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President Yoon Suk-yeol gives an address at the 43rd anniversary memorial for the May 18 Democratization Movement in Gwangju, held at the May 18th National Cemetery on May 18. (presidential office pool photo)

President Yoon Suk-yeol attended a memorial service to commemorate the 43rd anniversary of the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement on Thursday, where he stated, “The May spirit commands us to take action to uphold liberal democracy,” and declared, “We must stand up to all the forces and challenges that threaten freedom and democracy, and have the courage to take action.” Both sides of the political spectrum came out in full force to underscore the spirit of the people’s uprising of 1980.

The memorial service was held Thursday morning at the May 18th National Cemetery in Gwangju’s Unjeong neighborhood.

“If we fail to fight the internal and external challenges that are leading to a crisis for democracy, it would be shameful to speak of the May spirit,” Yoon said. “The May spirit embodies the constitutional spirit of liberal democracy, and it is an invaluable asset we must strive to carry forward.”

Addressing the May Mothers Association, a group of family members of victims of the state’s bloody suppression of the uprising, Yoon stated, “Although we cannot bear to think about the sorrowful years, we are not losing hope and we are once again deeply thankful for the courage of those who are still with us.”

Yoon’s commemorative address ran for a brief five minutes and made no mention of any intention to launch a national investigation into the massacre of civilians or the person who made the order to open fire, nor did it touch on concerns of repeated distortions of Gwangju’s history by those in conservative circles.

However, the phrase “The May spirit is the cornerstone of national unity” from last year’s speech was altered to “We are all one under the May spirit.” Yoon also promised to develop the Honam region, encompassing Gwangju and the Jeolla provinces, through advancements in artificial intelligence and cutting-edge technology.

The president’s remarks were met with a torrent of criticism from political opponents.

“Before talking about the May spirit, [Yoon should] look at his own actions in speaking of freedom while denying people the freedom to criticize, and speaking of democracy while ignoring the voice of the people,” said Democratic Party spokesperson Kang Sun-woo.

Justice Party leader Lee Jeong-mi also slammed the address, stating, “Reconciliation and unity are just words, and there was no apology, reflection or promise to take firm action regarding the misbehavior of the government and ruling party officials who have threatened and undermined the Gwangju spirit over the past year.”

While Yoon’s call to “stand up to all the forces and challenges that threaten freedom and democracy” did not refer to any specific person, some believe it may have been aimed at the opposition parties and civic groups who have been critical of his administration.

At a ceremony held earlier this year to commemorate the April 19 Revolution, the president drew criticism from the opposition when he said, “We have seen many cases around the world where forces that threaten democracy claim to be democracy activists or human rights advocates even as they support dictatorship and totalitarianism. We must not be deceived by such pretense and disguises.”

Groups with ties to Gwangju’s democratization movement have labeled Yoon’s remarks the “worst commemorative address ever.”

An association calling itself the “Citizens Task Force for Upholding the May Spirit” consisting of 196 organizations including May Mothers House and the Gwangju Civic Groups Council, released a statement on the day of the address.

“President Yoon did not propose any solution to our open request for the May 18 spirit to be included in the preamble to the Constitution,” the group stated. “The president’s speech was full of content that had nothing to do with the point of commemorating the uprising and carrying forward the May spirit. It will be remembered as the worst commemorative address in history that demonstrates [the president’s] lack of understanding and substandard perspective on the history of the Gwangju Uprising and the May spirit.”

At 9:54 am, Yoon met with women from the May Mothers Association at the main entrance to the May 18 National Cemetery. The group then made the six-minute walk from the monument to the event venue. A soft spring rain was falling at the time. In the guest book, the president wrote, “We are all one under the May Spirit,” and sang along to “March for the Beloved” while waving a clenched fist at the memorial ceremony.

The ceremony was attended by the majority of lawmakers from both sides, including People Power Party leader Kim Gi-hyeon and Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung.

At a Supreme Council meeting held in Gwangju’s Kim Dae-jung Convention Center before the event, Kim stated, “The People Power Party will ensure that our sincerity with regard to the Gwangju Uprising will not fade away or be undermined.” Kim then cited a famous quote by Admiral Yi Sun-sin that Korea “wouldn’t exist without the Honam region” to stress the spirit with which his party will continue to stand alongside the people of Honam.

This is believed to be an attempt to diffuse public anger in the region over the fallout from a statement by Kim Jae-won, the Supreme Council member who recently received a heavy year-long suspension of party membership, in which he opposed the idea of including the May spirit in the preamble to the Constitution.

By Kim Mi-na, staff reporter; Shin Min-jung, staff reporter

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