration of May 18 democratic activists."

President Lee remarked, "It was on the solid foundation of the May 18 spirit, which ultimately preserved human dignity in the face of horrific violence, that the Republic of Korea has walked the path of democracy and prosperity. It is because of you that our democracy did not collapse at the crossroads of our tumultuous modern history and could rise again."

He continued, "Just as the citizens of Gwangju rose up against the martial law troops in May 1980, the great people of Korea in 2024 also stood against the armed martial law forces with bare hands. The 'great world of unity' that Gwangju created with all its strength in that fleeting moment when unjust power withdrew in 1980 has been reborn as the 'Revolution of Light,' where we protect democracy with each other's warmth on those harsh winter nights in 2024."

President Lee concluded, "The shining spirit of May 18 has led the Republic of Korea down new paths of change and hope throughout history, and it now presents a new challenge of integration between Gwangju and Jeonnam. The united hands of Gwangju and Jeonnam will stand tall as a new milestone of coexistence and mutual prosperity, rewriting the history of balanced development."