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▲ Gwangju-Jeonnam’s undying promise, the 126th Gwangju Candlelight March © Reporter Kim Young-nam |
[오늘뉴스=김영남기자]On the last Saturday of January, as the sun was setting, candles were lit again in downtown Gwangju. The Locust Tree Forest Park near the May 18th Democracy Square, the center of the democratic uprising that cried out for freedom and dignity against the military dictatorship, once again proved that it is a space where democracy still lives through the Gwangju Candlelight March.
Even in the cold winter air, the citizens’ footsteps did not stop, and the square was filled with anger, memories, and the promise not to give up. Each flickering candle quietly illuminated the citizens’ will for justice and common sense.
The slogan, “Impeach,” broke through the cold spell and echoed in the winter sky of January, and the echo sounded more than a simple political cry but like the desperation of citizens seeking to restore common sense and justice.
The leader of the rally expressed his strong awareness of the issues surrounding Kim Kun-hee’s trial and the judiciary. Citizens unanimously commented on the recent ruling, saying, “It is difficult to understand,” and “Fairness and common sense have been broken.” Their reaction was anger, but it was also a desperation for law and justice to be put in place.
As the song started, the atmosphere took on a different tone. The lyrics, “The flame of struggle that cannot be extinguished,” spread through the air of the winter evening, and the candle flame swayed as if responding to the lyrics, but did not go out. In the sound of singing, citizens confirmed each other and seemed to feel again that they were not alone.
 ▲ Gwangju-Jeonnam’s undying promise, the 126th Gwangju Candlelight March © Reporter Kim Young-nam |
Gwangju Eastern Candlelight Movement representative Jeon Yeo-jin, who delivered a keynote speech, criticized recent political and judicial issues and emphasized the significance of the upcoming local elections. The remarks were passionate, but underlying them was a sense of civic responsibility to protect democracy.
The words repeated in the square that day were ‘impeachment’, ‘dissolution’, and ‘liquidation’, but behind them were the wish for a just society, the hope that the same thing would never be repeated, and the memory that history had been moved by candlelight.
As the darkness deepened, the candlelight became clearer. The winter night in Gwangju was cold, but the citizens’ lights that lit up the night were still hot.
And the candle was talking.
It’s not over yet.
I haven’t given up yet.
Hope hasn’t died out yet.
 ▲ Gwangju-Jeonnam’s undying promise, the 126th Gwangju Candlelight March © Reporter Kim Young-nam |
