Yoon calls for unity at May 18 Uprising anniversary event

President Yoon Suk-yeol offers incense at a memorial altar for the victims of the May 18 Uprising in Gwangju during a ceremony to commemorate the 42nd anniversary of the democratic movement at the May 18th National Cemetery in Gwangju, Wednesday. Yonhap

By Nam Hyun-woo

The spirit of May 18 Uprising is the cornerstone for national unity, President Yoon Suk-yeol said Wednesday. His participation in a commemorative event in Gwangju came as he had promised to work on uniting the nation, which is divided politically, as seen in the results of the March 9 presidential election.

"The spirit of May 18 can be boiled down to the restoration of universal values," Yoon said during a memorial ceremony for the 42nd anniversary of the popular democratic uprising at the May 18th National Cemetery in Gwangju. "The values of liberal democracy and human rights are the philosophy of unity that unites our people. Therefore, the spirit of the May 18 Uprising, which defended liberal democracy with blood, is the cornerstone of national unity."

The May 18 Uprising refers to a popular movement in the southwestern city of Gwangju from May 18 to 27, 1980, which began after student demonstrations against Chun Doo-hwan's military coup were suppressed violently. Estimates are that 200 to 2,300 were killed and 1,800 others were wounded by the military suppression of the uprising.

Yoon visited Gwangju together with about 100 lawmakers of the conservative ruling People Power Party, an unprecedented move for a conservative president and the conservative ruling party to pay tribute to the victims on the movement's anniversary.

The May 18 Uprising is considered one of the tipping points that amplified regional division in Korea, as Chun accused the people of Gwangju and surrounding Jeolla provinces of sympathizing with North Korea, which is one reason for the near-universal support for progressive politicians in the region.

This regionalist tendency was seen once again in the March 9 presidential election. In Gwangju, liberal Democratic Party of Korea presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung secured 84.82 percent of the vote, while Yoon received only 12.72 percent.

President Yoon Suk-yeol speaks during a memorial ceremony for the 42nd anniversary of the May 18 Democratic Uprising at the May 18th National Cemetery in Gwangju, Wednesday. Yonhap

Against this backdrop, Yoon promised during his presidential campaign to include in the Constitution a provision on the spirit of the Gwangju democratic movement, and stressed during his speech on Wednesday that the spirit still conveys to the country its message of liberal democracy and human rights.

"The spirit is still ordering us to strongly resist any illegal activity that threatens freedom and human rights," Yoon said. "The May 18 movement is a living history which is still in progress. The responsible inheritance of the spirit is the starting point for the prosperity of our descendants and the country."

During his speech, Yoon also stressed the importance of the region's economic development.

"Now Gwangju and the Jeolla provinces should be able to nurture bold economic achievements based on the universal values of liberal democracy and human rights," Yoon said. "(The region) needs to play its role in advancing industries based on artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies and make a powerful leap forward."

Before attending the ceremony, the president met with bereaved family members who lost loved ones in the uprising, and promised to visit the cemetery every year, according to officials at the presidential office.

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