Woo Wonsik: "We Will Enshrine the Spirit of May 18 in the Preamble to the Constitution Through a Constitutional Amendment"

Meeting with civic groups in Gwangju on the 4th
"National referendum alongside local elections is desirable"

On the afternoon of the 4th, National Assembly Speaker Woo Wonsik is speaking at a meeting with civic groups held at Chonnam National University in Buk-gu, Gwangju. Yonhap News

National Assembly Speaker Woo Wonsik said on the 4th, "There may be differences in timing and method, but through a constitutional amendment we will enshrine the spirit of May 18 in the preamble to the Constitution."

In the meeting titled "Democracy and Gwangju, Constitutional Amendment Toward the Future" held that afternoon at Chonnam National University in Buk-gu, Gwangju, Woo stressed the need for a constitutional amendment, saying, "It has been 39 years since the current Constitution was enacted, and it no longer fully reflects our changed society."

He said, "Even though it is the foundation of democracy, the 12·3 Martial Law incident clearly revealed gaps in the Constitution," and added, "We need discussions so that, through a constitutional amendment, local autonomy, balanced regional development, and the fundamental rights of the people can be strengthened."

Regarding how to promote the constitutional amendment, he said, "I believe it would be desirable to hold a national referendum alongside the June 3 local elections," adding, "To that end, revisions to the National Referendum Act and the Public Official Election Act must come first."

He went on to say, "Given the schedule for the local elections, discussions need to get into full swing around the Lunar New Year holidays," and added, "We must build as much consensus as possible and ensure that Gwangju's history and the spirit of democracy are included in the preamble to the Constitution."

Before the meeting, Woo visited and paid his respects at the National May 18 Democratic Cemetery in Buk-gu, Gwangju, reiterating his commitment to a constitutional amendment. In the guestbook, he wrote, "We will enshrine the spirit of May in the preamble to the Constitution and build a more solid democracy."

He also spoke about the need for a constitutional amendment in front of the tree he planted during last year's ceremony marking the 45th anniversary of the May 18 Democratization Movement. After paying his respects, he moved to the nearby Mangwol Cemetery Park and visited the grave of Bae Eunsim, mother of martyr Lee Hanyeol, to pay tribute.

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