National Governors: "The Spirit of the Donghak Peasant Revolution... Must Be Included in the Constitution!"

Joint Statement 'Adopted' Following Proposal by Song Ha-jin, Governor of Jeonbuk...

On the 18th, governors from across the country gathered in Gwangju and agreed to adopt a proposal to include the spirit of the Donghak Peasant Revolution in the preamble of the constitution, deciding to feature it in a joint statement. Photo by Jeonbuk Provincial Government

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Gominhyeong] Governors from across the country agreed to adopt a proposal to include the spirit of the Donghak Peasant Revolution in the preamble of the Constitution and decided to include it in a joint statement.

This was reportedly proposed by Song Hajin, Governor of Jeonbuk Province, and it is expected that discussions on the spirit of the Donghak Peasant Revolution will be actively conducted during future constitutional amendment debates in the National Assembly.

The Korea Association of Governors held its 45th general meeting on the 18th at the National Asian Culture Complex in Gwangju, attended by 16 governors including Governor Song.

At the meeting, six agenda items were discussed, including the progress and future tasks for overcoming COVID-19, legislative promotion plans related to local decentralization in the 21st National Assembly, response to the second phase of fiscal decentralization, regional-linked university cooperation, and functional transfer plans. They also announced the "Joint Statement of Korean Governors to the 21st National Assembly."

Governor Song proposed including the "Donghak Peasant Revolution" in the joint statement to ensure that the ideology of the Donghak Peasant Revolution is included in the constitutional preamble during the 21st National Assembly's constitutional amendment discussions, and the Association of Governors adopted this proposal.

Governor Song said, "The Donghak Peasant Revolution was designated as a national memorial day (May 11) last year, 125 years after it occurred, and it holds great historical value as the root of the democratization movement. It was a popular revolution led from below by the people and the first modernization movement, serving as the foundation for the anti-Japanese movement, the March 1st Movement, the April 19 Revolution, the May 18 Democratization Movement, the June 10 Democratic Uprising, and the Candlelight Citizen Revolution, making it an important social significance."

Meanwhile, prior to the general meeting, governors from across the country attended the 40th May 18 Memorial Ceremony held at the May 18 Democratic Square to pay tribute to the related victims.

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