Interior ministry marks 47th anniversary of Busan-Masan uprising

The interior ministry held a ceremony in Busan on Friday marking the 47th anniversary of the Busan-Masan democratic uprising.

About 650 people attended at the Busan City Hall auditorium, including people connected to the uprising, bereaved family members and ordinary citizens. This year's theme, "October Again, the Flame That Never Dies," reflects the idea that the spirit of resistance that erupted in October 1979 carries into a democratic future. The ceremony was co-hosted by the interior ministry and the Prime Minister's committee investigating the uprising, and organized by the Busan-Masan Democratic Uprising Memorial Foundation. The venue rotates every two years, and this year's ceremony was held in Busan.

The program opened with a media art video drawn from artist Kwak Young-hwa's illustrated diary of the uprising, followed by a performance in which an actor on stage receives the diary. A musical by the Busan theater company Eye Contact reenacted the reading of a student's diary, the resistance, the deaths and the spread of the protests. Veteran rock band Boohwal performed "Never Ending Story," and the ceremony closed with the cast and attendees singing "Morning Dew" together.

"On the 47th anniversary of the Busan-Masan democratic uprising, I express deep respect for the noble dedication of the citizens of Busan and Masan who defended freedom and democracy against dictatorship," Interior Minister Yoon Ho-jung said. He added that the government will not spare its attention and support so that the flame and values of the uprising, alive in our hearts, are fully passed on to future generations.