June Democracy Movement
Encyclopedia
The June Democracy Movement (Hangul
: 6월 민주항쟁) was a nation-wide democracy movement
in South Korea
that generated mass protests from June 10 to June 29, 1987. The demonstrations forced the ruling government to hold elections and institute other democratic reforms which led to the establishment of the Sixth Republic
, the present day government of South Korea.
On June 10th, the regime of President Chun Doo-hwan
announced its choice of Roh Tae Woo as the next president. The public designation of Chun's successor was seen as a final affront to a delayed and deferred process to revise the South Korean constitution to permit direct election of the President. Although pressure on the regime, in the form of demonstrations by students and other groups, had been building for some time, the announcement finally triggered massive and effective protests. Unwilling to resort to violence before the 1988 Olympic Games
, and (correctly) believing that Roh could win competitive elections anyway given divisions within the opposition, Chun and Roh acceeded to the key demands of direct presidential elections and restoration of civil liberties. Although Roh was duly elected as president that December with a bare plurality
, the democratic consolidation of South Korean was fully underway.
, South Korean presidents were elected indirectly by an electoral college. This system persisted even after Park was assassinated and replaced by Choi Kyu-ha, who was himself replaced by Chun after the Coup d'état of December Twelfth
. Since the college was generally hand picked by the regime itself, it did not represent any sort of democratic check on presidential power.
Seeking to enhance his domestic and international standing by providing a veneer of democratic representation, Chun held elections in 1985. The result was a major moral victory for the opposition, led by Kim Dae Jung
and Kim Young Sam. The opposition's key demand was direct presidential elections, and Chun sought to foil this by initiating a campaign of delay, deliberation, and deferment. A parliamentary committee debated various proposals for months; on April 13, 1987, Chun suspended even this committee until after the Olympics. This action intensified unrest, but resulting demonstrations did not impress the regime and Chun decided to continue his program to install Roh as his successor.
Throughout this period, the labor movement, university students, and churches in particular joined in a mutually supporting alliance to put increasing pressure the regime. This mobilized portion of civil society, in addition to the political opposition, formed the core of the resistance that would become generalized during the decisive events of June.
In 1980s
, many student activists in universities struggled against Chun Doo-hwan's dictatorship and the aftermath of the 1980 Gwangju Massacre
. Park Jong-chul, the president of the student council in the linguistics department of Seoul National University
, was one of those students. Detained during an investigation into such activities, Park refused to confess the whereabouts of one of his fellow activists. During the interrogation, authorities used waterboarding techniques to torture him, eventually leading to his death on 14 January.
The events surrounding Park Jong-chul's death was suppressed at first. However, the Catholic Priests Association for Justice
(CPAJ), revealed the truth to the public on May 18, further inflaming public sentiment. CPAJ planned a June 10th demonstration in his honor.
swore to take the field and demonstrated at the university on June 9. During the protest, Yonsei student Lee Han-yeol was seriously injured when a tear gas grenade penetrated his skull. In critical condition, he quickly became a symbol of the subsequent protests over the ensuring weeks. He finally died of his wounds on July 5, after the regime had agreed to the people's demands. Over 1.6 million citizens participated in his national funeral, held on July 9.
at Jamsil Arena
. Major demonstrations occurred throughout the country, with an estimated 240,000 people participating in 22 cities including Seoul. Many people of all social standings joined and supported participants.
On June 18, the National rally for banishment of tear gas grenades (최루탄추방국민대회) brought 1.5 million people into the streets across at least 16 cities. Finally, the white collar
workers who had before remained on the sidelines joined protests, throwing rolls of toilet paper, applauding and otherwise voicing their support. On June 19th, Chun issued orders to mobilize the army, but fearing a reprise of the violent Kwangju Massacre, he rescinded them within hours. On June 26, the Great national march of peace (국민평화대행진) was held by Guk-bon; over 1 million people in 34 cities participated and 3,467 people were detained.
Eventually, Roh Tae-woo issued the "6.29 Declaration", capitulating the demands of the protesters by promising to amend the Constitution and to release Kim Dae-jung.
