In Busan, the 45th Anniversary Commemoration Ceremony of the Buma Democratic Uprising Held

Changwon Mayor Hong Nampyo, "Continuing Efforts to Ensure the Spirit of the Resistance Is Not Forgotten"

Changwon Special City in Gyeongnam announced that the 45th anniversary government commemoration ceremony of the Buma Democratic Uprising was held on the 16th at 10 a.m. at the Busan Metropolitan City Hall Auditorium (located in Yeonsan-dong, Yeonje-gu) under the theme "The Flame of Buma, Beyond the Era."

The 45th Anniversary Commemoration Ceremony of the Buma Democratic Uprising Held in Busan.

The Buma Democratic Uprising was a large-scale citizen uprising that occurred in October 1979, centered around Busan and Masan in the Gyeongnam region, where citizens and students opposed the Yushin dictatorship. It is recognized as one of the four major democratization movements in modern Korean history, along with the April 19 Revolution, the May 18 Democratization Movement, and the June 10 Democratic Uprising.

The government commemoration ceremony has been held biennially in Busan and Changwon since it was designated a national memorial day in 2019.

The 45th anniversary ceremony, marking its 6th occurrence this year, was attended by key figures including Lee Sang-min, Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety; Choi Soo-yong, Chairman of the Buma Democratic Uprising Truth Investigation and Related Persons’ Honor Restoration Deliberation Committee; Park Hyung-joon, Mayor of Busan Metropolitan City; Park Wan-su, Governor of Gyeongsangnam-do; and Hong Nam-pyo, Mayor of Changwon Special City, along with about 500 participants including those related to the Buma Uprising, their families, civic groups, and students.

The event began with a performance by the Saha-gu Boys and Girls Choir and included official ceremonies as well as a thematic performance in the form of a musical reenacting the Buma Democratic Uprising situation. The ceremony concluded with vocal performances by singer Yoon Sun-ae of "Sola Sola Pureureun Sola" and "Geunal-i Omyeon."

Hong Nam-pyo, Mayor of Changwon Special City, stated, “The citizens of Changwon have played a pivotal role in our country’s democratization movement history, from the March 15 Movement in 1960 to the June Struggle in 1987,” adding, “We will continue to strive to ensure that the spirit of the Buma Democratic Uprising, which ignited the democratization movement of the 1980s, is not forgotten.”