Mayor Lee Yong-seop "Sending Strong Solidarity and Support to the People of Myanmar"

Gwangju City Holds Ceremony Commemorating the 61st Anniversary of the March 15 Uprising

On the morning of the 15th, Lee Yong-seop, Mayor of Gwangju Metropolitan City, attended the '61st Anniversary of the March 15 Uprising Commemoration Ceremony' held at the auditorium of the Seo-gu Work-Family Balance Support Center and toured the historical exhibition materials of the Gwangju March 15 Uprising. Photo by Gwangju Metropolitan City

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Seon-gang] Lee Yong-seop, Mayor of Gwangju Metropolitan City, said on the 15th, "Our Gwangju sends strong solidarity and support to the people of Myanmar, who are called 'Another Gwangju.'"

Mayor Lee made this statement in his commemorative speech at the '61st Anniversary of the March 15th Uprising Ceremony' held in the morning at the large auditorium of the Work-Family Balance Support Headquarters.

The ceremony was attended by 99 people, including key figures of the Gwangju March 15th Uprising, members of the March 15th and April 19th organizations, local institution heads, local lawmakers, and citizens. The event proceeded with a screening of a documentary video, progress report, declaration reading, commendation of meritorious persons, commemorative speech, and congratulatory speeches.

Mayor Lee emphasized, "The desperate struggle to protect democracy against the coup d'?tat closely resembles the path our democratic citizens have walked. Power that does not gain empathy and support from the people can never succeed, and the will of the people is the will of heaven."

He added, "Our city will closely cooperate not only domestically but also with the international community to ensure that Myanmar's democracy and constitutional order are restored as soon as possible through the most peaceful means in accordance with legal and democratic procedures."

Mayor Lee stated, "The Gwangju March 15th Uprising, which occurred three hours earlier than the Masan Uprising against dictatorship and injustice, became a catalyst for the April 19th Revolution, and subsequently led to the May 18th Democratization Movement, the June Struggle, and the Candlelight Citizen Revolution, laying the foundation for freedom and democracy in this land. We will unite our strength and wisdom so that the historical significance and value of the Gwangju March 15th Uprising, along with the Masan March 15th Uprising, are properly recorded and remembered as a proud history of democracy."

In particular, he promised, "To commemorate this day and honor the noble spirit of the democratic martyrs and meritorious persons, Gwangju City plans to install a 'March 15th Uprising Monument' in Geumnam-ro Park and build an 'April 19th Revolution Memorial Tower' within the Gwangju History Park."

Meanwhile, the ceremony gained additional significance as key figures of the April 19th Revolution, including the former president of the Korea University Student Council during the 1960 April 19th Revolution, visited Gwangju and participated in the ceremony.

At the entrance of the ceremony hall, a 'March 15th Uprising Photo Exhibition' was held, and at Geumnam-ro Park, the site of the Gwangju March 15th Uprising, a 'Mourning Democracy Funeral Demonstration' was reenacted at 12:45 PM, the time of the original protest. This was filmed in a documentary format and shared with citizens through online media such as YouTube to convey the noble meaning of the March 15th Uprising.

Additionally, to commemorate the Gwangju March 15th Uprising, the national flag of South Korea was raised along major arterial roads, and a campaign encouraging every household to display the national flag was conducted.

Considering the COVID-19 situation, Gwangju City minimized the number of attendees and strictly adhered to quarantine guidelines during the event.

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