'6·10 Democracy Movement Commemoration Ceremony' in Yongsan, Site of the Democratic Human Rights Memorial Hall... Late Gye Hun-je, Kang Kyung-dae, Kim Geun-tae's 'Moranjang'

Ceremony Held on the Morning of the 10th at the Former Namyeong-dong Anti-Communist Investigation Office
Awards Presented to 29 Meritorious Persons... Groundbreaking Ceremony for the Democracy and Human Rights Memorial Hall Also Held

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] On June 10th at 10 a.m., the 34th anniversary '6·10 Democratic Uprising Commemoration Ceremony,' honoring the spirit of the June 10 Democratic Uprising that erupted nationwide in June 1987 demanding democratization and direct presidential elections, will be held at the planned site of the Democracy and Human Rights Memorial Hall in Yongsan-gu, Seoul (the former Namyeong-dong Anti-Communist Investigation Office), the Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced on the 9th.

Hosted by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and organized by the Democracy Movement Commemoration Association, this ceremony will minimize attendance to about 70 people to prevent the spread of COVID-19, adhere to quarantine guidelines, and will be broadcast live on K-TV. The planned site of the Democracy and Human Rights Memorial Hall, where the ceremony will be held, was a place where coercive investigations and human rights violations against democracy activists, including the late Kim Geun-tae torture case and the late Park Jong-cheol torture death case, were carried out. It was transferred from the National Police Agency to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety in December 2018.

The theme of this year's ceremony is "Becoming the Wind of Democracy, From History to Everyday Life." This year marks the 30th anniversary of the revival of local autonomy, expressing the hope of all citizens that the democracy regained through the June 10 Democratic Uprising will spread like the wind throughout daily life.

The ceremony will begin with the screening of an opening video covering the journey from the June 10 Democratic Uprising in 1987 to the groundbreaking of the Democracy and Human Rights Memorial Hall in 2021, followed by the national ceremony, progress report, awards for contributors to democratic development, commemorative speeches, commemorative performances, and the groundbreaking ceremony for the Democracy and Human Rights Memorial Hall.

At the ceremony, awards will be presented to 29 individuals who have made significant contributions to the advancement of democracy by leading the democratization movement. The Order of Civil Merit (Moran Medal) will be awarded to 25 people, the Presidential Citation to 3 people, and the Presidential Commendation to 1 person. Among them, Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum will present the Order of Civil Merit to five late recipients: Gye Hun-je, Go Ho-seok, Kim Kyung-sook, Kim Byung-gon, and Park Kwan-hyun.

This year, the groundbreaking ceremony for the Democracy and Human Rights Memorial Hall will also be held during the commemoration. The ceremony will begin with a video announcing the groundbreaking, followed by a chorus of "If That Day Comes" by the folk music group No Chajsa. Then, Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum, Minister Jeon Hae-cheol, members of the Democracy and Human Rights Memorial Hall Construction Committee, and bereaved families of award recipients will participate in the groundbreaking event.

Meanwhile, the Democracy and Human Rights Memorial Hall, reborn as a place for democracy and human rights education from the former Anti-Communist Investigation Office, a symbolic space of past human rights oppression, will be established with a total project cost of approximately 42 billion KRW. Through remodeling the existing building and new construction, educational and exhibition spaces will be created, with the hall scheduled to open in June 2023.

Under the theme "A Low Gaze Facing History," the memorial hall plans to preserve the historical significance of the existing building and site by creating a central garden, a healing path, and an underground exhibition space. It aims to be a space where visitors can remember and commemorate democracy and human rights through experience and reflection. The Government Buildings Management Office under the Ministry of the Interior and Safety will oversee the overall management and supervision of the construction.

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