President Moon attends Daegu Democracy Movement Ceremony, stresses nation's journey to democracy
- 6 years ago
Today marks the fifth-eighth anniversary of the February 28th Democracy Movement.
President Moon Jae-in attended today's ceremony in the southeastern city of Daegu and delivered a special address.
For more details, we now connect to our Blue House correspondent Hwang Hojun on the phone.
Hojun, to many of our viewers the Daegu Democracy Movement, also known as the February 28th Democracy Movement might not be too familiar.
Just give us a brief history lesson on the significance of the day?
Well, Mark, 58 years ago today, about 1,700 students from eight high schools in the southeastern city of Daegu took to the streets.
They protested against then-President Rhee Syngman, and his attempt to use election fraud to secure a fourth term in office... as authorities forced the students to go to school on a Sunday, to prevent their attendance at a campaign rally of the opposition party's candidate ahead of the national election.
It was the first student-led movement since Korea was liberated from colonial Japan in 1945 and it ultimately led to the April 19th Movement in the same year, which ended the authoritarian rule of the Rhee administration.
A milestone in Korea's democratic history for sure. But Hojun, wasn't it just last month that the government designated the day as a national holiday.
That's right. In fact, the day was only recognized as a legitimate democracy movement in 2010, fifty years after the protest occured.
And the designation as a national memorial day came after more than 12 million signatures and nationwide petition, including those of the May 18 Democratic Movement-related organizations.
So it's a big deal for President Moon to attend today's ceremony, which also included a short musical skit and performances, as it marks the first time a South Korean President took part in the very first government-recognized ceremony to commemorate the Daegu student protests.
Before today, late President Kim Dae-jung made a visit to a ceremony hosted by a group of citizens 18 years ago.
During the ceremony, President Moon stressed the Daegu Democracy Movement is more than just a regional historic event,... rather it is something the entire nation must remember.
Highlighting the so-called candlelight revolution, the mass demonstrations that called for the resignation of former President Park Geun-hye over her corruption scandal leading to the birth of this administration,.... he said the beginning of it all was the Daegu Democracy Movement.
"From that point on, we started our lofty journey to democracy, created a massive wave with the June Democracy Movement in 1987, and finally reached a greater democracy with the candlelight revolution."
President Moon also highly evaluated how the cities of Daegu and Gwangju, in which the May 18 Democracy Movement occured, came together in solidarity and cooperation in support of designating February 28 as a national holiday, while transcending deep-rooted regionalism and political differe
President Moon Jae-in attended today's ceremony in the southeastern city of Daegu and delivered a special address.
For more details, we now connect to our Blue House correspondent Hwang Hojun on the phone.
Hojun, to many of our viewers the Daegu Democracy Movement, also known as the February 28th Democracy Movement might not be too familiar.
Just give us a brief history lesson on the significance of the day?
Well, Mark, 58 years ago today, about 1,700 students from eight high schools in the southeastern city of Daegu took to the streets.
They protested against then-President Rhee Syngman, and his attempt to use election fraud to secure a fourth term in office... as authorities forced the students to go to school on a Sunday, to prevent their attendance at a campaign rally of the opposition party's candidate ahead of the national election.
It was the first student-led movement since Korea was liberated from colonial Japan in 1945 and it ultimately led to the April 19th Movement in the same year, which ended the authoritarian rule of the Rhee administration.
A milestone in Korea's democratic history for sure. But Hojun, wasn't it just last month that the government designated the day as a national holiday.
That's right. In fact, the day was only recognized as a legitimate democracy movement in 2010, fifty years after the protest occured.
And the designation as a national memorial day came after more than 12 million signatures and nationwide petition, including those of the May 18 Democratic Movement-related organizations.
So it's a big deal for President Moon to attend today's ceremony, which also included a short musical skit and performances, as it marks the first time a South Korean President took part in the very first government-recognized ceremony to commemorate the Daegu student protests.
Before today, late President Kim Dae-jung made a visit to a ceremony hosted by a group of citizens 18 years ago.
During the ceremony, President Moon stressed the Daegu Democracy Movement is more than just a regional historic event,... rather it is something the entire nation must remember.
Highlighting the so-called candlelight revolution, the mass demonstrations that called for the resignation of former President Park Geun-hye over her corruption scandal leading to the birth of this administration,.... he said the beginning of it all was the Daegu Democracy Movement.
"From that point on, we started our lofty journey to democracy, created a massive wave with the June Democracy Movement in 1987, and finally reached a greater democracy with the candlelight revolution."
President Moon also highly evaluated how the cities of Daegu and Gwangju, in which the May 18 Democracy Movement occured, came together in solidarity and cooperation in support of designating February 28 as a national holiday, while transcending deep-rooted regionalism and political differe