Chosun University Successfully Holds the 32nd Anniversary Ceremony of the January 8 Uprising

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] Chosun University held a commemorative ceremony to mark the 32nd anniversary of the ‘Chosun University 1·8 Uprising.’

According to Chosun University on the 8th, the 1·8 Uprising was a campus democratization movement in May 1987 demanding the resignation of former President Park Cheol-woong, who distorted the founding history of Chosun University under the dictatorship, and the former board members who were his family.

Following the spring of democratization in 1980, movements to overthrow the military dictatorship and promote social democratization intertwined with the campus autonomy movement. Students boycotted classes, and professors declared their conscience and protested.

January 8, 1988, marked the end of a 113-day-long sit-in protest with the intervention of public authority.

With the resignation of Park Cheol-woong’s management, the 1·8 Uprising became a symbolic day when Chosun University regained its identity as a private university.

The martyrs who devoted themselves to the 1·8 Uprising are called ‘Chosun Martyrs,’ including Kim Dong-gyu, Lee Cheol-gyu, Kim Hak-su, and Ryu Jae-eul.

On this occasion, Chosun University established the ‘University Autonomy Operation Council,’ the highest internal consultative body composed of the Faculty Council, Staff Union, and Student Council, continuing democratic management methods.

The commemorative ceremony, hosted by Chosun University and organized by the Chosun University Institute for Democracy and Peace Studies, was held at 10:30 a.m. in the Daehocheon Hall on the 4th floor of Seoseok Hall.

Before the ceremony, a wreath-laying ceremony was held in front of the 1·8 Uprising memorial monument to honor the ‘Chosun Martyrs,’ followed by the national anthem, commemorative speeches, congratulatory speeches, and the singing of the school song.

The ceremony was attended by Chosun University President Min Young-don, faculty and staff, students including Student Council President Kim Jun-yeon, members of the Chosun University Democratic Alumni Association, parents of the ‘Chosun Martyrs,’ alumni, and honorary professors.

During the ceremony, health check-up vouchers for Chosun University Hospital were also presented to the parents of the ‘Chosun Martyrs.’

Lee Bong-ju, Director of the Institute for Democracy and Peace Studies (Professor of Physics), said, “The 1·8 Uprising was a noble struggle to overthrow the dictatorship that distorted history and a major turning point in reclaiming the identity of Chosun University as a private university.”

Park Hyun-jung, President of the Democratic Alumni Association, stated, “The current significance of the 1·8 Uprising is the complete restoration of Chosun University’s founding history, that is, realizing the identity of a private university,” adding, “Establishing a public-interest type board of directors will be the shortcut to this.”

President Min Young-don emphasized, “Let us deeply reflect on the noble spirit of the martyrs during the 1·8 Uprising and wisely and constructively solve the many tasks ahead of us.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.