YOON ATTENDS MAY 18TH CEREMONY

[Anchor Lead]

At the ceremony marking the May 18th Democratic Movement in Gwangju, President Yoon Suk-yeol emphasized the values of freedom and human rights and said the spirit of the May democratic movement is the cornerstone of national unity. President Yoon and roughly 200 new ministers and People Power Party and Democratic Party representatives who attended the ceremony sang “March Song for the Beloved” together.

[Pkg]

President Yoon Suk-yeol said that the May 18th Democracy Movement in Gwangju defended the values of free democracy and human rights with blood. He said that free democracy and human rights is a unifying philosophy that binds people as one and the spirit of May is the cornerstone of national unity.

[Soundbite] Yoon Suk-yeol(President) : "I believe the spirit of May will unite us and keep us safe from crises and challenges."

He called Gwangju ‘the holy ground of democratization’ and vowed to support economic development in Gwangju and the Honam region. After giving his address, Yoon joined other participants in singing “March Song for the Beloved,” the signature song for the May 18th uprising. Past conservative administrations sparked controversy when some conservative lawmakers chose not to sing the song at previous ceremonies. But the Yoon administration apparently wants to end that controversy for the sake of national unity. Attending the ceremony were new Cabinet ministers, presidential aides and roughly 200 representatives from both ruling and opposition parties. It was the first time that most PPP lawmakers took part in the May 18th ceremony. Yoon boarded a special train to travel to Gwangju with PPP members and discussed pending issues. The president had said during his campaign that he would put the spirit of May 18th uprising into the preamble of the Constitution. Even some members of the PPP said it is time to reach a consensus. The DP asked the PPP to join them in discussing the matter after establishing a special committee on Constitutional amendment.