'May Chair' Honoring 5·18 Installed in Suwon and Namyangju... Lee Jae-myung: "Gwangju May Can Recur Anytime"

[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Gyeonggi Province has installed 'May Statues' honoring the spirit of May 18th at the Gyeonggi Provincial Government Office in Suwon and Moran Park in Maseok, Namyangju, following Mokpo, Busan, and Seoul.

On the 14th, Gyeonggi Province held an unveiling ceremony for the May Statues in front of the Gyeonggi Provincial Government Office in Suwon, attended by Gyeonggi Governor Lee Jae-myung, Archbishop Kim Hee-jung, Hong Se-hwa, President of Jangbaljang Bank, co-chairs of the May Statue Committee, and human rights solidarity officials, the province announced on the 15th.

At the event, Governor Lee Jae-myung said, "Although 40 years have passed, the May of Gwangju still lives on in today's Republic of Korea. The state, which should protect human rights and guarantee the safe lives of its citizens, used the taxes paid by the people and the weapons entrusted by the people to kill the sovereigns of this country, the subjects of the state." He warned, "Although the forms may differ, such incidents continue to occur, and I believe situations like the May of Gwangju can recur at any time."

He continued, "Clarifying history and holding those responsible for their evil deeds accountable serves not only retribution but also has a strong preventive effect to ensure such events never happen again." He added, "By creating the May Statues in Gyeonggi Province, it will be a place where our residents can pause and reflect whenever they pass by, take a moment to rest during difficult times, remember the May 1980 Gwangju People's Uprising, and reaffirm their commitment to preventing such incidents from happening again."

Kim Hee-jung, co-chair of the May Statue Committee, said, "The disaster basic income implemented by Gyeonggi Province, leading during the COVID-19 crisis, aligns with the spirit of May 18th, which is about 'being together with neighbors.'" He added, "By installing the May Statues, Gyeonggi Province has shown its determination to share the spirit of Gwangju with its residents. I hope the installation of May Statues, which started in Gyeonggi, will spread like wildfire to local governments nationwide."

Co-chair Hong Se-hwa reflected, "The spirit of May in Gwangju is about the great unity where those who resist injustice and the socially vulnerable who are persecuted stand in solidarity and empathy." He emphasized, "The May Statue sculptures embody reflections and considerations on how we can create a better society and live together more harmoniously amid crises like COVID-19."

The 'May Statue' is designed in the form of a chair so that anyone can sit and reflect on the noble spirit of sacrifice and the era's commitment to protecting democracy that everyone must remember. It was first installed in 2018 with the purpose of transcending the traditional memorial methods, as well as the regional limitations of Gwangju and the temporal limitations of 1980, to nationalize and contemporize the spirit of the May 18th Democratic Movement.

The 'May Statue' installed at the citizen rest area in front of the main gate of the Gyeonggi Provincial Government Office is a stone sculpture measuring 220cm wide and 170cm tall. It is a work by artist Hong Sung-dam, who is known for his impressive artistic activities related to the Gwangju May 18th event, connecting his print artwork titled 'March,' which artistically expresses the spirit of May 18th, with the statue.

The May Statue installed at the entrance to the Democratic Martyrs' Cemetery in Moran Park, Maseok, Namyangju, is a work by painter Lee Seung-soo. Moran Park is the resting place of numerous democracy activists such as Jeon Tae-il, Park Jong-chul, and Moon Ik-hwan, adding to its significance. Meanwhile, May Statues were installed in Busan and Mokpo in 2018 and in front of Myeongdong Cathedral in Seoul in 2019. The installations in Gyeonggi Province this time are the fourth and fifth nationwide, created simultaneously.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.