Present there together them were members of the May 18 Memorial Foundation, a civic organization in south Korea.

A memorial service took place as the first event.

At the service speakers referred to the significance of the uprising. They called upon all the fellow countrymen to pool their efforts to fight for the independent reunification of the country by inheriting the spirit of the May resistance.

The participants released a statement denouncing the crimes of the Lee Myung Bak group of traitors.

The statement blasted the erstwhile military dictatorial forces and their descendants of south Korea for adding to their crimes, far from repenting of their crimes.

The present conservative forces are defiling the May 18 resistance, it said, bitterly condemning the Lee Myung Bak regime for resorting to plots and swindles.

It branded the present regime's pursuance of the policy of confrontation with fellow countrymen, moves to derail inter-Korean dialogue, war maneuvers, the four large rivers project and enforcement of the policy on reducing taxes of the rich as acts going against the era and the people's mindset.