"Bu-Ma Uprising and May 18 Must Be in Constitution"... Call for Talks on Constitutional Revision

[Anchor]

President Lee Jae-myung stated at the 47th anniversary ceremony of the Bu-Ma Democratic Uprising that "enshrining the Bu-Ma Democratic Uprising and the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement into the preamble of the Constitution is the bare minimum measure to defend democracy." He then once again called on the National Assembly to embark on discussions regarding constitutional revision.

Reporter Park Yerim reports.

[Reporter]

The 47th anniversary ceremony of the Bu-Ma Democratic Uprising was held this afternoon (October 16) at Busan City Hall.

In his commemorative address, President Lee Jae-myung said he conveys his deep respect and gratitude to the citizens of Busan and Masan who cried out for justice with their whole bodies during a harsh era of dictatorship.

He continued by stating that the Bu-Ma Democratic Uprising served as a solid cornerstone for the development of democracy in South Korea, noting:

[President Lee Jae-myung: The cries and spirit of Bu-Ma continue to May 1980 in Gwangju, to the June Democratic Uprising of 1987, and onward to the Candlelight Revolution and the December 3 Revolution of Light.]

President Lee emphasized that inscribing into history the spirit of the Bu-Ma Democratic Uprising—one of the greatest milestones in the nation's democracy—and passing it down to future generations is a duty shared by all.

[President Lee Jae-myung: Enshrining the Bu-Ma Democratic Uprising and the Gwangju Democratization Movement into the preamble of the Constitution is the minimum measure to ensure that our people do not forget our blood-stained history.]

He went on to urge the National Assembly to promptly move forward with gathering public opinion and engaging in rational discussions for constitutional revision.

President Lee also promised that the government would not turn away from the wounds and pain of wrongful victims and would do its utmost to restore their honor.

Near the end of his address, President Lee was briefly overcome with emotion and choked up while mentioning the contributors to the Bu-Ma Democratic Uprising and their bereaved families.

[President Lee Jae-myung: Those who dedicated their lives to democracy in this land....]

The presidential office explained that this moment reflected his deep feelings toward the sacrificed citizens, alongside his regret that recent political circumstances have prevented the spirit of the Bu-Ma Democratic Uprising from being inscribed into the preamble of the Constitution.

(Video by Jeong Sang-bo and Ha Ryong | Video Editing by Oh Young-taek)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.