Gwangju City Honors the Spirit of the 4·19 Martyrs

Unveiling Ceremony of the April 19 Revolution Monument at Gwangju History Park

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] A 4·19 Revolution Memorial Tower honoring the noble spirit of the 4·19 martyrs who sacrificed their lives resisting the dictatorship regime has been installed in Gwangju History Park.

Gwangju Metropolitan City announced on the 25th that it held an unveiling ceremony at Gwangju History Park attended by Mayor Lee Yong-seop, City Council Vice Chairman Jo Seok-ho, Deputy Superintendent of Education Kim Hwan-sik, Director of Gwangju Regional Veterans Affairs Office Im Jong-bae, and representatives of the 4·19 Revolution organizations.

The 4·19 Revolution Memorial Tower was promoted to be built in connection with the 3·15 Uprising marker stone to restore the original form of the severely damaged memorial monument built in 1962 on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the 4·19 Revolution last year, and to pass on the spirit of sacrifice and democracy of the predecessors to future generations.

Opinions were gathered through an advisory committee composed of 4·19 organizations and experts, and based on basic and detailed design services, the construction was completed this month after a five-month construction period.

The memorial tower has a three-tier structure with a height of 7.6 meters. The first tier is granite, the second tier is a bronze relief, and the third tier is made of stainless steel. The wall behind the tower is shaped like Mudeungsan Seoseokdae, a symbol of Gwangju, gently embracing the tower.

The seven relief portraits on the left and right sides of the memorial tower commemorate seven individuals who lost their lives resisting the 1960 Liberal Party dictatorship regime, with their portraits and biographies inscribed.

Additionally, the blazing flame at the top symbolizes the eternal and unextinguishable spirit of the 4·19 Democratic Revolution and the resistance spirit of the Honam people who vow to carry on democracy.

Along with this, Gwangju City also erected a 3·15 Uprising marker stone in Geumnam-ro Park, Gwangju, where the protests began, to remember and publicize the Gwangju 3·15 Uprising, which was the first torch of the 4·19 Revolution.

At the ceremony, Ko Jong-chae, head of the Gwangju-Jeolla branch of the 4·19 Democratic Revolution Association, said, “Without the 4·19 Revolution, democracy would never have existed,” and “We will strive to make Gwangju a stepping stone to demonstrate the spirit of 4·19.”

Lee Yong-seop, Mayor of Gwangju Metropolitan City, stated, “The 3·15 Uprising and the 4·19 Revolution were great histories that marked the dawn of democracy in the Republic of Korea. The noble spirit of sacrifice and the great victorious history of the righteous citizens who stood firmly against injustice on that day are fully engraved in the 4·19 Revolution Memorial Tower,” adding, “With the courage that all citizens rose up against injustice, we will overcome the COVID-19 crisis and move forward.”

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