Gov't attempts to ban tribute to pro-democracy fighters

By Kim Se-jeong

The government has recently changed the rules of ceremonies involving the pledge of allegiance, making it difficult to honor pro-democracy fighters or other anti-government activists at public events.

Civic groups called the revision an attempt to repress the people further and to devalue the Gwangju Democratic Uprising of 1980 and other anti-government movements.

According to the revised rules on the pledge of allegiance, which went into effect on Jan. 1, “a silent tribute is only paid to patriotic martyrs and the souls of fallen heroes.”

The rules state that paying a silent tribute to other people, such as democracy fighters, may be possible only in limited cases if the participants at the event agree, but such figures are officially excluded.

Also, the rules have new details about singing the national anthem such as “People should stand up while singing the national anthem and should not change the tune. And the silent tribute should be observed with eyes closed and one’s head down.”

The rules for the pledge of allegiance are widely observed ― both on a national and regional level ― and students learn it at school as well.

Civic groups criticized the new rules, saying setting such rules itself is nationalistic.

“In summary, this is what a nationalistic government would attempt to do,” said Cho Se-youl, secretary general at the Center for Historical Truth and Justice. “The government refuses to honor people who stood against its power.

“The government is teaching citizens how to behave. It has no authority to do that. This is stupidity on the part of the government,” Cho said.

Kim Yang-rae from the May 18 Memorial Foundation based in Gwangju said he is worried about how the change will affect the way his organization commemorates victims of the Gwangju uprising, a civic movement in which more than 600 citizens were estimated to have been killed.

“The new rules imply the government does not like to recognize victims of the May 18 movement,” Kim said.

Cho also raised a question about the timing of the change.

“Why now? Why did the government want to change the rules now when the President is inactive?” Cho asked.

The Ministry of the Interior, responsible for the revision, said the government does not have a specific aim. “There’s nothing really new. We have just put what was already there into words,” Kim Hang-seop from the ministry said.