"Democracy Does Not Come Automatically"...Lee Bows Deeply to 3·15 Victims' Families (Comprehensive)

First Presidential Attendance at Memorial Ceremony... "A Sincere Apology and Words of Consolation"

First Official Government Apology... Attendees in Tears

Guestbook: "We Will Repay by Fulfilling Democracy"

"December 3, 2024: The Day t

President Lee Jaemyung, accompanied by First Lady Kim Hye-kyung, attended the 66th anniversary ceremony of the 3·15 Uprising held in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, and formally apologized to the families of the victims. This marks the first time that a sitting president has attended the ceremony and issued an official government apology for the 3·15 Uprising.

Yonhap News Agency

During his commemorative address on the 15th, President Lee stated, "As the President representing the Republic of Korea, I offer my heartfelt apology and words of consolation to the families of those who suffered great pain at the hands of state power during the 3·15 Uprising." After these remarks, he paused and moved to the side of the podium, bowing deeply.

The president's official apology was met with applause from the audience, and attendees including Park Honggi, Chairman of the 3·15 Uprising Memorial Committee, wiped away tears. After the address, President Lee and the First Lady sang the "Song of the 3·15 Uprising" together.

Since the 3·15 Uprising was designated a national memorial day in 2010 and commemorative ceremonies have been hosted by the government since 2011, this is the first time a president has attended and issued an apology.

The 3·15 Uprising took place on March 15, 1960, when citizens and students in Masan, having witnessed electoral fraud during the elections for the 4th President and 5th Vice President, led a protest demanding a re-election and democracy. It was the first bloody democratization movement in South Korea, with many casualties resulting from police gunfire. The incident in which Kim Ju-yeol, a first-year student at Masan Commercial High School who went missing after joining the protests, was found dead with a tear gas canister lodged in his eye in the sea off Masan on April 11, became the catalyst for the 4·19 Revolution.

About 700 people attended the ceremony, including Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs Kwon Oeul, South Gyeongsang Governor Park Wansoo, former governors Kim Dugwan and Kim Kyungsoo, distinguished contributors to the 3·15 Uprising and their families, students, and representatives from various sectors.

Prior to the ceremony, President Lee laid flowers at the National 3·15 Democratic Cemetery and wrote in the guestbook, "We will repay your sacrifice and dedication by completing democracy."

"December 3, 2024, The Day Permanent Ambition Was Defeated"

Yonhap News

In his commemorative address, President Lee paid tribute to the victims and emphasized that, like the 3·15 Uprising, the 12·3 Emergency Martial Law of December 3, 2024, "will be recorded as the day permanent ambition was defeated."

President Lee stated, "The lesson the 3·15 Uprising leaves in our history is clear: 'Democracy does not come automatically.' The power to complete democracy does not come from laws and institutions themselves, but from the earnest aspirations and actions of the sovereign people."

President Lee reflected on the events of the 12·3 Emergency Martial Law of 2024, saying, "The footsteps of countless martyrs, deeply engraved in the tumultuous modern history of Korea, are proof of this." He continued, "Just as the citizens and students of Masan stood bravely and unarmed against guns and swords, the people of Korea also stood unarmed against the martial law troops on a winter night in 2024. Through strong solidarity and a heightened sense of sovereignty, we demonstrated the unparalleled 'resilience of democracy' to the world."

He went on to say, "Just as March 15, 1960, was such a day, December 3, 2024, will also be remembered as the day the wisdom of the people's sovereignty defeated the ambition for permanent rule, opening the spring of hope beyond the winter of despair."

He also pledged to honor the victims and their families, stating, "I will strive to ensure that the spirit of our democratic heroes takes root throughout society and is passed down as an even more precious value to future generations. I will seek out and honor every contributor to the 3·15 Uprising and the 4·19 Revolution, recording and recognizing their achievements."

President Lee concluded his address by saying, "Together with the great people of Korea, I will boldly pursue the nation our democratic heroes and martyrs so earnestly hoped for—a nation where the people are the true sovereign. I believe this is the way to honor the dedication of all those who never lost sight of the dream of a new nation, even in the face of adversity."

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