April 3rd, 2025
On this day, the 20th President of South Korea, Yoon Suk-yeol, was officially removed from office—not by force, but by the will of democratic citizens,
and through the very Constitution that forms the foundation of Korean democracy.
On December 3rd, 2024,
martial law was declared.
It took 123 long days, but finally, spring has returned to Korean democracy.
The world is now watching in admiration,
praising the resilience of South Korea’s democratic spirit.
With the recent impeachment of President Yoon Suk-yeol,
many people have begun to show renewed interest in the history of democracy in South Korea.
For those around the world who are curious about Korea,
this moment may raise even deeper questions:
How did Korea develop such a resilient and peaceful democracy?
In this post, I’d like to introduce some of the key historical events
that have shaped South Korea into the democratic nation it is today.
1. 1960 / The April 19 Revolution (4.19 혁명)
In 1960, students and citizens took to the streets in protest after a rigged presidential election. Their bold movement led to the resignation of President Syngman Rhee.
It was South Korea’s first major pro-democracy uprising, showing the power of collective action.
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| Students on the streets during the 4.19 Revolution |
The following day, the Minister of Interior Choi In-Kyu and the Chief of Security resigned taking responsibility for the Masan incident. On April 28, 1960, in an annex of Rhee's mansion, Lee Ki-poong's first son, Lee Kang-seok (1937 – April 28, 1960) shot Lee Ki-poong and his family and then killed himself in a murder-suicide.
2. 1980 / Gwangju Democratization Movement (5.18 광주 민주화 운동)
1979 was a period of upheaval in the Republic of Korea. The Buma Uprising against Park Chung-hee broke out in Busan and Masan, and Kim Jae-gyu (a close aide to Park Chung-hee at the time) killed Park Chung-hee shortly afterwards. Chun Doo-hwan dreams of taking power with the military revolt on December 12, taking advantage of the political turmoil.
In 1979, when the December 12 military revolt broke out, the new military, composed mainly of Chun Doo-hwan, took control of the military, and as the democratization fever intensified in the spring of Seoul, the rebels caused a nationwide expansion of emergency martial law. The response to martial law, the winter vacation of universities, and the end of the year were combined, and since March, when universities began to open schools, matters on the fog situation have been known, and rallies to condemn it have continued since April 1980, and a large-scale pro-democracy movement will take place in Gwangju, Jeollanam-do from May 18 to 27, 1980.
The martial law army adhered to a "riot protest suppression" method to suppress the protests, ruthlessly beat innocent citizens, committed sexual crimes such as sexual violence, executed illegal executions, and even used firearms against civilians. The citizens, who felt threatened by the military's tyranny, organized a civilian army to resist, but were thoroughly suppressed by the new military. This series of events was significant as part of the democratization process of the Republic of Korea, which was caused by the sacrifices of citizens who resisted military dictatorship, and was recorded as a representative example of the military dictatorship's human rights suppression and civilian murder.
✅Let me introduce movies and books set in the Gwangju Democratic Movement.
"Taxi Driver" is a movie starring Song Kang-ho, the male protagonist of "Parasite",
Jürgen Hinzpeter, a German journalist during the Gwangju Democratization Movement, travels to Gwangju by taxi to cover the movie. It is an extremely well-made movie set in a historical fact.
A Taxi Driver(2017) Rotten Tomatoes Review
I also recommend the book "Human Acts" by Han Kang, who recently won the Nobel Prize for Literature.
This book is also made in the background of the Gwangju Democratic Movement.
Han Kang - Human Acts Review (Guadian)
3. 1987 / The June Democratic Uprising (6월 민주항쟁)
It is also called the June Democratic Uprising, the June Democratic Uprising, the June Democratic Uprising, and the June 10 Uprising, referring to a series of democratization movements across the country against the Chun Doo-hwan administration in June 1987. It is now commonly called the "June Uprising."
