Ceremony to be held on February 28 at Daegu Arts Center
The commemorative ceremony for the 64th anniversary of the Daegu Democracy Movement (2.28 Democracy Movement) will be held, under the theme “Bright Light of the East,” on February 28 (Wed, 10 am) at Daegu Arts Center’s Palgong Hall.
The ceremony has been held annually as a national event (hosted by the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs) since 2018, when February 28 was designated as a national holiday.
The 2.28 Democracy Movement broke out in 1960, carried out by students of eight public high schools in Daegu/Gyeongsangbuk-do to protest the Liberal Party, which ordered students to attend school on Sunday as a means of preventing them from attending campaigns for the opposing party.
The movement, which was spontaneous and democratic in nature, had widespread support from not only high school students but also the general public. Accordingly, its ideals spread nationwide. The 2.28 Democracy Movement is also Korea’s first democratic movement that triggered several more that year (Daejeon’s March 8 pro-democracy movement, March 15 movement in Masan, April Revolution).
This year’s ceremony will begin with the paying of respects at the 2.28 Democracy Movement Memorial Tower, which will be followed by performances, remarks, and a singing of the movement’s anthem.
The paying of respects at the memorial tower will be attended by organizers of the movement and student representatives of the eight participating schools* as a visualization of the hope that the spirit of those who led the movement six decades earlier be passed down to today’s young generation.
* Kyeongbuk High School, Kyungpook National University High School, Gyungbuk Girls’ High School, Daegu High School, Daegu Technical High School, Daegu Natural Science High School (currently, Daegu Agricultural Meister High School), Daegu Girls’ High School, Daegu Commercial High School (currently, Daegu Sangwon High School)
The rest of the proceedings will be held at Palgong Hall for 40 minutes with attendance by approximately 1,000 people, including prominent figures from diverse areas of society, students, and participants of the movement and their families.
There will also be a screening of a video titled “How We Remember History” that shows local students and residents visiting a booth about the movement installed at Dongseong-no. Singer Boram Lee will perform the song “Celebrity” as a show of encouragement for Korea’s future leaders.
A special photography exhibition on the movement will be available until March 3 at Daegu Arts Center (Exhibition Center).
Mayor Hong Joon-pyo said, “The 2.28 Democracy Movement is an event in Daegu’s history that we are all very proud of. It encapsulates this city’s courageous willingness to speak out against the corruption of authoritarian rule and in support of freedom, justice, and democracy. I hope the ceremony helps us, as a community, to remember those who made the movement possible and raise awareness of it nationwide.”
