Cries for democracy in Busan and Masan echo again, 47 years on

Ceremony marking 47th anniversary of Buma Democratic Uprising held Friday at Busan City Hall

More than 650 participants, including uprising survivors, bereaved families and citizens

Musical performance recreates the uprising; rock band Boohwal takes the stage

The cries for democracy that rang out across Busan and Masan in October 1979 against the Yushin dictatorship echoed again Friday, 47 years later. A ceremony was held in Busan to honor the values of freedom and democracy that students and citizens fought to defend — and to pass that legacy on to future generations.

The Ministry of Interior and Safety held the 47th anniversary commemoration of the Buma Democratic Uprising at the main auditorium of Busan Metropolitan City Hall on Friday. More than 650 people attended, including senior government officials, uprising participants, bereaved families, civic groups and members of the public.

The Buma Democratic Uprising was a large-scale pro-democracy movement in which students and citizens in Busan and Masan rose up against the Yushin dictatorship in October 1979. It is regarded as a pivotal turning point in South Korea's democratic history, paving the way for the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement and the June 10 Democracy Movement.

This year marked the eighth national commemoration since the uprising was designated a national memorial day in 2019. The Ministry of Interior and Safety and the Truth Commission on the Buma Democratic Uprising under the Office of the Prime Minister co-hosted the ceremony, with the Buma Democratic Uprising Memorial Foundation serving as organizer. Following the tradition of alternating between Busan and Changwon in South Gyeongsang Province every other year, this year's event was held in Busan.

The theme of this year's ceremony was "October Again, an Undying Flame" — a tribute to the spirit of resistance shown by citizens who stood up to dictatorship in October 1979, and a pledge to carry the values of democracy forward to future generations.

The event featured media art and a musical performance recreating the uprising. During the pre-ceremony program, a media art video screened original illustrations from "Buma Democratic Uprising Picture Diary" by artist Kwak Yeong-hwa. An actor on stage received a diary in a scene that opened the ceremony.

A video of the national anthem followed, featuring images of monuments and memorial sites related to the uprising. Uprising participants and local university students sang the anthem together.

For the main performance, Busan-based theater company Eye Contact staged a musical that began with an actor reading aloud from a student's diary of the time, then traced the arc of resistance, sacrifice and the spread of protests. The production brought the stories of the students and citizens who took to the streets to the stage, conveying the meaning of the uprising.

Rock band Boohwal performed "Never Ending Story" as the celebratory act. The ceremony closed with the cast and audience singing "Morning Dew" together.

Interior and Safety Minister Yun Ho-jung said he paid "deep respect to the noble dedication of the citizens of Busan and Masan who defended freedom and democracy against dictatorship" on the 47th anniversary of the uprising. "The government will spare no effort to ensure that the flame and values of the Buma Democratic Uprising, which live on in our hearts, are fully passed on to future generations," he added.

adastra@heraldcorp.com