Chung Chung-rae, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, said Monday that "opposing the inclusion of the May 18 Democratic Movement spirit in the constitutional preamble is tantamount to praising Chun Doo-hwan and opposing democracy," urging the People Power Party (PPP) to "clarify its position on enshrining the May 18 spirit in the constitutional preamble as soon as possible."
Chung made the remarks after attending an Easter Mass at Namdong May 18 Memorial Cathedral in Gwangju. "This is a meaningful place where people worked tirelessly for Gwangju's many democracy activists and leaders during the May 18 uprising," he said.
"The spirit of May 18 seems embedded in this cathedral, and faint memories of those days come flooding back," Chung added. "Throughout the Mass, I kept thinking about how the December 3 emergency martial law insurrection was not legitimate, inspired by the May 18 spirit enshrined in Namdong Cathedral."
Chung stressed that "the May 18 spirit rooted in Namdong Cathedral must be enshrined in the constitutional preamble to carry on its legacy." He noted that "multiple parties came together to propose a constitutional amendment bill, yet the People Power Party — which shows up in Gwangju only when the occasion calls and invokes the May 18 spirit — is absent from the joint proposal."
"The People Power Party must promptly clarify whether it supports or opposes including the May 18 spirit in the constitutional preamble," he said. "Opposing this is nothing less than praising Chun Doo-hwan and opposing democracy."
He also said, "The People Power Party kneels and asks for forgiveness and reflection whenever May 18 comes around, yet it turns away from the public and historical demand to enshrine the spirit in the constitutional preamble." He added, "I hope the May 18 spirit will be written into the Constitution not by the party called 'People Power' but by the genuine power of the people."
On May 3, National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik and six political parties — the Democratic Party of Korea, the Rebuilding Korea Party, the Reform Party, the Progressive Party, the Social Democratic Party and the Basic Income Party — jointly proposed a constitutional amendment bill. The bill includes enshrining the spirits of the May 18 Gwangju Democratic Movement and the Busan-Masan Uprising in the constitutional preamble, introducing the National Assembly's authority to lift martial law, and codifying the state's obligation for balanced regional development.
The PPP did not participate in the proposal, saying the matter requires sufficient deliberation. A constitutional amendment requires approval from at least two-thirds of all sitting lawmakers — 197 or more — meaning at least 10 PPP members would need to vote in favor.