President Lee Attends Gwangju May 18 Ceremony... Declares 'A Nation Where the People Are the True Owners' at Democratic Cemetery

The 46th Anniversary of the May 18 Democratization Movement Memorial Ceremony
Second-Ever Event Held at Democracy Plaza in Front of the Provincial Government
Visit to the May 18 Cemetery to Pay Respects and Honor the Martyrs

On May 18, President Lee Jae-myung, accompanied by First Lady Kim Hye-kyung, attended the 'May 18 Democratization Movement Memorial Ceremony' for the first time since taking office. Prior to the ceremony, President Lee visited the National May 18 Democratic Cemetery, where he declared his commitment to building a nation where the people are the true owners, in the spirit of May 18.

The ceremony took place at the May 18 Democracy Plaza in front of the Jeonnam Provincial Government building in Dong-gu, Gwangju. This marks only the second time the May 18 memorial event has been held at the plaza in front of the provincial government building since it was designated a national memorial day in 1997. Usually, the May 18 memorial ceremony has been held at the May 18 Democratic Cemetery. This year, the plaza was chosen as the venue to commemorate the restoration of the Jeonnam Provincial Government building, returning it to its appearance during the uprising.

President Lee Jae-myung and Mrs. Kim Hye-kyung are paying their respects with a wreath-laying and a moment of silence at the 5.18 Democratic Cemetery Memorial Tower in Buk-gu, Gwangju on the 18th. May 18, 2026. Photo by the Blue House Press Photo Team, Yonhap News Agency

This year's ceremony was the first to be held since the inauguration of the "Government of National Sovereignty," under the theme "May, Once Again Embracing the Plaza." The Blue House explained, "It carries the meaning of remembering the solidarity and sacrifice shown in Gwangju in May 1980, and calls for everyone to carry on and put into practice the spirit of May." The ceremony was attended by about 3,000 people, including May 18 Democratic Movement merit recipients and their families, government officials, and members of the public.

The event began with a national ceremony. The subsequent themed video vividly depicted the events of the May 18 Democratization Movement through historical footage and interviews. This was followed by President Lee's commemorative address and a live reading of a declaration pledging to uphold the spirit of May 18 by the heads of three official May 18 organizations. The commemorative performance took the form of a dramatic reading, with actors and theater troupes reading poems, novels, and diary entries symbolizing the spirit of May. The event concluded with the attendees singing "March for the Beloved."

Meanwhile, before the ceremony, President Lee visited the May 18 People's Uprising Memorial Tower located within the National May 18 Democratic Cemetery in Buk-gu, Gwangju, to pay his respects. In the condolence book, President Lee wrote, "A world where we live together, a nation where the people are the true owners through the spirit of May 18, and a Republic of Korea where everyone is happy together—this is what I will certainly achieve." He then visited the graves of three individuals interred at the May 18 Cemetery, including martyr Park In-bae, to express his respect and gratitude.

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