Members of the ruling People Power Party’s innovation committee paid their respects at the May 18 National Cemetery in Gwangju as their first public engagement on Monday.

Regarding May 18 organizations’ requests to enshrine the spirit of the democratization movement in Gwangju in the Constitution — which was one of President Yoon Suk-yeol’s campaign pledges — innovation committee head John Linton said he would “do his best.”

Linton and the 12 other members of the ruling party’s innovation committee arrived at the May 18 National Cemetery located in the Buk District of Gwangju around 9 am on Monday.

Dressed in a black suit and tie, Linton wrote in the guest book that “Gwangju is perfecting the Republic of Korea” before offering flowers and burning incense in front of the memorial tower. Next, he offered flowers at the missing persons’ cemetery, where victims who went missing during the May 18 Democratization Movement are honored, while on one knee. He even placed both his hands on one victim’s burial mound.

After paying his respects, Linton was asked by organizations such as the May 18 Memorial Injured to help enshrine the “spirit of May” in the Constitution as well as revise the Support for Veterans Act, to which he replied he would “do his best” to accomplish them “no matter what.”

Ever since he was a presidential candidate, Yoon has consistently advocated for the incorporation of the spirit of the city’s pro-democracy movement in the Constitution.

“From now on, our children will be properly educated on the meaning of Gwangju, and families of Gwangju victims and descendants of those who passed away will be proactively taken care of,” remarked Linton. “The central government should embrace all these individuals so they can proudly talk about their ancestors, mothers or fathers in this country.”

During his first year in college, Linton contributed to raising awareness about the events in Gwangju abroad by providing English interpretations for the May 18 citizen militia. At the May 18 National Cemetery, Linton related to reporters some of the statements he remembered interpreting: “We should be protecting our country from the North, but I don’t understand why guns are being aimed toward the South. I feel resentful,” was one such statement, while the other was, “They call us communists, but we sing the national anthem and shout anti-communist slogans every day to begin our daily routine.”

However, the People Power Party’s innovation committee earlier reaffirmed its position that party Supreme Council member Kim Jae-won, who found himself in hot water for his statement opposing the enshrinement of the spirit of May 18 in the Constitution, should not be disciplined. On Friday, the committee announced a measure for “general amnesty” to unite the party as its first reform plan, stating it would propose “amnesties” for former party leader Lee Jun-seok, who was disciplined by the party’s ethics committee, in addition to Daegu Mayor Hong Joon-pyo and Kim Jae-won.

Meeting with reporters, innovation committee member Kim Kyung-jin commented, “Kim Jae-won repeatedly said his statement was wrong and apologized. We took this into consideration.” He added that this matter will be brought to the Supreme Council’s attention “as early as Thursday.”

The innovation committee also paid respects at the Seoul National Cemetery in the Dongjak District of Seoul on Monday afternoon. Linton wrote in the guest book, “We will not forget your sacrifice. Thank you. We will advance the country further.”

By Shin Min-jung, staff reporter

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