Lee Jae-myung, the president, on the 17th said, "We will designate Dec. 3 each year as 'Popular Sovereignty Day' so that the meaning and spirit of that day can be fully passed down to the next generation."
Marking the 78th Constitution Day, the president wrote on Facebook that day, "The popular sovereignty government will remember and carry on this great history," making the remarks above.
The president said, "On Dec. 3, 2024, the declaration of martial law at midnight reminded all of us that the threat to democracy is by no means a thing of the past but a reality that can be repeated at any time even in Korea today."
He continued, "However, the great people of Korea proved to the whole world through the 'revolution of light' that the spirit of popular sovereignty enshrined in the Constitution is alive and breathing in our daily lives," adding, "The popular sovereignty government will remember and carry on this great history."
The president said, "On this day in 1948, Korea promulgated the founding Constitution and declared that the people are the owners of the nation," adding, "The principle of popular sovereignty—that Korea's sovereignty resides in the people and all power comes from the people—has been the compass that has supported the democratic republic of Korea for the past 78 years."
He said, "Modern Korean history has been a fierce history in which the people themselves have defended their sovereignty against forces that sought to undermine constitutional values and democracy and to privatize power."
He went on, "Through our long history, we have confirmed that democracy, once won, is not guaranteed forever but must be continuously safeguarded through citizens' participation, courage, and solidarity."
Referring to the 'Light Commission,' which was officially launched on the 13th, the president said, "We will systematically collect and preserve the records of the revolution of light so that K-democracy can spread widely as a model for democracies around the world."
The Light Commission is a presidential commission that promotes projects such as designating a commemorative day, managing records, and installing symbols in order to carry on the civic spirit that stood up to the previous administration's unlawful martial law. The president also attached a photo of the certificate of appreciation delivered to attendees of the citizen invitation event marking the launch of the Light Commission that day.
In the certificate of appreciation, the president said, "I will never forget the citizens who shared a single emergency blanket and stayed up the night on the asphalt in the dead of winter; the young people who guarded the front of the National Assembly in case of additional martial law; and the many people across the nation who rushed to Namtaeryeong to extend a hand of solidarity. Thank you sincerely."