Changwon City, 62nd Anniversary Ceremony of the March 15 Uprising

The 62nd anniversary ceremony of the March 15th Movement was held at the 3·15 Art Center in Changwon, Gyeongnam.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Seryeong] Changwon City, Gyeongnam Province, held the 62nd anniversary ceremony of the March 15th Uprising on the 15th at the 3·15 Art Center.

The March 15th Uprising was a large-scale protest by the citizens and students of Masan on March 15, 1960, against rigged elections and the dictatorship regime. Along with the February 28 Democracy Movement in Daegu and the March 8 Democratic Uprising in Daejeon, which occurred the same year, it is regarded as the foundation of the April 19 Revolution.

On April 11, student Kim Ju-yeol, who went missing during the protests, was found dead in the sea in front of Masan Central Pier with a tear gas canister lodged in his eye, sparking a second wave of protests. The demonstrations spread nationwide and became the catalyst for the April 19 Revolution.

The national ceremony is being held at the 62nd anniversary of the March 15th Movement commemorative ceremony.

This year’s ceremony was held under the theme “Embracing New Hope, Going and Going Again.” Attendees included Ju Ihwan, Chairman of the 3·15 Uprising Memorial Association; Oh Museon, Chairman of the Bereaved Families of the 3·15 Uprising Victims; Lee Daehee, Chairman of the 3·15 Uprising Meritorious Persons Association; and other honorees and bereaved families.

About 100 government officials also participated, including Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum, Director Hwang Ki-chul of the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, Chairman Jeong Geunsik of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Acting Governor Ha Byungpil of Gyeongnam Province, and Mayor Heo Seong-moo of Changwon.

The program proceeded in the order of the national ceremony, opening video, first commemorative performance, commemorative speech, second commemorative performance, and singing of the March 15th Uprising song.

Attendees are paying tribute to the spirits of the honorees at the National 3·15 Democratic Cemetery.

Before the ceremony, Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum, Director Hwang Ki-chul of the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, Chairman Jeong Geunsik of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Acting Governor Ha Byungpil of Gyeongnam Province, Mayor Heo Seong-moo of Changwon, the Chairman of the 3·15 Uprising Memorial Association, bereaved families, and student representatives visited the National 3·15 Democracy Cemetery to pay respects at the graves of the meritorious persons.

The National 3·15 Democracy Cemetery in Masanhwoewon-gu, Changwon City, is the resting place of 12 martyrs including Kim Ju-yeol who died during the protests, as well as 49 graves of the injured and meritorious persons.

The March 15th Uprising ceremony has been designated a national memorial ceremony since 2010 and has been held as a government-hosted event since 2011. Related events such as heritage site tours, theatrical performances, and youth UCC contests are also conducted.

Last July, the government enacted the Enforcement Decree of the Act on the Restoration of Honor for Participants in the March 15th Uprising, which was announced for legislative notice in November and came into effect on January 21 of this year.

Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum said, “For the first time in 62 years, a national-level investigation into the March 15th Uprising, the first democratization movement that resulted in casualties during protests, has begun. The government will do its utmost to ensure that this uprising, which laid the cornerstone of Korea’s democratization, receives proper historical evaluation and that the noble sacrifices of the martyrs are eternally remembered.”

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