President Lee Jae-myung Honors May 18 at Former Jeonnam Government Office... "Gwangju Saved Democracy"

Attending the May 18 Memorial Ceremony for the First Time Since Taking Office

Comforting Bereaved Families and Survivors

"Citizens of Gwangju in 1980 and the People in 2024 Stood Against Martial Law Forces"

Reaffirming Commitment to Enshrine the May 18 Spirit in the Constitution and Promote Jeonnam-Gwangju Integration

President Lee Jae-myung visited Gwangju to mark his first May 18 Democratic Uprising Memorial Day since taking office. President Lee toured the former Jeonnam Provincial Government Office, honoring the citizens' uprising of May 1980 and offering comfort to the bereaved families and survivors. In his commemorative speech, he repeatedly emphasized the succession of the May 18 spirit and the restoration of democracy, declaring, "The December 3 insurrection remains an unanswered question from that May."

On the 18th, President Lee visited the former Jeonnam Provincial Government Office in Dong-gu, Gwangju, accompanied by his wife, Kim Hye-kyung. The former provincial office, where citizens established a leadership and fought against the martial law forces until the end during the May 18 Uprising, was recently restored and newly opened as a historical education site.

President Lee toured the General Affairs Division in the main building, the Civil Petitions Office of the Provincial Police Bureau, and the Sangmu Hall, receiving explanations about the events that took place there. In a written briefing, Deputy Spokesperson Ahn Gwi-ryeong of the presidential office said, "President Lee deeply empathized with the sacrifices and efforts of the citizens."

President Lee Jae-myung is delivering a commemorative speech at the 46th anniversary of the May 18 Democratization Movement ceremony held at the May 18 Democratic Square in Dong-gu, Gwangju, on the 18th. Photo by Yonhap News

When a mother, who found her missing son's remains after more than 20 years through a DNA test, held President Lee's hand and wept, President Lee comforted her by holding her hand.

Throughout the tour, Kim Hye-kyung supported Kim Gil-ja, the mother of Moon Jae-hak—the martyr who inspired Han Kang's novel "Human Acts"—as they moved together.

President Lee also met Park Young-soon, who made the last street broadcast from the former Jeonnam Provincial Government Office in the early morning of May 27, 1980. At the time, Park, then a university student, called on citizens to participate, saying, "The martial law forces are coming to the provincial office."

Upon meeting President Lee, Park was moved to tears, saying, "You can't imagine how long I have waited for this day." President Lee comforted Park by patting her on the shoulder and added, "I did the same broadcast on December 3," encouraging her to stay strong.

This refers to the events of December 3, 2024, immediately after the martial law declaration by former President Yoon Suk-yeol, when President Lee, then leader of the Democratic Party, headed to the National Assembly and called on citizens to gather at the National Assembly through a YouTube broadcast.

President Lee Jae-myung is conversing with Mr. Park Youngsoon, who made the last early morning broadcast during the May 18 Gwangju Uprising, at the reenactment space of the Citizen Army Situation Room at the old Jeonnam Provincial Office in Gwangju on the 18th. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

In his commemorative speech that day, President Lee also drew a connection between the May 18 Uprising and last year's December 3 martial law incident.

He stated, "The spirits reborn in May saved the living on the night of December 3, 2024," and added, "Just as the citizens of Gwangju did in 1980, the people of 2024 stood unarmed against the armed martial law forces." He continued, "The great world of unity that blossomed in Gwangju in 1980 was revived as the revolution of light in 2024," and reiterated, "The December 3 insurrection remains an unanswered question from that May."

President Lee also pledged to resume efforts to enshrine the May 18 spirit in the preamble of the Constitution and to establish a system for the direct registration of those recognized for their contributions to the May 18 Democratic Movement. In addition, referencing the administrative integration of Jeonnam and Gwangju, he stated, "The joined hands of Gwangju and Jeonnam will stand tall as a new milestone of coexistence and mutual prosperity."

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