'May, Embracing the Square Again'... 46th May 18 Anniversary Ceremony Held at Former Jeonnam Provincial Office

Restoration of the Old Jeonnam Provincial Office Completed, 3,000 Attend

Official Opening Ceremony Held for the Historic Site

Lee: "Promise to Include May 18 in the Constitution... 'May 18 Democratic Merit Official Registration System' to Be Established"

The 46th anniversary commemorative ceremony of the May 18 Democratic Uprising was held on the morning of the 18th at the May 18 Democracy Square in front of the old Jeonnam Provincial Government Office on Geumnam-ro, Dong-gu, Gwangju, which was the site of the final battle.

On the morning of the 18th, the 46th anniversary memorial ceremony for the May 18 Democratic Movement is being held at the May 18 Democracy Square in front of the old Jeonnam Provincial Office on Geumnam-ro, Dong-gu, Gwangju, the site of the final battle. Photo by Min Chanki

This is the first state ceremony to be held in six years at the former provincial government complex, a historic site of the May 18 movement, since the 40th anniversary in 2020. The ceremony, held under the theme "May, Embracing the Square Again," was attended by President Lee Jaemyung, First Lady Kim Hyekyung, party leaders such as Chung Cheongrae, Jang Donghyuk, and Cho Kuk, as well as more than 3,000 people including May 18 merit awardees, bereaved families, and representatives from all walks of life.

The ceremony proceeded in the following order: the national ceremony, a themed video and on-site declaration, commemorative speeches, a commemorative performance, a special performance, and a group singing of "March for the Beloved." During the national ceremony, a flag-raising event was also held to commemorate the reopening of the old provincial government office, which had been restored to closely resemble its appearance during the May 18 period. Participants in the flag-raising included Lee Seungjoo, nephew of the late Yun Sangwon, who was a spokesperson for the civilian militia, Yoon Donggyu, President of the Chonnam National University Student Association, and Lee Younghee, a May Movement guide and commentator.

Park Youngsoon (67, female), who made the last street broadcast at the provincial office in the early morning of May 27, 1980, read the pledge to the national flag.

The commemorative performance, "Memories of May," featured actors reading poems, novels, and diaries centered on the spirit of solidarity and unity of the May 18 movement. The theater troupe "Tobagi," founded by the late Park Hyosun, who served as the head of public relations for the resistance leadership in 1980, also participated in the performance.

In the special performance, more than 80 dancers, including members of the Gwangju City Ballet Company, performed a group dance themed "Inheritance of Democracy" with the old provincial government office as the backdrop.

During the closing program, the group singing of "March for the Beloved," President Lee and other participants clenched their right fists and moved them back and forth as they sang the song of May together.

President Lee stated, "The spirit of the April 19 Revolution, the Busan-Masan Protests, and the May 18 Democratic Uprising continued through the June Democratic Uprising and led to the Candlelight Revolution and the Revolution of Light," and pledged, "I will do my utmost to ensure that the May 18 spirit is included in the preamble of the Constitution."

He continued, "Since this is a promise of the entire political community that transcends political interests, I urge bipartisan cooperation and determination from both ruling and opposition parties," and emphasized, "We will make this officially reopened Jeonnam Provincial Office a living sacred place of K-democracy where global citizens can learn and remember together."

He also pledged, "The spirit of sacrifice and solidarity fully engraved in the Jeonnam Provincial Office is a source of pride for the Republic of Korea and a value to be passed on to future generations, and the government will actively support this. We will also establish a 'May 18 Democratic Merit Official Registration System' to ensure that not a single sacrifice is overlooked."

The former Jeonnam Provincial Government Office is also the final site of resistance, where the last remaining citizens and students resisted the martial law troops until dawn on May 27, 1980, before either falling or being captured. After the commemorative ceremony, an official opening ceremony was held for the recently restored former government office.

Meanwhile, prior to the ceremony, President Lee visited the National May 18 Democratic Cemetery with bereaved families to lay flowers and offer incense before the spirits of May.

In the guestbook at the Memorial Gate of Democracy, he wrote, '"A world where we live together"—With the spirit of May 18, we will build a nation where the people are the true owners. We will surely create a Republic of Korea where everyone is happy together.'

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