The Democratic Party has reacted strongly to recent mockery of the May 18 Gwangju Democracy Movement, which was sparked during a high school baseball game involving a 'Starbucks cheer.' The party labeled the mockery as "discriminatory violence, not free speech," and called for measures to address the issue.
During a Supreme Council meeting on July 3, Supreme Council member Hwang Myeong-seon stated, "Mocking the May 18 movement is not an exercise of free speech but rather discriminatory violence. The People Power Party and far-right YouTubers are defending the mockery of students from Baejae High School as free speech." He emphasized that Gwangju Ilgo is a school that directly experienced the events of May 18, criticizing the People Power Party for defending such mockery using the painful history of the region.
Hwang urged that this incident should not be treated as a one-time issue, stating, "The Democratic Party will thoroughly check whether hate is being promoted or neglected in educational settings and will establish fundamental measures to prevent recurrence."
Supreme Council member Moon Jeong-bok also called for action, noting that the Rebox School is being used as educational material in some settings, linking the Baejae High School incident to a distorted understanding of history that is being allowed to persist in educational environments. He asserted, "We will ensure that the historical materials children learn from are based on the values of democracy and facts, and we will fulfill our responsibility for field checks and institutional improvements."
Before concluding the Supreme Council meeting, Han Byeong-do remarked, "The May 18 incident involved a military dictatorship firing on and stabbing citizens to reclaim power. Countless citizens cried out upon hearing the news of children's deaths. If we consider that pain even slightly, how could anyone belittle the May 18 movement?"
He added, "Regardless of political affiliation, I sincerely hope that such belittling and mockery of this painful historical event will never happen again in South Korea."
Kang Jun-hyeon, the party's chief spokesperson, also spoke to reporters after the meeting, stating, "The People Power Party and far-right YouTubers are claiming that mockery, hate, and discriminatory violence are also forms of free speech. I believe the adults are largely to blame. The Democratic Party is reflecting on itself to show a spirit of unity and communication rather than conflict and division."
He further emphasized, "We must check whether hate is being promoted or neglected in educational settings, and it should not be used as a tool for political strife."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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