First lady Kim Hye-kyung hosts May Mothers at Cheong Wa Dae: 'Deep respect for your noble lives'

First lady Kim Hye-kyung hosted current and former officers of the May Mothers' House at Cheong Wa Dae on Monday for a luncheon meeting, expressing deep respect and consolation for the families of those who died in the May 18 pro-democracy uprising.

Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Ahn Gwi-ryeong said in a written briefing that Kim invited the group to Sangchunjae, a traditional pavilion within Cheong Wa Dae, for the afternoon gathering. The event fulfilled a promise Kim made when she visited the May Mothers' House in Gwangju last June, when she told the group she would invite them to Seoul once the presidential office had relocated from Yongsan.

The May Mothers' House is a nonprofit organization founded in 2006 by women who took part in the May 18 uprising or searched for detained family members during it, as well as those who have since worked to restore the honor of relatives who were killed. Eighteen current and former officers attended Monday's event, including Director Lee Chun-hee, former Director Jeong Hyeon-ae and former Director Lee Myeong-ja.

"I am so glad to be able to welcome the May Mothers to Cheong Wa Dae," Kim told the attendees. "When I visited Gwangju last June, I promised I would bring you to Seoul — and I am finally keeping that promise." She also expressed sorrow over the passing of the late former Director Ahn Seong-rye, who had greeted her warmly during last year's Gwangju visit but died at the end of last year, and offered her condolences while apologizing for not having extended the invitation sooner.

"When I think of the May Mothers, what comes to mind first is the warmth of hands that reached out to comfort others even amid overwhelming grief and despair," Kim said. "Just as the mothers of May 18 offered solace to the mothers of April 16, you have always embraced the wounds of our society — and I pay my deepest respects to your noble lives and spirit." She added that she hoped Monday's gathering would help ease, even a little, the pain the women had carried in their hearts for so many years.

In response, Director Lee Chun-hee asked Kim to pay attention to recording the life histories of the mothers, preserving them for posterity and securing a dedicated space for the women of Gwangju. "The mothers who always seemed so steadfast are now mostly elderly, and we are losing them one by one," she said.

The conversation continued during a closed-door session. Former Director Jeong Hyeon-ae said Monday would be a day the May Mothers would remember for the rest of their lives, and expressed gratitude to President Lee Jae Myung and Kim for their efforts on behalf of Gwangju. She also asked that they work to correct the historical distortions and disparagement surrounding May 18. "Even now, when I recall those days, my heart trembles and I cannot sleep," she said.

Auditor Chu Hye-seong recalled an episode from 2017, when Lee — then serving as mayor of Seongnam — visited a sit-in at the former South Jeolla Province governor's office to declare he would take a turn on watch and stayed through the night. Chu said Lee's visit to the restored building last May had carried a special significance.

Kim presented each attendee with statice flowers, a symbol of eternal remembrance, to mark an enduring commitment to the memory of those who died in Gwangju in 1980. Noting that many of the guests did not have suitable personal photographs, she also arranged individual portrait sessions in the main garden of Cheong Wa Dae. After the luncheon, Kim personally saw the guests off, saying, "Please stay healthy for a long, long time — I truly hope we meet again."