A rally was held in the area of Kumnam Street by members of civic and public organizations including the Solidarity for Progress, the Kwangju and South Jolla Provincial Solidarity for Progress, the Confederation of Trade Unions, the Federation of Peasants Associations and the Association for Supporting Prisoners of Conscience of the Family Movement for Realizing Democracy.

Speeches were made there.

Ri Kang Sil, permanent co-chairperson of the south Korean Solidarity for Progress, declared the horrible massacre committed in Kwangju 29 years ago is repeating itself under the Lee Myung Bak regime, adding that the only way of putting the present situation under control is for all people to pool efforts and fight against the regime.

Pan Myong Ja, vice-chairperson of the Confederation of Trade Unions, said that when the people and progressive forces fail to go united, it is impossible to achieve victory, calling upon all progressive forces to struggle in unity.

Ri Thae Hyong, member of the South Headquarters of the Pan-national Alliance for Korea's Reunification (Pomminryon), stated that the suppression of the reunification movement forces, the tragedy in Ryongsan and other happenings were by no means accidental but an inevitable product of the present regime's anti- reunification, undemocratic and unpopular policy.

Ju Pyong Jun, chairman of the People's Measure Committee for Opposing the Expansion of the Drill Ground in Mugon-ri, vowed to struggle at the risk of his life in the same spirit as displayed by the participants of the Kwangju uprising and thus defend their native village.

A resolution read out there called on the people of different strata to frustrate the moves of the conservative ruling forces to drive the people to misery, revive dictatorship and perpetuate the national split and build a new society, independent, democratic and reunified, through a solidarity struggle to force the Lee regime to step down.

Prior to the rally, students staged an art performance representing the struggle of the participants in the May 18 Kwangju uprising.

There was in the city of Kwangju a May 18 grand march for independent reunification to inherit the spirit of Kwangju resistance fighters, put an end to the suppression under the pretext of "security" and demand the resignation of the Lee Myung Bak regime.

Participating in it were members of civic and public organizations grouping people of different strata including the South Headquarters of Pomminryon, workers, peasants, youth and students, middle and high schoolers, housewives pushing baby carriages, netizens and other people of different strata.

"A memorial service for commemorating the 29th anniversary of the May 18 popular uprising" took place in Kwangju on the same day.