The April 13, 1987, the death of Park Jong-cheol, and the death of Lee Han-yeol by tear gas during the protests triggered the democratic uprising to expand to nationwide protests on June 10
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| Lee Han-yeol, a college student who is bleeding after being hit by tear gas The photo served as a catalyst for the end of the Chun Doo-hwan administration's protective measures and was later selected as one of the top 100 press photos of the 20th century by the Associated Press. |
From June 10 to June 15, the protest against Myeong-dong Cathedral, the tear gas rally on June 18, and the democratic constitutional action agency on June 26, more than 5 million people participated in the street rallies, demonstrations, and protests to urge democratization of the constitutional amendment.
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| The Protest in front of Myeong-dong Cathedral |
In particular, on June 26, the National Peace Agency participated in more than 1 million people in 33 cities and four counties and towns across the country, recording the largest number of protests in June.
The June 10 Democratic Uprising meant that it blocked the Chun Doo-hwan administration's intention to take power for a long time through civil resistance and achieved a constitutional amendment to the direct presidential election system, which accelerated the democratization of the Republic of Korea.
✅Let me introduce movie in the June Democratic. "1987:When the Day Comes"
This ensemble film portrays the true events surrounding the torture and death of student activist Park Jong-cheol—
a tragic incident that became the spark for South Korea's June Democratic Uprising in 1987.
The story follows those who tried to cover up the truth,
and those who risked everything to reveal it.One of the central figures is Prosecutor Choi Hwan,
who defied higher authorities and insisted on performing a lawful autopsy despite pressure to hide the cause of death.
Another key figure is Lee Bu-young, a former journalist and pro-democracy activist imprisoned in Yeongdeungpo Prison.
While incarcerated, he learned the truth about the torture case from police officers detained in a neighboring cell.
Using his close relationship with a sympathetic prison guard,
he passed the information to the Catholic Priests’ Association for Justice,
who then exposed the case to the public.This real-life story became a powerful symbol of resistance,
and played a crucial role in igniting the public outrage that led to South Korea's historic June 1987 democratic movement.
4. 1993 / Start of Civillian Government (문민정부 출범)
For the first time in decades, South Korea elected a president with no military background: Kim Young-sam. This marked the beginning of a new democratic era focused on reform, anti-corruption, and transparency.
5. 2016~2017 / Candlelight Protests & Impeachment of President Park (촛불항쟁, 박근혜 대통령 탄핵)
The movement to oust President Park Geun-hye had been building steadily for years.
As early as 2013, her administration was accused of manipulating public opinion.
Then came the Sewol Ferry disaster, labor issues, and, in September 2016, the death of farmer-activist Baek Nam-gi, who was struck by a police water cannon during a protest.
Farmer groups and civil society condemned this as an act of state violence, reigniting calls for Park’s resignation.
Later that same month, the Park Geun-hye–Choi Soon-sil scandal broke, and the flames of impeachment began to rise.
On October 26, 2016, the first candlelight vigil was held in Seoul.
What followed were 23 massive peaceful protests across the country,
with a cumulative attendance of over 16 million people, all demanding President Park’s removal from office.
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| Citizens gathered for the candlelight vigil |
These candlelight protests became a historic symbol of nonviolent democratic action—
a powerful moment in global history where citizens brought down a corrupt regime without bloodshed, purely through the strength of peaceful, collective will.
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| Citizens gathered at the last rally to celebrate the dismissal of Park Geun Hye are shaking off firecrackers |
Because of the history of democracy described above, the Republic of Korea was now, and it has become a Republic that can protect democracy in a nonviolent and peaceful way by means of citizens from corrupt leaders.
Korea’s democracy today shows just how deeply Han Kang’s words resonate with our times:
“The belief that the dead can save the living.”
Because there were citizens who shed blood during past democratic uprisings
and because their stories have lived on and continued to breathe through Korean society
when President Yoon Suk-yeol declared martial law,
citizens once again rose up.
They gathered at the National Assembly,
and through their collective will, martial law was lifted and President Yoon was removed from office.
As a citizen of the Republic of Korea who regained his peaceful daily life, I would like to express my gratitude to those who fought fiercely and died at that time in order to protect democracy.
Thank you for reading my article.
If you have any questions, Please leave a comment.
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