Engine Trade Union was established in Ulsan
on July 3. Many workers started to unify labor unions and strike. Between July and September, 1,060 new labor unions were organized and walkouts occurred 3,458 times.
The 10th Constitution strengthened civil rights. Natural and legal rights were explicitly specified, direct presidential elections were implemented, and the power of the president was reduced in favor of the power of National Assembly of Korea.
Two weeks before the presidential election, Korean Air Flight 858
exploded when it was flying to Bangkok
. The revelation of the North Korean conspiracy against the plane, and the arrival in Seoul of Kim Hyon Hui
, one of the agents responsible for the attack, the day before the election made created a profitable environment for Roh Tae-woo.
The election finally took place on December 16. In the end Roh Tae-woo was the winner, receiving 36.6% of the vote on turnout of 89.2%. The opposition vote was split in two, with Kim Young-sam receiving 28% and Kim Dae-jung 27% of the vote. This election marked the beginning of the Sixth Republic.
Hangul
Hangul,Pronounced or ; Korean: 한글 Hangeul/Han'gŭl or 조선글 Chosŏn'gŭl/Joseongeul the Korean alphabet, is the native alphabet of the Korean language. It is a separate script from Hanja, the logographic Chinese characters which are also sometimes used to write Korean...
: 6월 민주항쟁) was a nation-wide democracy movement
Democracy Movement
The Democracy Movement is a crossparty Eurosceptic pressure group in the UK with around 150 local branches.-History:The Democracy Movement was founded by Lady Annabel Goldsmith in January 1999. She became its President and her son, businessman Robin Birley, served as the organisation's chairman...
in South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
that generated mass protests from June 10 to June 29, 1987. The demonstrations forced the ruling government to hold elections and institute other democratic reforms which led to the establishment of the Sixth Republic
Sixth Republic of South Korea
The Sixth Republic of South Korea is the country's present-day government. It began in 1987, with the transfer of power from the authoritarian Fifth Republic of Chun Doo-hwan....
, the present day government of South Korea.
On June 10th, the regime of President Chun Doo-hwan
Chun Doo-hwan
Chun Doo-hwan was a ROK Army general and the President of South Korea from 1980 to 1988. Chun was sentenced to death in 1996 for his heavy-handed response to the Gwangju Democratization Movement, but later pardoned by President Kim Young-sam with the advice of then President-elect Kim Dae-jung,...
announced its choice of Roh Tae Woo as the next president. The public designation of Chun's successor was seen as a final affront to a delayed and deferred process to revise the South Korean constitution to permit direct election of the President. Although pressure on the regime, in the form of demonstrations by students and other groups, had been building for some time, the announcement finally triggered massive and effective protests. Unwilling to resort to violence before the 1988 Olympic Games
1988 Summer Olympics
The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an all international multi-sport events celebrated from September 17 to October 2, 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. They were the second summer Olympic Games to be held in Asia and the first since the 1964 Summer Olympics...
, and (correctly) believing that Roh could win competitive elections anyway given divisions within the opposition, Chun and Roh acceeded to the key demands of direct presidential elections and restoration of civil liberties. Although Roh was duly elected as president that December with a bare plurality
Plurality
In North American English, the term plurality, used in the context of voting, refers to the largest number of votes to be received by any candidate or referendum. It is contrasted with a majority, which is more than half of the votes...
, the democratic consolidation of South Korean was fully underway.
Indirect presidential elections
Since the 1972 implementation of the Yusin Constitution by then president Park Chung-heePark Chung-hee
Park Chung-hee was a Republic of Korea Army general and the leader of South Korea from 1961 to 1979. He seized power in a military coup and ruled until his assassination in 1979. He has been credited with the industrialization of the Republic of Korea through export-led growth...
, South Korean presidents were elected indirectly by an electoral college. This system persisted even after Park was assassinated and replaced by Choi Kyu-ha, who was himself replaced by Chun after the Coup d'état of December Twelfth
Coup d'état of December Twelfth
The Coup d'état of December Twelfth or the "12.12 Military Insurrection" was a military coup d'état which took place on December 12, 1979 in South Korea....
. Since the college was generally hand picked by the regime itself, it did not represent any sort of democratic check on presidential power.
