The 5·18 One-Point Constitutional Amendment Spark Continues, but Reality Is Full of Obstacles

Demand to Include 5·18 in the Constitution Ahead of the 43rd Anniversary
Gwangju Mayor Proposes One-Point National Referendum Constitutional Amendment

As the 43rd anniversary of the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement approaches, discussions about constitutional amendments to include the May 18 spirit in the preamble of the Constitution are resurfacing.

The demand to include the 'May 18 preamble in the Constitution' carries the intention to explicitly state the history and spirit of South Korea's democracy, which progressed through the April 19 Revolution, the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement in 1980, and the June Democratic Uprising in 1987, in the Constitution. Including it in the constitutional preamble is aimed at preventing distortion and denigration surrounding May 18.

On the 16th, two days before the 43rd anniversary of the May 18 Democratic Uprising, children are laying flowers at the National May 18 Democratic Cemetery in Unjeong-dong, Buk-gu, Gwangju. Photo by Yonhap News

On the 16th, members of the Gwangju City Council affiliated with the Democratic Party of Korea urged, "Do not delay the inclusion of the May 18 spirit in the constitutional preamble any longer."

In a statement on the 16th, the council members said, "The May 18 spirit embodies universal values pursued by humanity that the world pays attention to," and emphasized, "Including the spirit of the May 18 Democratization Movement in the constitutional preamble is a fundamental solution and practical tool to establish the identity of May 18 and to eradicate the history of distortion." They added, "We strongly urge that a constitutional amendment to include the May 18 spirit in the preamble be implemented simultaneously with next year's general election to lead national unity."

Voices advocating for a one-point constitutional amendment to insert the May 18 spirit into the constitutional preamble have emerged. Mayor Kang Ki-jung of Gwangju proposed a one-point national referendum constitutional amendment to include the May 18 spirit in the preamble alongside next year's general election.

On the 15th, Mayor Kang said, "Including the May 18 spirit in the constitutional preamble was a common pledge among presidential candidates from both ruling and opposition parties. It is essentially an issue without disagreement," and requested, "The president and leaders of both ruling and opposition parties should declare that the inclusion of the May 18 spirit in the constitutional preamble should no longer be delayed and must be implemented."

President Yoon Suk-yeol delivers a commemorative speech at the 42nd anniversary ceremony of the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement held at the National May 18 Democratic Cemetery in Buk-gu, Gwangju, on the morning of the 18th. Photo by Yonhap News

Former People Power Party lawmaker Yoo Seung-min also visited the National May 18 Democratic Cemetery in Buk-gu, Gwangju, on the 15th and after paying respects, said, "The ruling and opposition parties should speed up their agreement on the constitutional amendment." Regarding the 'one-point constitutional amendment' to include the May 18 preamble, he expressed a positive stance, saying, "There is absolutely no reason to oppose it."

Meanwhile, the demand to include May 18 in the constitutional preamble surges every May but has seen no progress as discussions have stalled each time. During the 1987 constitutional revision, an attempt was made to include the spirit of May 18 democracy in the preamble but failed. In 2018, the Moon Jae-in administration proposed a constitutional amendment to include the democratic ideals of the Bu-Ma Uprising, May 18, and June 10 Uprising in the preamble, but it remained only a discussion.

President Yoon Suk-yeol declared in his commemorative speech on the 42nd anniversary of the May 18 Democratization Movement last year that "The May spirit is the very spirit of the Constitution," but he did not directly mention the inclusion of the May 18 spirit in the constitutional preamble.

Although the ruling and opposition parties previously formed a consensus on including the May 18 spirit in the Constitution, political issues related to the one-point amendment method, political conflicts between parties, and other circumstances have prevented its realization. With the general election approaching next year and differing calculations between the ruling and opposition parties, the demand to include the May 18 spirit in the constitutional preamble is likely to remain just a topic of discussion once again.

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