20th Anniversary of the 6.10 Democratic Movement

Yesterday, various events were held to commemorate the 6.10 Democratic Movement. Most South Koreans across the nation stood up against dictatorship twenty years ago on that date.

Democracy through higher quality of life-

According to the police, 500 members of a civic organization gathered yesterday in Seoul Plaza to honor the movement.

Among the participants were the citizens who took to the street against the military regime twenty years ago.

They recalled the movement and said, “Our movement toppled the military regime and led to the peaceful transfer of power to the Kim and the Roh administrations. Still, we don’t see any improvement in our daily lives. Democracy in the 21st Century should be the one that improves quality of life. That’s what our freedom fighters envisioned twenty years ago.”

Mr. Park Jeong-gi and Mrs. Bae Eun-shim, each of who lost a child during the struggle, stressed, “Twenty years ago, we could not imagine such a place like Seoul Plaza as it is today. Things have changed a lot. Still, we want more. We should continue our march toward the perfect democracy.”

The participants marched through downtown Seoul, chanting the slogans they did twenty years ago. The march started from Seoul Plaza and ended at the Myeong-dong Catholic church. They also distributed leaflets to citizens highlighting the importance of the 6.10 movement and the work that needed to be done.

Nationwide ceremonies-

Similar ceremonies took place in major cities across the nation.

A civil rights group in Gwangju organized an event Saturday. About 1,000 citizens took part in it.

In the meanwhile, a nationally organized ceremonial event was staged, too. A group of people performed a “cross-country” ceremony, traveling from Namwon City in N. Jeolla Province to the former site of the S. Jeolla Provincial Government building in Gwangju.

1,000 Busan residents participated in a similar ceremony Sunday afternoon.

Various performances were staged, commemorating not only the 6.10 movement, but also the death of two middle school girls who was run over by a U.S. military vehicle a couple of years ago. They also conducted a ceremonial protest against the free trade agreement between South Korea and the United States.

Masan residents also marched a 7 km distance Saturday afternoon along the venues where 6.10 protests were held in that city.

Yet another 200 citizens gathered Sunday at the S. Gyeongsang Provincial Government building to honor the spirit of the movement. 1,000 Jinju residents also marched 3.5 km in the downtown area.

In Daejeon, citizens walked along the streets where 6.10 protesters chanted and marched twenty years ago.