June 10 Pro-Democracy Movement 33rd anniversary; what happened in Namyeong-dong police station
- 4 years ago
유월민주항쟁 33주년... 남영동대공분실에서 있었던 일
Following on from the president's remarks, we thought we'd give you some background.
On this day in 1987, a series of citizen demonstrations began that eventually toppled Chun Doo-hwan's military dictatorship.
His reign saw human rights violations and a sharply restricted press.
Symbolizing those dark days was a police investigation building in Seoul.
Our Kim Do-yeon went to check it out and files this report.
This is a room on the fifth floor of what was the police investigation building in Namyeong-dong during the military dictatorship of the 1980s.
Anyone the police wanted to question for so-called "pro-communist activities" would be brought here.
In through a secretive back door and up a spiral staircase that led to the fifth floor directly, individuals were brought here for interrogation through torture.
One event in particular started to unite people against the dictatorship.
In January of 1987, a Seoul National University student died after being tortured by waterboarding... causing fury among the people.
"This is where the true dark side of dictatorship was revealed. The public thought to themselves that they cannot allow a government that kills innocent young students. That was one of the sparks that ignited the June Pro-Democracy Movement."
"The body was wet... there was a bathtub in the room.’ That's what the doctor who came to examine the body of Park Jong-cheol said to a journalist."
While the doctor only laid out the facts that he saw, it caused a national fury.
His words clarified some of the hidden cruelties that the government imposed on its citizens, and that was one of the driving forces behind the June 10 Pro-Democracy Movement.
Today, the doctor says he was just doing his job.
"My perspective is as a doctor. Democracy is important, but to me… if such deaths reoccurred, it would be like a disease, so I had the responsibility to stop it"
What happened in June 1987, and the events leading up to then, shaped the course of Korea's history.
In response to the citizens' efforts, the government finally decided to amend the constitution... allowing citizens to directly vote for the president... and, most importantly, have their basic rights protected.
Kim Do-yeon, Arirang News
Following on from the president's remarks, we thought we'd give you some background.
On this day in 1987, a series of citizen demonstrations began that eventually toppled Chun Doo-hwan's military dictatorship.
His reign saw human rights violations and a sharply restricted press.
Symbolizing those dark days was a police investigation building in Seoul.
Our Kim Do-yeon went to check it out and files this report.
This is a room on the fifth floor of what was the police investigation building in Namyeong-dong during the military dictatorship of the 1980s.
Anyone the police wanted to question for so-called "pro-communist activities" would be brought here.
In through a secretive back door and up a spiral staircase that led to the fifth floor directly, individuals were brought here for interrogation through torture.
One event in particular started to unite people against the dictatorship.
In January of 1987, a Seoul National University student died after being tortured by waterboarding... causing fury among the people.
"This is where the true dark side of dictatorship was revealed. The public thought to themselves that they cannot allow a government that kills innocent young students. That was one of the sparks that ignited the June Pro-Democracy Movement."
"The body was wet... there was a bathtub in the room.’ That's what the doctor who came to examine the body of Park Jong-cheol said to a journalist."
While the doctor only laid out the facts that he saw, it caused a national fury.
His words clarified some of the hidden cruelties that the government imposed on its citizens, and that was one of the driving forces behind the June 10 Pro-Democracy Movement.
Today, the doctor says he was just doing his job.
"My perspective is as a doctor. Democracy is important, but to me… if such deaths reoccurred, it would be like a disease, so I had the responsibility to stop it"
What happened in June 1987, and the events leading up to then, shaped the course of Korea's history.
In response to the citizens' efforts, the government finally decided to amend the constitution... allowing citizens to directly vote for the president... and, most importantly, have their basic rights protected.
Kim Do-yeon, Arirang News