President Moon expresses regret over May 18 Gwangju Uprising
- 5 years ago
We begin with our top story at this hour...
May 18th is remembered by many Koreans as the day of the Gwangju Uprising,... triggered by student protests against then President Chun Doo-hwan.
The movement gave birth to a national struggle for democracy in Korea... after decades of military rule following the Korean War.
To mark the occasion,... President Moon Jae-in attended an event in the southeastern city of Gwangju,... where he said the country still owes a huge debt to its citizens.
We now connect to our Blue House Correspondent Shin Se-min.
Semin, tell us more.
Sure. President Moon Jae-in at the event... offered his apology as the sitting president,... and also expressed his gratitude to the city of Gwangju,... saying that Korea is indebted to its citizens.
He said that the pain they suffered and their aspirations for democracy are shared by the people of Korea... and added the day cannot be subject to political differences.
"The truth about May 18 cannot differ between conservatives and liberals. That's because the values that Gwangju struggled to protect were none other than "freedom" and "democracy." The only ones who could view May 18 in a different light are the would-be heirs of dictatorship. "
He also expressed deep regret that he still has not been able to keep one of his campaign promises... of including the spirit of the May 18 Gwangju Uprising in the preamble of the Constitution.
Looking ahead,... the president also called on the people of Korea and parliament... to help rectify past mistakes.
Tell us more.
Right. The president said while closing that dark chapter of the nation's history,... the country also needs to look toward the future.
He called on the people of Korea to put their minds and hearts together... so that the country can move forward toward a brighter future.
Listen to this.
"Our task now is to uncover the truth that has yet to be clarified. This will allow us to put down the heavy historical burden that Gwangju has so far shouldered and turn the May of tragedy into the May of hope."
Those tasks,... he was referring to the revealing of the truth with regards to the those responsible for the massacre, secret burials of victims, and the firing on protestors from helicopters.
This,... as South Korea had introduced a special legislation that revolves around the creation of a fact-finding committee-- though it has yet to be officially launched over political controversy over the details.
And for that, he called on the parliament to put their hearts together for the sake of the greater good.
Mok-yeon?
Thanks, Semin,... our Shin Se-min at the top office for us.
May 18th is remembered by many Koreans as the day of the Gwangju Uprising,... triggered by student protests against then President Chun Doo-hwan.
The movement gave birth to a national struggle for democracy in Korea... after decades of military rule following the Korean War.
To mark the occasion,... President Moon Jae-in attended an event in the southeastern city of Gwangju,... where he said the country still owes a huge debt to its citizens.
We now connect to our Blue House Correspondent Shin Se-min.
Semin, tell us more.
Sure. President Moon Jae-in at the event... offered his apology as the sitting president,... and also expressed his gratitude to the city of Gwangju,... saying that Korea is indebted to its citizens.
He said that the pain they suffered and their aspirations for democracy are shared by the people of Korea... and added the day cannot be subject to political differences.
"The truth about May 18 cannot differ between conservatives and liberals. That's because the values that Gwangju struggled to protect were none other than "freedom" and "democracy." The only ones who could view May 18 in a different light are the would-be heirs of dictatorship. "
He also expressed deep regret that he still has not been able to keep one of his campaign promises... of including the spirit of the May 18 Gwangju Uprising in the preamble of the Constitution.
Looking ahead,... the president also called on the people of Korea and parliament... to help rectify past mistakes.
Tell us more.
Right. The president said while closing that dark chapter of the nation's history,... the country also needs to look toward the future.
He called on the people of Korea to put their minds and hearts together... so that the country can move forward toward a brighter future.
Listen to this.
"Our task now is to uncover the truth that has yet to be clarified. This will allow us to put down the heavy historical burden that Gwangju has so far shouldered and turn the May of tragedy into the May of hope."
Those tasks,... he was referring to the revealing of the truth with regards to the those responsible for the massacre, secret burials of victims, and the firing on protestors from helicopters.
This,... as South Korea had introduced a special legislation that revolves around the creation of a fact-finding committee-- though it has yet to be officially launched over political controversy over the details.
And for that, he called on the parliament to put their hearts together for the sake of the greater good.
Mok-yeon?
Thanks, Semin,... our Shin Se-min at the top office for us.