Ahn Changho, Human Rights Commission Chairman, to Skip May 18 Memorial Ceremony Amid Last Year's Protests
Only Three Standing Commissioners to Attend as Delegates
This Year’s Ceremony to Be Held at Gwangju Geumnam-ro for the First Time in Six Years
Ahn Changho, Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission of Korea, has decided not to attend this year's May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement Memorial Ceremony. Given that he had to leave last year's event due to strong protests from citizens over various political controversies, this preemptive decision appears to be aimed at preventing a recurrence of similar incidents, such as confrontations at the venue, this year.
According to the National Human Rights Commission of Korea on May 17, Chairman Ahn Changho will not attend the 46th anniversary memorial ceremony of the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement, which will be held in Gwangju on May 18. Instead, only three standing commissioners—Kim Hakja, Oh Youngkeun, and Lee Sukjin—will visit the site as part of the official delegation. Last year, Chairman Ahn was unable to enter the venue after facing strong opposition from Gwangju citizens due to controversies surrounding his actions and remarks during the December 3 Martial Law and the impeachment proceedings against former President Yoon Suk-yeol.
Within the Human Rights Commission, it was determined from the outset to exclude Chairman Ahn from the official lineup this year, as there was a high likelihood he would again face intense physical and political protests if he attended.
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Meanwhile, the 46th anniversary national memorial ceremony for the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement, organized by the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, will take place on May 18 at Geumnam-ro plaza in front of the former South Jeolla Provincial Government building in Dong-gu, Gwangju. This is the first time in six years since the 40th anniversary event in 2020 that the national ceremony is being held at Geumnam-ro, a symbolic location of the May 18 movement.
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