The Democratic Party of Korea said on the 2nd it will designate Dec. 3, when it blocked the Yoon Suk-yeol administration's martial law, as a memorial day for the pro-democracy movement.
Floor leader Kim Byung-kee of the Democratic Party said at a floor countermeasures meeting that morning, "We will officially recognize the 'revolution of light' as a pro-democracy movement and begin amending the law to designate Dec. 3 as Pro-Democracy Movement Memorial Day."
Kim said, "As of tomorrow, it will be one year since Yoon Suk-yeol's illegal martial law and insurrection. Just one year ago, Korea stood on the brink, with the heart of democracy about to collapse. That day, the force that protected Korea was neither the system nor power. It was the people, the sovereigns," adding, "In the face of the threat of illegal martial law and insurrection, the press did not remain silent, and conscientious soldiers chose the Constitution over orders. The National Assembly became the last breakwater that protected the democratic republic."
He continued, "The world also recorded this historic moment clearly. Foreign media defined the 12·3 martial law as a 'coup' and a 'serious threat to democracy,' and focused on the people's peaceful resistance. Leaders of major democracies also expressed deep respect for the maturity of K-democracy and for the popular resistance," stressing, "Now the National Assembly must complete its meaning through the system."
However, the timing for handling the related bill is undecided. After the meeting, floor spokesperson Kim Hyun-jung told reporters, "We have not fixed the timing, but we plan to deal with it as a pro-democracy memorial day."
Meanwhile, the presidential office and the ruling party plan to attend an outdoor event hosted by civic groups on the 3rd to mark the first anniversary of the 12·3 martial law crisis. The event is organized by the civic group "Special Committee for Recording and Commemoration of the Emergency Action for Liquidating Insurrection and Overhauling Society," with participation from the Democratic Party, Rebuilding Korea Party, The Progressive Party, Basic Income Party, and The Social Democratic Party of Korea and other parties in the broader opposition bloc.