Rival party leaders, standing side by side, sang the controversial song “March for Our Beloved” on Monday, despite opposition from the government as South Korea marked the 35th anniversary of a pro-democracy movement.

Leaders of the main political parties ― Kim Moo-sung of the ruling Saenuri Party and Moon Jae-in of the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy ― attended the memorial ceremony marking the May 18 Democratic Uprising in Gwangju and sang the song with the choir.

However, Finance Minister Choi Kyung-hwan, who attended the government-sponsored event as acting prime minister, and Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs Park Sung-choon refused to sing along, highlighting the long-standing political division over the 1980 democratic movement.

“March for Our Beloved,” has been subject to heavy political debate as the conservatives criticize it for being pro-North, while the progressives insist it is a symbol of the nation’s democratic movement.

Composed by student Kim Jong-ryul and written by novelist Hwang Sok-yong, the song was dedicated to a spiritual marriage of young protestors killed by soldiers, two years after the 1980 massacre.

On May 18, 1980, Gwangju citizens, led by students, rose up against then-military junta leader Chun Doo-hwan, who took power after former President Park Chung-hee was assassinated. More than 200 people died in the brutal crackdown by the military regime.

While the uprising has been widely hailed as a stepping-stone for democracy in Korea, the Chun administration and right-wing politicians labeled it a rebellion triggered by communist sympathizers.

For more than a decade, participants at the annual memorial service sang “March for Our Beloved” together since the liberal Kim Dae-joong administration designated May 18 as a national memorial day in 1997 and the song as an official commemorative theme.

But when the conservative former president Lee Myung-bak took power in 2008, he declared that the song should be sung only by a choir, refusing to recognize it as an official song for the 1980 democratic movement.

The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, the host of the memorial service, confirmed last week that the song would officially be sung only by a choir at this year’s event.

Taking issue that it was used as background music for 1991 North Korean film “Symphonic Poem for the Beloved,” the ministry insisted that the mass sing-along could undermine “national unity” as it might reignite dispute over the meaning of “beloved” and “new day” in the lyrics. Some right-wing activists go as far as to claim that “beloved” refers to late-North Korea leader Kim Il-sung.

The move, however, faced strong resistance from local politicians and civic organizations based in Gwangju, who denounced the ministry’s decision as “a step against the May 18 spirit for democracy.”

Enraged by the government’s decision, the council of May 18 bereaved families and local organizations boycotted the memorial service and held a separate ceremony at the same time in front of the former South Jeolla Provincial Office in the southwestern city.

Saenuri leader Kim, who sang the song at the memorial service, also lashed out at the government’s decision. “I sang this song 10 times a day while fighting for Korea’s democracy as a student,” he said. “I cannot find any pro-North content in the lyrics (as claimed by the government.)”

Despite Kim’s efforts to appeal to Gwangju citizens, he was forced out of the pre-memorial event held on Sunday night following a protest by some of the attendees. They swore and threw water at him, which led him to leave the scene shortly after he arrived.

Gwangju, the opposition party’s traditional home turf, also showed hostility to NPAD leader Moon. “You are not welcome here” and “The NPAD is no different from the Saenuri party,” some shouted at him, blasting the party’s continued factional strife.

Meanwhile, Acting Prime Minister Choi, who did not sing the song, made a speech, calling for a fight against corruption.

“The long-accumulated corruption and irregularities should be rooted out while a new culture of change and innovation should be created for all sections of our society,” Choi said.

Regarding the May 18 democratic movement, he said that “Upholding the spirit of the May 18 movement, the country should leap to an advanced society by one more step.”

By Ock Hyun-ju (laeticia.ock@heraldcorp.com)