South Korea to honor 1980 Gwangju uprising in new Constitution

The South Korean cabinet on Monday approved a motion to amend the national Constitution, initiating a process to reform martial law protocols and honor democratic history, according to the Yonhap News Agency.

The proposal, backed by 192 lawmakers from the ruling Democratic Party and minor groups, seeks to integrate the spirit of the 1979 Busan-Masan and 1980 Gwangju pro-democracy uprisings into the preamble. President Lee Jae Myung emphasized that the changes are necessary to reflect significant societal shifts since the document was last amended in 1987.

Crucially, the bill tightens requirements for declaring martial law by mandating that the president obtain parliamentary approval without delay. If the National Assembly rejects the declaration or fails to approve it within 48 hours, the martial law would be immediately nullified.

Following the cabinet’s move, President Lee must issue a 20-day public notice for citizen review. The National Assembly is then required to vote on the amendment within 60 days, where it must secure a two-third majority. If approved by lawmakers between May 4 and May 10, a national referendum would be held alongside the June 3 local elections. The amendment requires both a majority turnout and majority approval to be finalized.