President Lee Jae-myung pledged to include the spirit of the May-18 Democratic Uprising in the preamble of the South Korean Constitution on Monday [1].
The move represents a significant effort to codify the democratic legacy of the Gwangju uprising into the nation's highest law after previous constitutional amendment attempts failed [1].
Lee attended the ceremony in front of the former South Jeolla Provincial Government building in Gwangju to mark the 46th anniversary of the event [1]. During the proceedings, he said the government is committed to ensuring the values of the uprising are officially recognized within the constitutional framework [1].
In his remarks, Lee linked the historical struggle in Gwangju to more recent political turmoil. He said that the spirit of a "great community" in Gwangju led to the overcoming of a recent emergency martial law crisis [1].
Lee described the democratic movement as a "revolution of light" that was revived in December 2024, when citizens protected democracy through mutual support during a harsh winter night [1]. This connection emphasizes the continuity between the 1980 uprising and contemporary efforts to maintain democratic stability in South Korea.
The president's attendance at the memorial serves as a symbolic gesture of national reconciliation, and a commitment to the victims of the uprising [1]. By pushing for the preamble change, the administration seeks to institutionalize the democratic principles that emerged from the Gwangju protests [1].
Lee said he would once again commit to the inclusion of the 5·18 spirit in the constitutional preamble [1].
“the spirit of a 'great community' in Gwangju led to the overcoming of a recent emergency martial law crisis”
The push to embed the 5·18 spirit into the Constitution's preamble is an attempt to move the legacy of the Gwangju Uprising from a commemorative event to a foundational legal principle. By linking the 1980 events to the 2024 martial law crisis, President Lee is framing the democratic struggle as an ongoing process, suggesting that the legal codification of these values is necessary to prevent future authoritarian regressions.
