Cheering sticks light up again as participants chant slogans. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Dec. 3 (Korea Bizwire) — President Lee Jae-myung on Wednesday marked the first anniversary of the failed Dec. 3 coup attempt by declaring that the South Korean people “have every right to receive the Nobel Peace Prize” for defending democracy against an illegal military intervention.
In a nationally televised address titled “First Anniversary of the Revolution of Light,” Lee called last year’s events “a defining moment in the history of world democracy,” praising citizens who gathered at the National Assembly to block what he described as an “unjust and unlawful seizure of power.”
“The coup revealed, paradoxically, the extraordinary resilience of Korean democracy,” Lee said. “Our people did not hesitate for a second. They confronted injustice not with violence but with dance and song, turning the darkest moment into the brightest.”
Lee said the government will designate Dec. 3 as “National Sovereignty Day” and move to make it a public holiday to commemorate the popular resistance that he says restored constitutional order.
President Lee Jae-myung delivers a special national address marking the first anniversary of the Dec. 3 martial law crisis — the ‘Revolution of Light’ — at the presidential office in Yongsan on Dec. 3 (Yonhap)
He warned, however, that the legal reckoning is far from over. “The Revolution of Light is not yet complete,” he said, noting that investigations and trials of alleged participants in the attempted insurrection are ongoing. “Those who sought to destroy the constitutional order for personal ambition—even flirting with war—must be held accountable.”
The president emphasized that “just integration,” not blanket forgiveness, should guide the country’s path forward. “Integration does not mean covering things up,” he said. “Nor does it mean tolerating wrongdoing.”
On Dec. 3, Jeong Cheong-rae, leader of the ruling Democratic Party, poses for a commemorative photo after presenting certificates of appreciation to citizens Lee Geum-kyu, Kim Suk-jung, Do Hee-seok and Lee Kwan-hoon — who played leading roles in blocking martial law forces — during a special on-site party leadership meeting held on the main staircase of the National Assembly building in Yeouido, Seoul, marking the first anniversary of thwarting the Dec. 3 insurrection. Behind them hangs a large banner reading, ‘Democracy Protected by the People.’ (Yonhap)
Lee refrained from taking a direct position on proposals in the National Assembly to create a special tribunal for coup-related cases or to launch an additional independent investigation, saying such decisions should be left to legislators. Still, he hinted at unresolved issues. “There is still far too much that remains unclear,” he said.
Lee added that democracy in South Korea had global consequences. “As many foreign media outlets noted, had Korean democracy collapsed, the retreat of democracy would have spread beyond Asia to the entire world,” he said. “I thank the Korean people for their courage and solidarity.”
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
