Seoul spring
Encyclopedia
The Seoul Spring was a period of democratization in South Korea
from 26 October 1979 to 17 May 1980. This expression was derived from the Prague spring
of Czechoslovakia
in 1968.
The assassination of president Park Jung Hee in 26 October 1979 by Kim Jae Kyu, terminating his dictatorship, was expected to democratize South Korea soon by people who revived democratization movements.
The National Conference for Unification tried to nominate Choi Kyu Hah as a succeeded president through indirect election. Then some anti-government figures held a fake wedding ceremony - in order to gather people, getting around the law prohibiting any political meeting - to denounce the martial law army and the National Conference for Unification after which the martial law army arrested 140 participants, including 14 persons delivered to the defence security command in Yongsan-gu
and tortured. After the large-scale demonstration in Seoul station
, general Chun Doo Hwan, holding de facto real power at that time, declared the emergency martial to escalate and the army assaulted Ewha Womans University where students representatives had gathered and arrested them. Finally the Seoul Spring ended up with Gwangju Massacre
on 18 May 1980.
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...
from 26 October 1979 to 17 May 1980. This expression was derived from the Prague spring
Prague Spring
The Prague Spring was a period of political liberalization in Czechoslovakia during the era of its domination by the Soviet Union after World War II...
of Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
in 1968.
The assassination of president Park Jung Hee in 26 October 1979 by Kim Jae Kyu, terminating his dictatorship, was expected to democratize South Korea soon by people who revived democratization movements.
The National Conference for Unification tried to nominate Choi Kyu Hah as a succeeded president through indirect election. Then some anti-government figures held a fake wedding ceremony - in order to gather people, getting around the law prohibiting any political meeting - to denounce the martial law army and the National Conference for Unification after which the martial law army arrested 140 participants, including 14 persons delivered to the defence security command in Yongsan-gu
Yongsan-gu
Yongsan-gu is a district of Seoul, South Korea. Its name means "Dragon Hill", derived from the hanja characters for dragon and hill/mountain . It sits to the North of the Han River under the shadow of Seoul Tower. Geographically, it is located right in the center of Seoul. It is home to roughly...
and tortured. After the large-scale demonstration in Seoul station
Seoul Station
Seoul Station is a major railway station in Seoul, South Korea. The station is served by the Gyeongbu Line, its high-speed counterpart and the Gyeongui Line, with frequent high-speed, express, and local services to various points in South Korea.-Services:...
, general Chun Doo Hwan, holding de facto real power at that time, declared the emergency martial to escalate and the army assaulted Ewha Womans University where students representatives had gathered and arrested them. Finally the Seoul Spring ended up with 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...
on 18 May 1980.