38 Restored Records Released on the Life of 'Lee Han-yeol', the Spark of the June Democratic Uprising

The National Archives Restores for the 34th Anniversary of the June 10 Democratic Uprising Memorial Day

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The National Archives of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety will restore and release 38 life records of martyr Lee Han-yeol, whose death sparked the June Democratic Uprising. Lee Han-yeol died after being hit by a tear gas canister fired by riot police during a democratization protest in 1987, which led to the nationwide spread of the June Uprising.

According to the National Archives on the 8th, the restored records are Lee Han-yeol’s personal belongings held by the Lee Han-yeol Memorial Association, including records from his high school days, search and seizure warrants, autopsy results, and other documents related to the June 1987 uprising. Notably, Lee Han-yeol’s diary titled ‘My Life’, a special training journal from his high school days, and writings from his mother are being made available online for the first time.

The diary ‘My Life’, written over about 50 days during the winter vacation of his 17-year-old high school years, reveals not only the ordinary and small daily life of a student but also his serious and deep thoughts about life and the world, his resolutions, and his affectionate feelings toward his mother.

Diary of Martyr Lee Han-yeol

The restored records also include writings that reveal the anguished feelings of Lee Han-yeol’s mother. Starting with ‘Around 5:05 AM on June 9, 1987,’ the writing vividly captures the events and emotions she experienced from the moment she was informed by the school of his critical condition until she witnessed his passing in the intensive care unit.

Letter from the Mother of Martyr Lee Han-yeol

The records related to the June Uprising being released this time also include the ‘search and seizure verification warrant’ and the ‘interim report on foreign substance identification from the autopsy’ after Lee Han-yeol’s death. Among these, the interim report is a one-page handwritten record by Lee Han-yeol’s attending physician at the time, detailing the analysis of foreign substances found in his head and confirming that the direct cause of death was ‘tear gas canister injury.’

In addition, numerous photos capturing the scenes of the June Uprising have been restored. These include photos of the protest at Myeongdong Cathedral, the Salpuri dance performed by teacher Lee Ae-ju at Lee Han-yeol’s funeral, and the crowd at Yonsei University’s Baekyang-ro who participated in the funeral. Furthermore, an audio tape (audio file) containing the live recording of the ‘Democratic National Funeral’ has been restored. The audio file includes the eulogy by the late Pastor Moon Ik-hwan and the sobbing voice of Lee Han-yeol’s mother at the funeral held on July 9, 1987.

Protest photo at Myeongdong Cathedral during the June Struggle (1987)

The restored records were completed over about three months starting in mid-February this year, following a restoration support request from the Lee Han-yeol Memorial Association to the National Archives in May last year. At the time, the records suffered physical damage such as discoloration due to acidification and water stains, contamination, and tears, as well as reduced legibility due to whitening caused by deacidification agents. The National Archives conducted a detailed diagnosis of the damage, then restored the originals through cleaning, contamination removal, reinforcement of missing parts, and neutralization treatment. For printed photos, foreign substances, stains, and scratches were removed and restored into high-resolution digital files, and analog tapes were digitized.

Lee Kyung-ran, director of the Lee Han-yeol Memorial Association, said, “Lee Han-yeol’s records show what students who engaged in social movements in the 1980s were concerned about and what drove them to take action,” adding, “Future generations will vividly encounter that era through these records.”

Gwak Jeong, head of the Restoration Management Division at the National Archives, said, “The life records of Lee Han-yeol and the records of the June Uprising are important contemporary historical documents representing the 1980s era and the history of democracy. As handwritten and unique originals, their historical value is very high,” adding, “We are especially pleased to provide these to the public in time for Record Day on June 9. Going forward, the National Archives will continue to promote the importance of record management by reviving the significance of Record Day and will spare no effort to preserve records safely.”

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