Moon Pays Tribute at 'Security Division Room 509' Where Martyr Park Jong-cheol Died... First Sitting President to Do So (Comprehensive)

33rd Anniversary of the June 10 Democratic Uprising Commemoration Ceremony... President Moon Attends for the Second Time During His Term

[Asia Economy Reporter Son Sun-hee] On the 10th, President Moon Jae-in visited the former Security Headquarters, notoriously known as the so-called 'Namyeong-dong Anti-Communist Investigation Office,' for the first time as a sitting president. It was the place where the late Park Jong-cheol, who was 22 years old at the time, died from water torture 33 years ago.

At 10 a.m. that day, President Moon attended the '33rd Anniversary of the June 10 Democratic Uprising Commemoration Ceremony' held at the planned site of the Democracy and Human Rights Memorial in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, and stated, "Democrats who endured death-like pain and humiliating torture transformed the space of 'dictatorship and violence' into a space of 'democratic struggle,'" adding, "I am proud of our people and democratic figures who overcame harsh times and ultimately turned a dark space into one of hope and future."

Immediately after the ceremony, President Moon, accompanied by his wife Kim Jung-sook, visited Room 509 of the Anti-Communist Investigation Office, where Park died from water torture, to lay flowers. The late Park’s family, Minister of the Interior and Safety Jin Young, and National Police Agency Commissioner Min Gap-ryong accompanied them. It was also the first time in history that a sitting National Police Agency Commissioner attended the June 10 Democratic Uprising Commemoration Ceremony and visited the investigation room.

President Moon Jae-in delivers a commemorative speech at the June 10 Democratic Uprising memorial ceremony held at the Democracy and Human Rights Memorial Hall in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, on the morning of the 10th. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Earlier, in his commemorative speech, President Moon emphasized, "We demonstrated democracy of solidarity and cooperation in overcoming the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19)," and added, "The democracy we built made the Republic of Korea a model country in COVID-19 quarantine."

President Moon evaluated, "Our democracy has grown bigger and stronger, and now it has matured without envy from others," but also said, "We must always reflect on whether all citizens are enjoying democracy in their daily lives."

He continued, "Democracy works properly when even minorities are respected and when we constantly look back at marginalized places," emphasizing, "A sustainable and more equal economy is practical democracy that we must achieve beyond institutional democracy." He also added, "Peace is a difficult and challenging path, but all the more so, we must achieve peace through democracy," and "Only peace achieved in this way will bring long-lasting prosperity to us."

President Moon Jae-in is awarding the Order of Civil Merit, Moran Medal, to Bae Eun-sim, the mother of the late martyr Lee Han-yeol, at the June 10 Democratic Uprising Commemoration Ceremony held at the Democracy and Human Rights Memorial Hall in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, on the morning of the 10th. [Image source=Yonhap News]

At the ceremony that day, President Moon personally awarded government medals to contributors to the development of democracy for the first time in history. Although individual medals had been awarded to past democracy activists, this was the first time medals were awarded at the ceremony after recommendations and reviews by civic groups and related organizations.

President Moon called out the names of the 12 medal recipients one by one, saying, "They are truly the embodiment of democracy in the Republic of Korea and served as a shield for the people during the harsh dictatorship era," and added, "I proudly remember walking alongside these individuals in the streets and squares." During the democratic uprising, President Moon was active as a human rights lawyer in Busan.

The recipients of the Order of Civil Merit, Moran Medal, included the late Pastor Park Hyung-gyu, who led human rights movements and anti-dictatorship democratization, the late lawyer Cho Young-rae, founder of the Lawyers for a Democratic Society (Minbyun), as well as the late Lee So-sun, mother of martyr Jeon Tae-il, the late Park Jung-gi, father of martyr Park Jong-cheol, and Bae Eun-sim, mother of martyr Lee Han-yeol. They were recognized not as substitutes for the deceased democratic martyrs but as individuals who lost their children and directly engaged in the democratization movement.

President Moon said, "Today's medals are awarded by the government, but they represent the proud history of democracy and the grateful hearts of the people," and expressed, "I sincerely offer my respect and gratitude." He added, "We will continue to honor and care for independence, national defense, and democracy contributors with due respect."

President Moon stated, "The June 10 Democratic Uprising was not a sudden miracle but a victorious history created by the long-standing aspirations of the people to regain popular sovereignty, starting from the March 1 Independence Movement," and said, "The greatest achievement of our people is that they gained the experience and collective memory of advancing history through the power of the people." He continued, "Therefore, our democracy can never regress," and concluded his commemorative speech by saying, "Now we must move toward more, bigger, and more diverse democracy. We can do it well."

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