[UPDATES] President Park risks political stalemate over pro-democracy song

[Aju News DB]

President Park Geun-hye faces a possible political stalemate with opposition groups after her administration refused Monday to designate a pro-democracy song as the anthem for memorial services commemorating a bloody civil uprising against South Korea's military dictatorship in 1980.

The song titled "March for the Beloved" with a sorrow rhythm and emotional lyrics emerged in 1981 in memory of a civilian militia member killed during the uprising that erupted in the southern city of Gwangju in protest at a martial law proclaimed by then military dictator Chun Doo-hwan to quell pro-democracy protests.

At that time, citizens in Gwangju took up arms to stop a military attack that killed hundreds of people, but the uprising later was officially recognized in school textbooks as a pro-democracy movement. From 1997, "March for the Beloved" was sung together by all participants at the uprising's state-organized annual commemoration in Gwangju.

It has become a flagship song used widely by student and labor activists for their anti-government protests. But the government barred participants from signing it along at its official memorial event in Gwangju in 2009, having only a choir sing it. In protest, liberal groups and families of the Gwangju victims boycotted the state ceremony to hold their own memorial event.

On Monday, the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs refused to change its stance and allowed only a chorus to perform the song, turning down a request to designate it as the uprising's anthem. The ministry insisted it could hurt national unity as North Korea used it as background music for its film in 1991.

The main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea warned of a strong public backlash, accusing President Park of turning a deaf ear to public calls for change in her non-compromising attitude. "There is no change in the president's attitude, although we had expected her to listen to the wishes of voters shown in the election," it said in a statement.

Opposition groups have urged Park to make political goodwill gestures or face a stalemate in parliament since her ruling Saenuri Party suffered a crushing defeat in parliamentary elections in April.

The election saw Saenuri falling to the second largest group in parliament controlled by opposition parties. It was seen as a test of gauging public sentiment ahead of the presidential race in December 2017. Park, who took office in early 2013 as the country's first female president, cannot seek re-election.

Aju News Lim Chang-won = cwlim34@ajunews.com

Park Sae-jin swatchsjp@ajunews.com

[UPDATES] President Park risks political stalemate over pro-democracy song

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