May 18 Amendment Fails... Superintendent Candidates Unite in Criticism of People Power Party

Kim Daejung Criticizes "Abstention from Vote as an Act of Abandoning Historical Responsibility"

Jang Gwanho: "May 18 Spirit Overcame Martial Law... Teaching May Values in Classrooms"

"Succession of the Spirit of May" Emerges as a Key Issue in Jeonnam-Gwangju Education

As the constitutional amendment bill, which included provisions such as enshrining the spirit of the May 18 Democratization Movement in the preamble, failed to pass the National Assembly due to the opposition from the People Power Party, candidates running for superintendent in the Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City election jointly expressed strong regret and criticism.

According to the education sector on May 9, candidates Kim Daejung and Jang Gwanho for superintendent of the Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City released statements and press releases, respectively, strongly condemning the failure to vote on the constitutional amendment. This came after the vote was nullified on May 7 due to the absence of People Power Party lawmakers at the National Assembly plenary session, and, following an attempted filibuster on May 8, Speaker Woo Wonshik halted the constitutional amendment process, causing the vote to be scrapped.

On the 7th, the People Power Party opposed the constitutional amendment and abstained from the vote. Photo by Yonhap News.

Candidate Kim Daejung sharply criticized the People Power Party’s abstention from the vote, calling it “an act of abandoning their historical responsibility.” Kim strongly condemned the failure of the amendment, which aimed to include the noble spirit of the May 18 Democratization Movement in the preamble to the Constitution and to put checks on imperial presidential power, describing it as a “tragic event.”

In particular, Kim, who witnessed the horrors of May 18 firsthand as a student at Chonnam National University in 1980, said, “Even now, I am brought to tears when I think of the fear I felt in the face of armed martial law troops and the souls who resisted to the end.” He pointed out, “As someone who survived, it is my duty not to be ashamed before them, and the inclusion of the May 18 spirit in the Constitution must be realized. Refusing even to vote is an act that makes the souls of May weep a second time.”

Preliminary candidate Jang Gwanho also expressed “deep regret” over the failure of the constitutional amendment and pledged to uphold the values of May in the field of education.

Jang stressed, “It is truly regrettable that the Constitution, which should embody the core values of democracy, has come to a standstill amid political strife,” and emphasized that “the spirit of May 18 is not just the history of a particular region, but the very root of democracy in the Republic of Korea and a constitutional value that must be protected.”

He also mentioned the recent controversy over martial law. Jang added, “It was precisely the spirit of May 18 that enabled us to overcome the martial law under the Yoon Suk Yeol administration,” and stated, “It is all the more important at times like this to clearly inscribe the May 18 spirit in the Constitution to ensure that democracy is never shaken again.”

As both candidates have simultaneously emphasized the inclusion of the May 18 spirit in the Constitution and the importance of democratic education, “succession of the spirit of May” is emerging as a key issue for the Jeonnam-Gwangju education sector ahead of the launch of the Integrated Special City.

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