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President Lee Jae-myung delivers a commemorative address during the ceremony marking the 46th anniversary of the May 18 Democratization Movement at the May 18 Democratic Square in Gwangju on May 18. /Yonhap News

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung pledged on May 18 to do his utmost to enshrine the spirit of the May 18 Democratization Movement in the preamble of the Constitution, stating, "The spirits of May saved today’s living on the night of December 3, 2024."

Attending the ceremony marking the 46th anniversary of the May 18 Democratization Movement that morning, President Lee said, "To ensure that the May spirit—the driving force that proved popular sovereignty and the pride of modern Korean history—takes deeper root in our society, we must proudly engrave the democratic ideals of the May 18 Democratization Movement upon the Constitution of the Republic of Korea."

"Just like the citizens of Gwangju in May 1980 who resolutely rose up against the martial law forces, the great Korean public in 2024 also blocked armed martial law troops with their bare bodies," President Lee emphasized. "The April 19 Revolution, the Bu-Ma Democratic Protests, and the May 18 Democratization Movement led through the June Democratic Struggle to the Candlelight Revolution and the Revolution of Light."

He continued, "As this is a continuous promise to the public by all political circles that transcends political interests, I earnestly request the bipartisan cooperation and determination of both the ruling and opposition parties."

"Beyond the citizens of Gwangju and South Jeolla Province, I also ask for the unwavering support and encouragement of all Korean citizens," he added.

President Lee also promised to transform the former Jeonnam Provincial Office, which officially reopened that day, into a living sacred ground for 'K-Democracy' where global citizens can learn and remember together. Furthermore, he pledged to establish an 'ex officio registration system for May 18 democratic meritorious persons,' allowing the government to register victims even if they lack immediate family members.

"The former Jeonnam Provincial Office is the final site of civic resistance against unlawful state violence," President Lee said. "The government will actively provide support so that the spirit of sacrifice and solidarity left entirely at the provincial office can be inherited as the pride of the Korean republic and as a value for future generations."

He also stated, "We will establish an ex officio registration system for May 18 democratic meritorious persons to ensure that not a single person's sacrifice is overlooked."

"At the May 18 National Cemetery, which I visited before coming here, lies the late martyr Yang Chang-geun, who fell to the bullets of the martial law forces," President Lee noted. "The boy of May, who must have ached more than anyone over the trampled justice of his homeland, is still not fully recognized as a May 18 democratic meritorious person simply because he has no immediate family to apply on his behalf."

He added, "Now, the government will become the family for each and every victim of state violence. The state will fulfill its responsibility to the end so that not a single person who defended democracy and the homeland with indomitable will is left behind in loneliness."

Furthermore, President Lee emphasized, "The popular sovereignty government will faithfully inherit the May 18 spirit and march boldly toward 'a country where the people are the masters,' which Gwangju so desperately dreamed of. I believe this is the way to fulfill the responsibilities of 'the living' and ensure that the noble sacrifices of the May spirits are not in vain."

He vowed, "With the power of freedom, equality, and unity left by the May Gwangju, we will overcome the current crisis and do everything we can to pass down a more glorious and brighter future."

Prior to attending the anniversary ceremony, President Lee and First Lady Kim Hye-kyung visited the May 18 National Cemetery in Buk-gu, Gwangju, to pay their respects.

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President Lee Jae-myung and First Lady Kim Hye-kyung walk through the grounds of the May 18 National Cemetery in Buk-gu, Gwangju, on May 18. /Yonhap News