Gwangju City Holds Ceremony for the 65th Anniversary of the March 15 Uprising

Reenactment of the "Gok Democracy Funeral Demonstration"
Reading of the Resolution by the High School Student Council Executive Committee

Gwangju City held the "65th Anniversary of the Gwangju March 15 Uprising Commemoration Ceremony" on the 15th at Geumnamro Park in Dong-gu, with about 300 participants including veterans' organization officials and citizens. Photo by Gwangju City

The city of Gwangju announced on the 16th that it held the "65th Anniversary Ceremony of the Gwangju 3.15 Uprising" at Geumnamno Park in Dong-gu on the 15th.

About 300 people attended the ceremony, including Park Yongsoo, Director of the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Peace, Lee Jeongjae, President of the Gwangju 3.15 Memorial Project Association, key figures of the Gwangju 3.15 Uprising, members of the 3.15 and 4.19 organizations, representatives of veterans' groups, and citizens.

The "Gwangju 3.15 Uprising" refers to the protest on March 15, 1960, in which citizens and students resisted the fraudulent election orchestrated by the Syngman Rhee Liberal Party regime to maintain its dictatorship. This protest became the catalyst for the April 19 Revolution. Around 1,200 citizens and students held a "Gok Democracy Funeral Demonstration" at 12:45 p.m. on March 15 in Geumnamno, Gwangju, crying out against the trampling of democracy in a pro-democracy movement.

Since 2017, the city has been hosting the ceremony in accordance with the government-designated memorial day, taking over from private organizations to ensure the significance of the 3.15 Uprising is properly recognized and remembered.

The ceremony included the screening of a 3.15 documentary video, the reading of the Gwangju 3.15 Declaration, a student resolution to carry on the spirit of 3.15, commendations for contributors, and commemorative speeches. Notably, the "High School Student Council Executive Committee," representing local high school students, read a resolution to inherit the spirit of the Gwangju 3.15 Uprising, adding special meaning to the event.

Organized by the Gwangju 3.15 Memorial Project Association, the "Gok Democracy Funeral Demonstration" was reenacted at Geumnamno Park, the site of the 3.15 Uprising, to convey its noble significance to citizens.

Park Yongsoo, Director of the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Peace, stated, "We must fully inherit the spirit of the 3.15 Uprising, which defended democracy from an unjust dictatorship," adding, "We will do our utmost to uphold the spirit of the 3.15 Uprising as the spirit of Gwangju and once again protect democracy in Korea."