Kim Sangwook Visits 5·18 Cemetery, Vows to "Sow the Seeds of Democracy in Yeongnam"

Visiting Gwangju with His Certificate of Election to Report on Fulfilling His Promise
"May’s Gwangju Is the Root of Korean Democracy"
Proposes Cooperation Between Gwangju, Jeonnam, and Ulsan

Kim Sang-wook, the elected mayor of Ulsan, visited the National 5·18 Democratic Cemetery on June 8 and stated, "Today marks the first step in fulfilling my promise to sow the seeds of democracy in the Yeongnam region."

After paying his respects at the National 5·18 Democratic Cemetery in Unjeong-dong, Buk-gu, Gwangju, Kim remarked, "The force that awakened me and spurred me to action on the night of the December 3, 2024 rebellion came from the seniors in Gwangju in May 1980," adding, "The roots of Korean democracy are, indeed, in May’s Gwangju."

He continued, "Gwangju is a very special place to me. On May 18 of this year, I declared my membership in the Democratic Party in front of this very cemetery, and it was also here that I resolved to uphold and carry on the spirit of democracy." He went on to say, "When I visited here in January of this year, I vowed to plant the seeds of democracy in Yeongnam, and this local election was the first step toward that goal. Today, I have come with my certificate of election to report that I have been striving to keep that promise."

On the morning of the 8th, Kim Sanguk, the elected mayor of Ulsan, visited the National May 18 Democratic Cemetery in Unjeong-dong, Buk-gu, Gwangju, to pay respects and made remarks afterward. Photo by Yonhap News

Kim acknowledged, "Because of deeply rooted regionalism and distorted perceptions, it has not been easy to bring about citizen-led change in Yeongnam." Nevertheless, he emphasized, "Change must come to Yeongnam so that the remnants of the forces behind the rebellion will lose power, and so that Korea can truly become one."

Kim also highlighted the need to enshrine the spirit of May 18 in the preamble of the Constitution. He stated, "The spirit of May 18 is the foundation that brought about democratization in 1987 and today’s Korean democracy. Although it was not included in the preamble this time, it must be enshrined as soon as possible." He added, "I hope the National 5·18 Democratic Cemetery becomes a sanctuary for everyone who values Korean democracy, a place where people can reflect on its meaning and come together to build the future."

He also expressed his commitment to cooperation between Gwangju, Jeonnam, and Ulsan. Kim said, "As the mayor-elect of Ulsan visiting Gwangju, I will actively seek ways for Gwangju, Jeonnam, and Ulsan to prosper together. Gwangju has strengths in foundational artificial intelligence (AI), while Ulsan excels in industrial AI transformation (AX), so collaboration can create major synergy."

Following the December 3 emergency martial law incident, Kim cast votes in favor of the National Assembly’s motion to lift martial law and the impeachment motion against former President Yoon Suk Yeol, after which he left the People Power Party. He then declared his entry into the Democratic Party at the 45th anniversary ceremony of the 5·18 Democratization Movement, and on June 3 was elected mayor of Ulsan in the 9th nationwide local elections.

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