The Spark of the April 19 Revolution, Honoring the Spirit of 17-Year-Old Kim Ju-yeol... Changwon City Holds Martyr Memorial Ceremony

After the March 15 Uprising, Found Missing with Tear Gas Canister Embedded in Eye

Heo Seong-mu, Mayor of Changwon Special City, Gyeongnam, is laying flowers at the memorial ceremony for martyr Kim Ju-yeol.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Seryeong] The memorial ceremony for Martyr Kim Ju-yeol was held on the 11th near the site where the martyr's body was recovered in Masanhappo-gu, Changwon-si, Gyeongnam.

The late martyr Kim Ju-yeol participated in the protest against the fraudulent March 15 election in 1960 and was found dead in the sea off Masan on April 11, 27 days after his disappearance, with a tear gas canister lodged in his eye.

The martyr's death was revealed to be due to the police's harsh crackdown, which intensified the anger of the protesters and led to the second protest and the April 19 Revolution.

At that time, Kim Ju-yeol was a 17-year-old student who had taken the entrance exam for Masan Commercial High School, now Masan Yongma High School, and was awaiting the results.

The city supports the annual memorial ceremony at Masan Central Pier, where the martyr's body was recovered, and has been promoting an environmental maintenance project for the recovery site since 2019.

As the first democratization historic site to be designated as a cultural asset by Gyeongnam Province, a memorial wall and a statue of the martyr were installed at the Kim Ju-yeol body recovery site last year, and an unveiling ceremony was held.

A memorial ceremony honoring the spirit of Martyr Kim Ju-yeol was held at the site where his body was recovered.

The memorial ceremony, hosted by the Kim Ju-yeol Memorial Association, was attended by Heo Seong-mu, the special mayor, members of the Kim Ju-yeol Memorial Association, students from Yongma High School, the president of the Namwon Kim Ju-yeol Memorial Association, and the president of the Democratization Memorial Association.

Mayor Heo Seong-mu said, “We will remember and engrave the martyr’s sacrifice in our hearts and fulfill our duty as defenders of democracy.”

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