President Lee Jae Myung hailed the suppression of last year’s martial law as a “historic event” for global democracy, saying South Koreans deserved the Nobel Peace Prize for overcoming the crisis.

In a statement marking the anniversary of the December 3 martial law declaration, Lee said the incident underscored the resilience of South Korean democracy, contrasting the perpetrators’ injustice with citizens’ righteousness.

He noted that citizens had turned the event's darkest moments into celebrations through song and dance.

Lee announced that his government, born from a “revolution of light,” would designate Dec. 3 as National Sovereignty Day to honor the people’s courage and actions.

The president stressed that those who sought to destroy the constitutional order for personal gain must be held accountable, adding that preventing coups and safeguarding citizens’ sovereignty requires “righteous unity.”