President Lee Attends 47th Anniversary Ceremony of Busan-Masan Democratic Uprising, Honors Citizens' Courage and Sacrifice

Attended ceremony at Busan City Hall with First Lady Kim Hye-kyung
Lee: "It is time to put the spirit of the Busan-Masan Uprising and May 18 into practice by enshrining them in the Constitution's preamble"

President Lee Jae-myung commemorated the courage and sacrifice of the people of Busan and Masan, who defended democracy against the Yushin dictatorship, as he attended the 47th anniversary ceremony of the Busan-Masan Democratic Uprising on Oct. 16.

President Lee Jae-myung speaks at a meeting with senior secretaries and aides at Cheong Wa Dae on Oct. 15, 2026. Yonhap News Agency

President Lee attended the 47th anniversary ceremony of the Busan-Masan Democratic Uprising at Busan Metropolitan City Hall that afternoon with First Lady Kim Hye-kyung. More than 650 people attended, including government and local government officials such as Minister of the Interior and Safety Yoon Ho-jung, Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs Kwon O-eul, and Busan Mayor Jeon Jae-soo, as well as representatives of organizations related to the uprising and civil society figures.

The Busan-Masan Democratic Uprising was a large-scale pro-democracy movement that began in Busan on Oct. 16, 1979, and spread to Masan. At the time, students and citizens rallied against the Yushin system under the Park Chung-hee administration, calling for “an end to dictatorship” and “the abolition of Yushin.” The uprising is regarded as a historic event that hastened the collapse of the Yushin system. The government designated the anniversary of the Busan-Masan Democratic Uprising as a national commemorative day in 2019, and this year’s ceremony is the eighth since the designation.

In his commemorative address, President Lee is expected to emphasize that democracy is an achievement won through citizens’ courageous voices and sacrifices, and to describe the Busan-Masan Democratic Uprising as a great milestone in the history of democracy in South Korea.

On Oct. 15, President Lee had also emphasized the historical significance of the Busan-Masan Democratic Uprising at a meeting with senior secretaries and aides, directly raising the issue of including it in the Constitution’s preamble. Saying that the ruling and opposition parties share a common view on enshrining the spirit of the Busan-Masan Democratic Uprising and the May 18 Democratization Movement in the preamble, he stressed, “It is time to put it into practice through action, not words.” His remarks reflected the view that discussions on formally enshrining the historical value of the pro-democracy movement in the Constitution should not be delayed any longer.

This year’s ceremony is being held under the theme “October Again, An Unquenchable Flame.” Following a report reviewing the course of the Busan-Masan Democratic Uprising and efforts to establish the truth, the Busan-based theater troupe I Contact will recreate scenes from the uprising in musical form. A video depicting the movement’s history through illustrated diaries and media art will also be screened.

At the celebratory performance, the band Boohwal will perform “I Remember” and “Never Ending Story,” recalling the uprising’s spirit of striving for democracy. The ceremony will conclude with the performers and attendees singing “Morning Dew” together.

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