Lee Jae-myung: "Glad That This Place Has Become a Site to Remember the May Uprising"

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Park No-hun] Gyeonggi Province has installed 'May Benches' in front of the Provincial Government Building and at Moram Park in Namyangju, Masseok, to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the May 18 Democratic Uprising.

The unveiling ceremony held in front of the Provincial Government Building on the 14th was attended by Governor Lee Jae-myung, Archbishop Kim Hee-joong, philanthropist Hong Se-hwa, co-chairs of the May Bench Committee, and officials from Human Rights Alliance.
Governor Lee said, "Forty years have passed, but May in Gwangju still lives in South Korea today. The state, which should protect human rights and guarantee the safe lives of citizens, killed the sovereigns of this nation, the subjects of the state, with taxes paid by the people and weapons entrusted by the people," and added, "Though the forms differ, such things still continue, and I believe situations like May in Gwangju could recur at any time."
He continued, "When we clearly define history and hold those responsible for their wrongdoings, it serves a purpose of retribution, but it also has a significant preventive effect to ensure such incidents never happen again. I am truly delighted that Gyeonggi Province has created the May Bench, a place where our residents can pause and reflect each time they pass by, rest for a moment when they are struggling, remember the May 18 Democratic Uprising in Gwangju 40 years ago, and renew their commitment to prevent such incidents from ever happening again."

Kim Hee-joong, co-chair of the May Bench Committee, said, "The Gyeonggi Province basic income project for disaster relief, pioneered during the COVID-19 crisis, shares the spirit of the May 18 movement, which is about 'living together with neighbors,'" and added, "Gyeonggi Province has shown its determination to stand with Gyeonggi residents and the spirit of Gwangju by installing the May Bench. I hope the installation of May Benches beginning in Gyeonggi Province will spread like wildfire across local governments nationwide."
Hong Se-hwa, co-chair, said, "The content of the Gwangju May 18 spirit lies in the spirit of universal solidarity where those resisting injustice and the socially vulnerable support and empathize with each other," and continued, "Amid crises like COVID-19, the May Bench embodies reflection and contemplation on how we can create a better society where we live together."

The 'May Bench' is designed in the form of a chair so that anyone can sit and reflect on the noble spirit of sacrifice and the spirit of the times to protect democracy that everyone must remember. Beginning in 2018, it has been installed not only to move away from existing commemorative methods but also to transcend geographical limitations to Gwangju and temporal limitations to 1980, with the aim of nationalizing and contemporizing the spirit of the May 18 Democratic Uprising.

The 'May Bench' installed at the Citizens' Lounge in front of the Provincial Government Building is a stone sculpture measuring 220cm by 170cm. It is a work by painter Hong Sung-dam, who has been producing the most impressive artistic works related to the May 18 Democratic Uprising in Gwangju, connecting the May Bench with the woodblock print work 'Procession,' which artistically expresses the spirit of May 18.

The May Bench installed at the entrance of the Democratic Martyrs' burial ground at Moram Park in Namyangju is a work by painter Yi Seung-su. Moram Park holds greater significance as it is the resting place of numerous democracy movement activists including Jeon Tae-il, Park Jong-chul, and Moon Ik-hwan.

Meanwhile, May Benches were installed in Busan and Mokpo in 2018 and in front of Myeongdong Cathedral in Seoul in 2019. The ones in Gyeonggi Province are the fourth and fifth works of their kind installed simultaneously nationwide.