1970 – Korea Democratic Movements

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The 4.19 Revolution

Opposition Movement on Korea-Japan Treaty

1960

Anti constitutional Amendment Movement
for Reelection

Anti-Yushin Movement

Busan-Masan Democratic Uprising

1970

The May 18 Democratic Uprising

1980

The June 10 Uprising

718700 ─ 1974.11.21.

Anti-Yushin Movement

“ Let’s get together to make a democratic government! ”

Park Chung-Hee government, which achieved the dream of successfully extending the dictatorship for the three terms, amended the constitution to allow his government’s permanent power. After the declaration of emergency martial law on October 17, 1972, the ‘Yushin regime’ was created to go against democracy, with the amendment of the constitution. Park Chung-Hee and Yushin regime abolished the democratic election system where people choose their president with their own hands. Instead, Park came up with the idea to achieve his ambition for permanent power through ‘indirect voting system’ in which a small number of people, instead of all nation, gathered at a gymnasium to elect the president. People started a nationwide resistance against the dictatorship with a campaign called ‘Campaign to sign one million petitions for the constitutional amendment’. However, Park Chung-Hee regime oppressed the resistance movement with violent emergency measures, including manipulating the ‘2nd People’s Revuoluationary Party Incident’ and ‘National Federation of Democratic Youth Student Incident’.

─ 1979.

Busan-Masan Democratic Uprising

“ Park Chung-Hee OUT! ”

To stand up to the oppression and tyranny of the Yushin regime, citizens and students of Busan (Pusan) and Masan city took part in the anti-dictatorship struggle for democracy from October 16 to 20, 1979. Pusan National University students launched an anti-government protest after announcing the 'Democracy Declaration'. Citizens of three cities, Busan, Masan, and Changwon, started mass protests on the streets.
In response to the protest, Park Chung-Hee regime proclaimed martial law in Busan on the 18th of October and invoked the Garrison Act in Masan and Changwon on the 20th. On October 26, right after the Bu-Ma Uprising, President Park Chung-hee was shot to death by the head of the Central Intelligence Agency, Kim Jae-Gyu, and Yushin regime was ended.