The 46th anniversary ceremony of the Bu-Ma Democratic Uprising was held on October 16, 2025, at the Grand Theater of the 3.15 Art Center in Changwon, Gyeongnam Province.
This year’s ceremony was held under the theme “United Voices, the Resonance of October.”
The theme signifies that the voices of Bu-Ma, which stood against dictatorship in 1979, and the voices of Korea in 2025 are united as one. It expresses the intention to shout out these resonant voices together with future generations, sharing the spirit and values that Bu-Ma has upheld, transcending generations and regions.
The 46th Anniversary Ceremony of the Bu-Ma Democratic Uprising was held at the 3.15 Art Center in Changwon, Gyeongnam. Photo by Lee Seryung
The event was attended by ordinary citizens, those involved in the Bu-Ma Democratic Uprising and their families, Prime Minister Kim Minseok, Park Sangdo, Chairman of the Bu-Ma Democratic Uprising Memorial Foundation, Park Wansu, Governor of Gyeongnam Province, Park Hyungjun, Mayor of Busan, Jang Geumyong, Acting Mayor of Changwon Special City, Choi Hakbeom, Chairman of the Gyeongnam Provincial Council, and Park Jonghun, Superintendent of Gyeongnam Education, among others.
Also present were Jang Donghyuk, leader of the People Power Party, Cho Kuk, Chairman of the Emergency Response Committee of the Cho Kuk Innovation Party, Assemblyman Choi Hyeongdu, as well as local National Assembly members and city and provincial council members.
At the 46th anniversary ceremony of the Bu-Ma Democratic Uprising held at the 3.15 Art Center in Changwon, Gyeongnam Province, key guests including Park Wan-su, Governor of Gyeongnam Province, Park Hyung-joon, Mayor of Busan, Jang Geum-yong, Acting Mayor of Changwon, and Kim Min-seok, Prime Minister, attended. Photo by Lee Se-ryung
The ceremony began with a performance by the Gyeongnam Little Singers, followed by the national pledge, commemorative speeches, a progress report, and the reading of letters of gratitude.
The program also included a reenactment of the Bu-Ma Democratic Uprising by the Changwon Citizens’ Musical Troupe and Four Singer, interviews with participants, video messages from students currently attending Gyeongnam National University, Busan National University, and Dong-A University-universities that took part in the uprising at the time-and a choral performance of the Bu-Ma Democratic Uprising song.
Prime Minister Kim Minseok delivers a commemorative speech at the 46th anniversary ceremony of the Bu-Ma Democratic Uprising held at the 3.15 Art Center in Changwon, Gyeongnam. Photo by Lee Seryung
In his commemorative address, Prime Minister Kim stated, “The Bu-Ma Democratic Uprising was a great civic movement that broke through the darkness of the Yushin dictatorship and ushered in the dawn of democracy.” He added, “It laid the foundation for the constitutional value of popular sovereignty, which declares that the sovereignty of the Republic of Korea resides with the people and all power derives from the people.”
He continued, “Democracy is not a completed system but a task that requires constant effort and practice. This is why we must honor, inherit, and further develop the spirit of Bu-Ma.”
He also said, “Going forward, the government will continue its efforts to uncover the truth of the Bu-Ma Democratic Uprising and restore the honor of the citizens who were trampled by the military, so that the historical value and spirit of the uprising will be passed down to future generations.”
Park Wansu, Governor of Gyeongnam Province (left), is shaking hands and greeting citizens who participated in the Bu-Ma Democratic Uprising at the 46th anniversary ceremony held at the 3.15 Art Center in Changwon, Gyeongnam. Photo by Lee Seryeong
Park Wansu, Governor of Gyeongnam Province, stated, “It is thanks to the courage and sacrifice of citizens striving for democracy that the Republic of Korea exists as it does today. I hope that by inheriting and developing the noble spirit of the Bu-Ma Democratic Uprising, we will move toward a more mature democratic society.”
The Bu-Ma Democratic Uprising was a large-scale democratization movement in 1979, in which citizens and students from Busan and the former Masan (now Changwon) region rose up against the Yushin regime.
Since being designated as a national memorial day in 2019, the anniversary has been held alternately in Gyeongnam Province and Busan every year.
Each year, Gyeongnam Province commemorates this day by supporting a variety of events, such as the national Bu-Ma Democratic Uprising writing contest and the traveling Bu-Ma Democratic Citizens’ Music Festival, continuing efforts to uphold and spread the spirit of the Bu-Ma Democratic Uprising.
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