[Editorial] 20 Years After the June Uprising Democratic Struggle

12. [Editorial] A Democracy-Trampling Regime, 20 Years After the June Uprising

The June Democratic Struggle in 1987 was a historical turning point to recover democracy that was halted due to the 1972 October Revitalizing Reforms and the 1980 constitutional crisis during the Chun Doo-hwan junta-based regime. Chun’s junta, which rose to power thanks to a coup, oppressed the resistance of the people who were demanding democratization by imprisoning opponents and violating human rights. But in the end, it knelt down to the will of an outraged public at last. Democratization is not a war trophy of a certain political party, but a form of victory by the people that filled the plaza of Seoul City Hall and major streets nationwide.

Dong-A Ilbo sided with the people’s cry for democratization, and against the dictatorial regime, and consistently reported on the true facts on Park Jong-chul, who was tortured to death as a student activist. As such, Dong-A Ilbo can confidently say that it played a significant role in spreading the fever of the June Democratic Struggle. Nevertheless, some media companies that were silent and yielding to the regime have overreacted as if they were at the forefront of democratization. Not only that, the Roh Moo-hyun administration continuously dubs the media as the “enemy of democracy.” In any democracy in the world, the media fosters democracy by criticizing and monitoring political power.

The people of Korea have generated four presidents of Korea since democratization, establishing a tradition of peaceful power transition. Nevertheless, regrettably, the reality is that the arrogance, dogmatism and populism of elected officials are threatening the essence of democracy. The core of democracy is freedom, human rights, legal governance and freedom of the media. If the powers in charge of national affairs within a limited time frame ridicule the Constitution and the laws, and oppress freedom of the press, the foundation of all freedoms, it is the same as destroying the fundamental spirit of democracy.

Genuine democratization is a process to secure the dignity of human beings by enabling them to be free from socio-economic oppression, poverty, and discrimination. If Korea, once again, ignites the dynamic and creative spirit it used to achieve industrialization and democratization in a short period of time, it will be able to rebound as an advanced country that the world envies. That is the way to revive the spirit of the 1987 June Democratic Struggle and democratization.