"Standing Again in October" ... 'Buma Democratic Uprising' 41st Anniversary Ceremony Held at Pusan National University

President Moon Jae-in is leading the national anthem together with participants of the Bu-Ma Democratic Uprising at the 40th anniversary commemoration ceremony held on October 16 last year at the sports field of Gyeongnam National University in Changwon, Gyeongnam.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] The Ministry of the Interior and Safety will hold the "41st Anniversary Commemoration Ceremony of the Buma Democratic Uprising," which honors the spirit of the 'Buma Democratic Uprising'?a protest by students and citizens in Busan and Gyeongnam (Masan) against the Yushin dictatorship in October 1979?at 11 a.m. on the 16th at Pusan National University.

This commemoration ceremony is the second government-hosted event since the Buma Democratic Uprising was designated a national memorial day last year. The venue, Pusan National University’s 'Neokkeunhan Teo' is a symbolic place where not only the Buma Democratic Uprising but also various democratization movements such as the campus autonomy struggle and the June 10, 1987 Democratic Uprising took place.

The ceremony, themed "Standing in October Again," will proceed in the order of a special exhibition on the Buma Democratic Uprising, a pre-ceremony video screening, the national ceremony, progress report, the choir performance of "Standing in October," letter reading, and commemorative performances. The program emphasizes the meaning that past democratic uprisings continue into today to create a peaceful and democratic tomorrow.

In the special exhibition, about 40 photos related to the uprising will be displayed in the main building of Pusan National University to reflect on the historical significance of the Buma Democratic Uprising. During the national ceremony, participants related to the uprising and civic activists will sing the national anthem together, and Song Gi-in, chairman of the Buma Democratic Uprising Memorial Foundation, will read a poem by the late Shin Yong-gil, who participated in the uprising, followed by a moment of silence.

The progress report will be presented in the form of a humorous dialogue in dialect by Park Seong-eon, known as "Jagalchi Ajima" from Busan, and Kim Hye-ran, known as "Agu Halmae" from Masan, who have long hosted local radio broadcasts.

During the commemorative performance, while the song "Standing in October," written and composed by Pusan National University students at the time, plays, Seong-guk, the son of the late Yu Chi-jun, a victim of the Buma Democratic Uprising, will read a "Letter Sent 41 Years Ago." Additionally, Nobrain from Masan and Yuk Joong-wan Band from Busan will perform "To You" by Infinite Track.

This ceremony will be conducted in accordance with quarantine guidelines, with around 100 participants including representatives from various sectors and those related to the Buma Democratic Uprising and their families, considering the COVID-19 situation.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety stated, "The Buma Democratic Uprising is not only a democratization movement of the Busan, Gyeongnam, and Changwon regions but a history of our democracy that should be commemorated and inherited at the national level. Through this event, we will enhance its historical significance and carry on the democratic spirit."

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