On December 3, 2025, President Lee Jae-myung stood before the nation at the presidential office in Yongsan, Seoul, delivering a message that resonated with the weight of recent history. Marking the first anniversary of the December 3, 2024 martial law crisis—now widely known as the "Revolution of Light"—President Lee’s address was both a commemoration and a call to action. The events of the past year, he emphasized, were not just a national trial but a turning point for democracy, not only in South Korea but around the world.
"We will complete the Revolution of Light and build a true nation of popular sovereignty," President Lee declared, according to Korea Bizwire. His words echoed through the halls where, just a year earlier, citizens had poured into the streets, waving light sticks and blocking military vehicles with their bare bodies. Their peaceful resistance to a short-lived martial law declaration—an attempted self-coup—captured the world’s attention and ultimately restored the constitutional order.
To honor this extraordinary courage, Lee announced the designation of December 3 as "People’s Sovereignty Day." He explained, "To honor the people’s extraordinary courage and action, we will designate December 3 as ‘People’s Sovereignty Day.’ The people of Korea, who overcame a crisis of democracy through peaceful means, fully deserve the Nobel Peace Prize." The president’s remarks, broadcast live to citizens nationwide, were followed by a Q&A and a press conference with foreign reporters, underscoring both the domestic and international significance of the occasion (Maeil Business Newspaper).
The "Revolution of Light"—a term inspired by the light stick-waving protestors who filled the streets—was not just a moment of resistance, but a testament to the power of peaceful protest. Lee recalled the scenes that gripped the nation: citizens blocking armored vehicles near the National Assembly, confronting police, and even helping lawmakers scale the Assembly walls to fulfill their constitutional duties. "It was the first time in the 21st century that a loyalist coup occurred in a democracy comparable to South Korea, and it was also the first time in world history that an unarmed citizenry stopped such a coup peacefully and with dignity," Lee said in his address.
The president’s speech was filled with vivid memories: young people standing guard through the night, citizens sitting on cold asphalt in the midst of a winter snowstorm, and the outpouring of solidarity as people rushed to protect farmers and lawmakers alike. These moments, Lee argued, transformed "the nation’s darkest moment—triggered by an illegal loyalist coup—into its finest hour." (Korea Bizwire)
But Lee was clear: the work of the Revolution of Light is not yet finished. Investigations and trials related to the insurrection are ongoing. "Just as the past can save the present, and the dead can aid the living, the Revolution of Light must guide the future and safeguard our descendants. That is the solemn responsibility of a government grounded in the sovereignty of the people. Strict punishment for those who took part in the loyalist coup is the beginning," he said. Lee called for "righteous unity" to ensure that "no one can ever again dream of staging a coup, and where no one can threaten the light of the people’s sovereignty."
According to The Hankyoreh, Lee’s message was unequivocal: those involved in the self-coup "must face judgment and stern punishment to achieve 'just unity' in the country." He described the coup attempt as "a heinous plot to destroy our constitutional order and even launch a war, and all to satisfy private ambition." Such measures, he explained, were essential to prevent future coups and protect the country’s popular sovereignty. "Just unity is essential if we are to forge a country in which nobody would ever again dream of launching a coup, a country in which nobody could threaten the splendid light of our popular sovereignty," Lee declared.
Lee’s remarks also carried an international dimension. He warned that the collapse of democracy in Korea would have triggered a "democratic retreat not only in Asia, but throughout the world." The president noted, "Democracy is one of the greatest systems humanity has created, but it is not perfect in itself. No matter how sophisticated the laws or institutions, without citizens who uphold and practice them, they are nothing but a house of cards." In this sense, the Korean people’s peaceful defeat of illegal martial law—through constitutional and lawful means—stands as a historic event in global democracy.
Lee expressed confidence that the Korean people, for overcoming an unprecedented democratic crisis through peaceful means, "fully deserve the Nobel Peace Prize." He added, "If the Korean people are awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for preserving democracy, restoring peace, and showing the world the greatness of democratic action, it would become a turning point for all nations shaken by conflict and division."
The president’s schedule on the anniversary was packed with symbolic events. After his national address and the press conference, he held a luncheon with key figures from the administrative, legislative, and judicial branches—including National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-sik, Supreme Court Chief Justice Kim Sang-hwan, Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, and National Election Commission Chairman Roh Tae-ak—to reflect on the national crisis and discuss the path forward (Maeil Business Newspaper). In the evening, Lee attended a civic event hosted by political parties and civil society groups, where he was expected to participate with a light stick—the very symbol of the Revolution of Light.
Throughout early 2025, public solidarity remained strong. Protests continued, including a farmers’ group demonstration on March 25, where tractors and trucks stood at a halt in southern Seoul, calling for the impeachment of former President Yoon Suk Yeol. Citizens braved harsh winter conditions, wrapped in emergency blankets, to hold sit-in rallies demanding accountability and the protection of democracy. These acts, Lee said, "showed how powerful democracy can be when democratic institutions and peaceful methods are animated by a sovereign people." (Korea Bizwire)
Lee’s vision for the future is one of hope and resilience. "The model you set during the Revolution of Light is establishing a new global standard for democracy. The road ahead, like the one behind us, will be one that no one has walked before. Sometimes a deep valley, sometimes a high mountain may block our way. But the Korean people—who scaled even the high wall of a loyalist coup—can overcome any obstacle."
He concluded, "With faith in the people, we will boldly advance to complete the Revolution of Light and build a true nation of popular sovereignty. We will create a country that is more prosperous, stronger, and more humane. I believe the people of Korea will walk beside us as steadfast partners in this hopeful journey, as we write a new chapter in the proud history of our Republic."
As South Korea commemorates the Revolution of Light and looks to the future, the message is clear: the defense of democracy is not just a memory, but a living commitment—one that will shape the nation and inspire the world for years to come.