Seeking to enhance his domestic and international standing by providing a veneer of democratic representation, Chun held elections in 1985. The result was a major moral victory for the opposition, led by Kim Dae Jung
Kim Dae Jung
Kim Dae-jung was President of South Korea from 1998 to 2003, and the 2000 Nobel Peace Prize recipient. He came to be called the "Nelson Mandela of Asia" for his long-standing opposition to authoritarian rule.-Early life:...
and Kim Young Sam. The opposition's key demand was direct presidential elections, and Chun sought to foil this by initiating a campaign of delay, deliberation, and deferment. A parliamentary committee debated various proposals for months; on April 13, 1987, Chun suspended even this committee until after the Olympics. This action intensified unrest, but resulting demonstrations did not impress the regime and Chun decided to continue his program to install Roh as his successor.
Throughout this period, the labor movement, university students, and churches in particular joined in a mutually supporting alliance to put increasing pressure the regime. This mobilized portion of civil society, in addition to the political opposition, formed the core of the resistance that would become generalized during the decisive events of June.
Torture and death of Park Jong-chul
1980s
File:1980s decade montage.png|thumb|400px|From left, clockwise: The first Space Shuttle, Columbia, lifted off in 1981; American President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev eased tensions between the two superpowers, leading to the end of the Cold War; The Fall of the Berlin Wall in...
, many student activists in universities struggled against Chun Doo-hwan's dictatorship and the aftermath of the 1980 Gwangju Massacre
Gwangju massacre
The Gwangju Democratization Movement refers to a popular uprising in the city of Gwangju, South Korea from May 18 to May 27, 1980. During this period, citizens rose up against Chun Doo-hwan's military dictatorship and took control of the city...
. Park Jong-chul, the president of the student council in the linguistics department of Seoul National University
Seoul National University
Seoul National University , colloquially known in Korean as Seoul-dae , is a national research university in Seoul, Korea, ranked 24th in the world in publications in an analysis of data from the Science Citation Index, 7th in Asia and 42nd in the world by the 2011 QS World University Rankings...
, was one of those students. Detained during an investigation into such activities, Park refused to confess the whereabouts of one of his fellow activists. During the interrogation, authorities used waterboarding techniques to torture him, eventually leading to his death on 14 January.
The events surrounding Park Jong-chul's death was suppressed at first. However, the Catholic Priests Association for Justice
Catholic Priests Association for Justice
Catholic Priests' Association for Justice is a South Korean association of Catholic priests, whose aim is to establish justice in Korea. It was established on September 26, 1974 as an attempt to resist against military regime of Park Chung-hee...
(CPAJ), revealed the truth to the public on May 18, further inflaming public sentiment. CPAJ planned a June 10th demonstration in his honor.
Death of Lee Han-yeol
As demonstrations intensified, students in Yonsei UniversityYonsei University
Yonsei University is a Christian private research university, located in Seoul, South Korea. Established in 1885, it is one of the oldest universities in South Korea, the top private comprehensive universities in South Korea, and is widely regarded as one of the top three comprehensive...
swore to take the field and demonstrated at the university on June 9. During the protest, Yonsei student Lee Han-yeol was seriously injured when a tear gas grenade penetrated his skull. In critical condition, he quickly became a symbol of the subsequent protests over the ensuring weeks. He finally died of his wounds on July 5, after the regime had agreed to the people's demands. Over 1.6 million citizens participated in his national funeral, held on July 9.
Main demonstrations
On June 10, Roh Tae-woo was nominated as a candidate for the presidency in a party convention of Democratic Justice PartyDemocratic Justice Party
The Democratic Justice Party was the ruling party of South Korea from 1980 to 1990.It was formed in 1980 as the Democratic Republican Party and was the political vehicle for Chun Doo-hwan....
at Jamsil Arena
Jamsil Arena
Jamsil Arena is an indoor sporting arena, located in Seoul, South Korea. The capacity of the arena is 13,409 and was built from December 1976 to April 1979.It hosted the basketball events and Volleyball final of the 1988 Summer Olympics....
. Major demonstrations occurred throughout the country, with an estimated 240,000 people participating in 22 cities including Seoul. Many people of all social standings joined and supported participants.
