My fellow Koreans, citizens of Gwangju and Jeollanam-do Province, distinguished patriots of the May 18 Democratization Movement and bereaved families joining us here today,

This marks the forty-sixth May since the uprising – May that has risen above the deep scars of state violence and endured the spirit of solidarity and unity.

Forty-six years ago, the new military regime brutally crushed the spring of democratization beneath the boots of dictatorship. With the guns and bayonets entrusted to them by the people for their protection, they mercilessly massacred the sovereign citizens of this Republic.

To conceal its brutal atrocities, the ruthless dictatorial regime silenced the truth, and countless victims were denied peace, while their bereaved families and survivors were left to endure years of unspeakable grief.

Yet even in that bleak darkness, Gwangju’s yearning for a better world was never extinguished. Like spring flowers that rise at last towards the light, its hope endured.

The more the truth was suppressed, the more clearly it emerged; the more they tried to bury it, the farther and wider the spirit of May spread.

And at last, May was revived through the conscience of countless citizens who chose to stand on the side of truth and justice.

The spirit of May, thus reborn, saved those living on the night of December 3, 2024.

The living answered to the call of the dead, and those who had already departed lifted the present from the brink of despair.

Just as the citizens of Gwangju rose in defiance against martial-law troops in May 1980, so too did the great people of the Republic of Korea stand unarmed against armed martial-law forces in 2024.

In May 1980, during that brief moment when unjust power retreated, Gwangju citizens brought forth a great community of solidarity with all its strength. The same spirit was reborn as the Revolution of Light on a bitter winter night in December 2024, as citizens protected democracy by sharing warmth with one another.

Today, I bow my head in deepest respect and remembrance before the noble souls of the democratic martyrs of May, who willingly made the ultimate sacrifice for democracy.

I also extend my heartfelt tribute and consolation to the patriots and bereaved families who, through endless tears, have kept the torch of our times alight.

It is upon the unshakable foundation of the May 18 spirit, which upheld human dignity to the end even in the face of unspeakable violence, that the Republic of Korea has been able to advance along the path of democracy and prosperity.

Because of you that our democracy did not collapse at the turning points of our turbulent modern history. Because of you, it rose again and again.

We shall never forget that noble spirit, nor the sacrifice and devotion. 

Fellow Koreans, 

The December 3 insurrection was an unfinished question that left to us by May.

Democracy is neither achieved nor preserved without commitment.

Once again, we have learned through painful experience that democracy is fulfilled only through a sovereign people’s earnest aspirations and determined actions.

This government, founded on popular sovereignty, will continue to document, compensate, and honor the May 18 Democratization Movement, so that the Gwangju of 1980, which saved today’s Republic of Korea, may continue to safeguard our nation’s future. In the process, we will ensure that the lives sacrificed are justly compensated and held in the highest esteem.

Before the souls of May and before the people of Korea, I make three pledges today

First, we will do everything in our power to enshrine the spirit of May 18 in the preamble of the Constitution.

The April 19 Revolution, the Busan-Masan Democratic Protests, and the May 18 Democratization Movement carried forward into the June 10 Democratic Struggle and ultimately into the Candlelight Revolution and the Revolution of Light.

The spirit of May – both the driving force that affirmed popular sovereignty and a source of immense pride in modern Korean history – must take even deeper root in our society. To that end, the democratic ideals of the May 18 Democratization Movement must be firmly and proudly inscribed in the Constitution of the Republic of Korea.

This has long been a promise made to the people that transcends political interest. I therefore urge both the ruling and opposition parties to demonstrate bipartisan resolve and leadership.

I also ask for the steadfast support of all Koreans, beyond the citizens of Gwangju and residents of Jeollanam-do Province.

Second, we will transform the restored former Jeollanam-do Provincial Government building, which officially opens today, into a living shrine of K-democracy, where people from around the world can come to learn and remember together.

The former Jeollanam-do Provincial Government building was the final stronghold of civic resistance against unlawful state violence. The bullet marks riddled across its walls stand as silent testimony to the horror of that day and the extraordinary courage of the citizen army.

The Gwangju of May is being reborn as a universal value remembered by people around the world through its inscription on the UNESCO Memory of the World Register and in writer Han Kang’s novel Human Acts.

The government will provide its full support to ensure that the spirit of sacrifice and solidarity preserved in the former Jeollanam-do Provincial Government building is passed down as a source of pride for the Republic of Korea and as a lasting value for future generations.

Third, we will establish a government-led system to register those honored for their contributions to the May 18 Democratization Movement, so that not a single sacrifice is ever overlooked.

Prior to my arrival here, I visited the May 18th National Cemetery, where the late martyr Yang Chang-geun, who fell to gunfire from the martial law forces, rests in peace.

This boy of May, who must have keenly felt the pain of the trampled justice in his homeland, has not yet been fully recognized as a person of national merit involved in the May 18 Democratization Movement. It is because he has no immediate family who could apply for registration on his behalf.

Now, the government will serve as a family member of each and every single victim of state violence.

The nation will fulfill its duties to the very end, ensuring that not a single person who worked to safeguard democracy and the homeland with an indomitable spirit is left alone.

Fellow Koreans,

A complex web of crises – including the weakening of growth potential, deepening inequality, upheaval in the international order and the depopulation of regional areas – is simultaneously threatening the present and future of the Republic of Korea. 

The government is passing through the very heart of these turbulent waves together with the people, yet I see the future and hope for the Republic of Korea in the path that Gwangju has walked.

The joy of living together was shared in Gwangju in May 1980, and Geumnam-ro Street was awash with love and solidarity despite the brutal oppression of a dictatorship brandishing guns and bayonets. 

People soothed one another’s pain amidst feelings of loneliness. Even in the depths of despair, they supported one another, mustering their last remaining warmth to sprout seeds of hope.

Gwangju has demonstrated the true face of a democratic republic in the plaza of peace, coexistence and consideration for others – created by citizens.

That radiant spirit of May 18 Democratization Movement has guided the Republic of Korea through every twist and turn of history along a path of change and hope. It now lives on in a new challenge: the integration of Gwangju and Jeollanam-do Province.

The joined hands of Gwangju and Jeollanam-do will stand as a new milestone of shared prosperity and coexistence, writing a new chapter in history of hope for balanced development.

That is why the memory of May and the spirit of May 18 are not merely legacies and relics of the past. 

They are the courage to stand firm against injustice, the solidarity to overcome crises together, and the name of hope for a better tomorrow.

This government, founded on popular sovereignty, will faithfully carry forward the spirit of May 18 and boldly move toward the vision for which Gwangju long yearned: a nation where the people are truly sovereign.

I believe this is how we fulfill the responsibilities of the living and ensure that the noble sacrifices of the souls of May were not in vain. 

Drawing on the spirit of freedom, equality and unity bequeathed by Gwangju in May, we will do everything in our power to overcome the current crises before us and pass on a brighter and more glorious future to the next generation.

Thank you.