Jung Cheong-rae, the leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, visited the National May 18th Cemetery and stated, “In accordance with the will of the spirits of Gwangju and the laws of South Korea, we will eradicate the insurrection forces.”
After paying his respects at the cemetery in Gwangju today (8th), Leader Jung met with reporters, where he commented, “Had the martial law under Yoon Suk-yeol’s group succeeded, neither President Lee Jae-myung nor I would have returned, with no remains to be found, left only to honor the spirits we saw earlier.”
He further noted, “If we do not thoroughly punish and hold accountable the events of May 1980 in Gwangju and the December 3rd martial law insurrection, such tragedies could recur.” He emphasized the need for justice, warning, “If those responsible for the December 3rd martial law insurrection are not thoroughly punished, another dictator like Yoon Suk-yeol could emerge at any time, trampling on South Korea’s constitution and democracy. We must end this at this point.”
Jung also brought up the “notebook” of Noh Sang-won, the former commander of the Army Intelligence Command, who is accused of conspiring to impose martial law, challenging, “Can you make peace with Noh Sang-won’s notebook? Shake hands with it?”
After visiting the National May 18th Cemetery, Jung and the leadership of the party held a Supreme Council meeting on-site in the Honam region at the Jeonnam Provincial Party.
Jung stated, “Within the party, the Honam Development Special Committee will propose development directions for the region as part of our initiatives to the government,” and emphasized, “It is time to visibly reciprocate the region’s noble sacrifice and dedication with tangible actions.”