On June 18, the National rally for banishment of tear gas grenades (최루탄추방국민대회) brought 1.5 million people into the streets across at least 16 cities. Finally, the white collar
White-collar worker
The term white-collar worker refers to a person who performs professional, managerial, or administrative work, in contrast with a blue-collar worker, whose job requires manual labor...
workers who had before remained on the sidelines joined protests, throwing rolls of toilet paper, applauding and otherwise voicing their support. On June 19th, Chun issued orders to mobilize the army, but fearing a reprise of the violent Kwangju Massacre, he rescinded them within hours. On June 26, the Great national march of peace (국민평화대행진) was held by Guk-bon; over 1 million people in 34 cities participated and 3,467 people were detained.
Eventually, Roh Tae-woo issued the "6.29 Declaration", capitulating the demands of the protesters by promising to amend the Constitution and to release Kim Dae-jung.
1987 Great Labor Action
After the June democracy movement, HyundaiHyundai
Hyundai ) is a global conglomerate company, part of the Korean chaebol, that was founded in South Korea by one of the most famous businessmen in Korean history: Chung Ju-yung...
Engine Trade Union was established in Ulsan
Ulsan
Ulsan , officially the Ulsan Metropolitan City, is South Korea's seventh largest metropolis with a population of over 1.1 million. It is located in the south-east of the country, neighboring Busan to the south and facing Gyeongju to the north and the Sea of Japan to the east.Ulsan is the...
on July 3. Many workers started to unify labor unions and strike. Between July and September, 1,060 new labor unions were organized and walkouts occurred 3,458 times.
The 9th amendment of Constitution
After the 6.29 Declaration, amendment of the Constitution finally began in earnest. On October 12 the constitutional bill was passed, and on October 28 it was approved. It officially took effect on February 25, 1988, when Roh Tae-woo was inaugurated as president.The 10th Constitution strengthened civil rights. Natural and legal rights were explicitly specified, direct presidential elections were implemented, and the power of the president was reduced in favor of the power of National Assembly of Korea.
The first democratic election in South Korea
Roh retained his June 10 nomination as a candidate for the presidency of Democratic Justice Party, and he remained Chun's chosen successor. Roh had enough legitimate support within the Korean electorate to compete in the elections in December 1987. His position was greatly improved by the divisions within the opposition, as Kim Dae-jung and Kim Young-sam were unable to unite, or even back a two-tier voting system that would create a runoff.Two weeks before the presidential election, Korean Air Flight 858
Korean Air Flight 858
Korean Air Flight 858 was a scheduled international passenger flight between Baghdad, Iraq, and Seoul, South Korea that exploded in mid-air on 29 November 1987 after two North Korean agents planted a bomb in the passenger cabin...
exploded when it was flying to Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
. The revelation of the North Korean conspiracy against the plane, and the arrival in Seoul of Kim Hyon Hui
Kim Hyon Hui
Kim Hyun-Hui is a former North Korean operative responsible for the Korean Air Flight 858 bombing in 1987, which killed 115 people.- Early life :...
, one of the agents responsible for the attack, the day before the election made created a profitable environment for Roh Tae-woo.
The election finally took place on December 16. In the end Roh Tae-woo was the winner, receiving 36.6% of the vote on turnout of 89.2%. The opposition vote was split in two, with Kim Young-sam receiving 28% and Kim Dae-jung 27% of the vote. This election marked the beginning of the Sixth Republic.
See also
- History of South KoreaHistory of South KoreaThe history of South Korea formally begins with the establishment of South Korea on 15 August 1948, although Syngman Rhee had declared the establishment in Seoul on 13 August....
- List of Korea-related topics
- Fifth Republic of South KoreaFifth Republic of South KoreaThe Fifth Republic of South Korea was the government of South Korea from 1979 to 1987, replacing the Fourth Republic of South Korea. Throughout this period, the government was controlled by Chun Doo-hwan, a military colleague of the assassinated president Park Chung-hee. This period saw extensive...
- Sixth Republic of South KoreaSixth Republic of South KoreaThe Sixth Republic of South Korea is the country's present-day government. It began in 1987, with the transfer of power from the authoritarian Fifth Republic of Chun Doo-hwan....