South Korea’s president said on Sunday that his administration will work to uphold the constitutional values of freedom to democracy, as he recalled the 1980 pro-democracy uprising in Gwangju where hundreds of civilians were killed by the military government.
President Yoon Suk-yeol made the remarks on the national Constitution Day, citing his visit to the southwestern city of Gwangju last year to reflect on the spirit of the 1980 pro-democracy movement there.
“The universal value of freedom and democracy, which was recovered through the spirit of the Gwangju uprising, equals the spirit of the constitution,” Yoon wrote in a Facebook post.
Yoon said the uprising underlined the importance of safeguarding South Korea’s constitutional values of free democracy, human rights, and the rule of law to achieve national prosperity and development….