Constitutional Amendment Bill Submitted to Include May 18 Spirit in Preamble... Chung Cheongrae Says "People Power Party's Decision Needed"

Chung Cheongrae Again Urges People Power Party to Make a Decision at Namdong Catholic Church

Floor Leaders of Six Parties Submit Constitutional Amendment with 187 Lawmakers to National Assembly

Passage Hinges on Participation of at Least 9-10 People Power Party Members

May Organizations Continue Efforts to Persuade Conservative Lawmakers

With the constitutional amendment bill including the spirit of the May 18 Democratization Movement in its preamble having been submitted to the National Assembly, whether the People Power Party will participate has emerged as the key variable for its passage. As May organizations have begun persuading the conservative camp and the leadership of the Democratic Party is now publicly pressuring them, attention is focusing on the outcome of the vote.

On April 5, Democratic Party leader Chung Cheongrae visited Namdong Catholic Church in Dong-gu, Gwangju, urging the People Power Party to clarify its position on including the spirit of the May 18 Democratization Movement in the preamble of the Constitution.

Democratic Party representative Chung Cheongrae is speaking after attending the Easter Mass at Namdong Cathedral in Dong-gu, Gwangju, on the 5th. Photo by Yonhap News

The People Power Party has announced its opposition to the timing and method of the constitutional amendment that includes the May 18 spirit in the preamble, but has not yet presented a clear party stance on the inclusion itself.

Chung's visit to Namdong Catholic Church is seen as a move closely linked to this situation. Namdong Catholic Church is historically significant as it was the site of mediation attempts between citizen militias and martial law troops in May 1980, making it a symbolic location for the May 18 movement.

On this day, Chung stated, "I hope that, through the 'true power of the people,' we will achieve the democratic milestone of including the spirit of the May 18 Democratization Movement in the preamble of the Constitution."

The current push for constitutional revision is different in atmosphere from 2018. At that time, the amendment proposed by then-President Moon Jae-in also included the inclusion of the May 18 spirit in the preamble, along with reforms to the power structure, expansion of basic rights, and strengthening of local autonomy. However, the Liberty Korea Party, the predecessor of the People Power Party, opposed the entire amendment and announced it would not participate in the plenary vote. Then-party leader Hong Joonpyo commented, "If we include all sorts of historical events like May 18 in the preamble, the Constitution will become a patchwork rather than a true constitution."

In contrast, this time, instead of outright public opposition, some lawmakers are expressing the need to participate in the constitutional amendment discussions. Assemblyman Kim Yongtae has publicly mentioned the necessity of participating in the amendment process, and Assemblyman Cho Kyungtae has also stated that the party should actively engage in the discussions.

May organizations are also working to persuade People Power Party lawmakers. Park Kangbae, Standing Executive Director of the May 18 Memorial Foundation, said, "As the decision of the People Power Party is significant, we are continuing to explain and persuade lawmakers in the National Assembly about the intent of including the May 18 movement in the preamble. However, not all lawmakers are in agreement, so the situation is not easy." He added, "Regardless of political positions, I hope decisions are made based on national consensus and historical agreement."

On April 3, floor leaders from six ruling and opposition parties, excluding the People Power Party, submitted the constitutional amendment bill—including the inclusion of the May 18 spirit in the preamble—to the National Assembly with the support of 187 lawmakers. For the bill to pass, it requires the approval of at least two-thirds of the total lawmakers, which is 197 votes, meaning at least 9 to 10 members of the People Power Party must join in for the amendment to be adopted.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.