Busan–Masan Uprising

Busan–Masan Uprising
Busan–Masan Uprising
	Paratroopers entering Masan, October 20
Date	October 16–20, 1979
Location	Busan, Masan, South Korea
Caused by	Discontent over Park Chung Hee's Yushin regime.
Goals	Democratization
Methods	Demonstrations and civil disobedience
Resulted in	Protest suppressed
Parties
South Korean Government ROK Army; ROKA SWC; ROKMC 1st Marine Division; National Police;	Busan and Masan citizenry Protesters;
Number
	8,000 protesters
Casualties and losses
	1,058 arrested

The Busan–Masan Uprising or abbreviated, the Bu-Ma Uprising, was a series of demonstrations and popular uprising against President Park Chung Hee's dictatorial Yushin regime in South Korea. It took place between 16 and 20 October 1979 in Busan and Masan (now a district of Changwon, South Korea). Students from Pusan National University began demonstrations calling for an end to Park's dictatorship, following the regimes controversial decision to expel New Democratic Party chairman Kim Young-sam from the national assembly. On 17 October the protests grew to include citizens and spread to Masan on 18 and 19 October.^[1] It is also called the Busan–Masan Democratic Uprising (Korean: 부마민주항쟁; Hanja: 釜馬民主抗爭) or Busan–Masan Democratization Movement (부마민주화운동; 釜馬民主化運動).^[2]

Park declared martial law on 18 October and referred 66 people to military court.^[3] On 20 October, Park invoked the Garrison Act. The army was mobilized, and 59 civilians were brought to military court. Six days later, Park was assassinated by his own intelligence chief Kim Jae-gyu, leading to the Seoul Spring and seizure of power by general Chun Doo-hwan the following year.

Background

The 1978 National Assembly election was held in December and was influenced by the government. Nevertheless, the ruling Republican Party was defeated by the New Democratic Party.

In August 1979, female workers of the YH Trading Company (YH무역주식회사) performed a sit in at the headquarters of the New Democratic Party. Because of the lockout, the ruling Republican Party expelled Kim Young-sam^[4] from the National Assembly, leading to the resignation of all opposition party members from the National Assembly.

Progress

The protests history is as follows:^[5]

3 May 1979 - A national convention of New Democratic Party occurred, the moderate party representative Yi Cheol-seung defected, Kim Young-sam was elected.
11 August 1979 - A sit in held by YH Trading Company workers held at the New Democratic Party Headquarters violently suppressed by riot police resulting in the death of one female worker. Kim Young-sam arrested.
4 October 1979 - The ruling Republicans expelled Kim Young-sam from the National Assembly.
16 October 1979 - Busan–Masan Uprising occurred.
17 October 1979 - Chungmu police substation, the Korea Broadcasting System, and the Busan tax office were destroyed. Police vehicles were burned and damaged.
18 October 1979 - The government proclaimed martial law in Busan at 12:00 am. The military arrested 1,058 people, 66 of who went on to face trial.
20 October 1979 - Governments invoke the Garrison Act at Masan.
26 October 1979 - President Park Chung Hee was assassinated

Influence

This incident incited conflict inside the government, which led in turn to an early ending of the Yushin regime that was maintained by an emergency measure. The protest influenced the Seoul Spring, Gwangju Uprising and the June Democracy Movement.^[6]