| Busan–Masan Uprising | |
| Date: | October 16–20, 1979 |
| Place: | Busan, Masan, South Korea |
| Causes: | Discontent over Park Chung Hee’s Yushin regime. |
| Goals: | Democratization |
| Methods: | Demonstrations and civil disobedience |
| Result: | Protest suppressed |
| Side1: | South Korean Government |
| Side2: | Busan and Masan citizenry
|
| Howmany2: | 8,000 protesters |
| Casualties2: | 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. 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 or Busan–Masan Democratization Movement .[2]
President Park Chung Hee 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.
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 (Korean: 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.
The protests history is as follows:[5]
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]
Democracy Park was built in 1999, and a monument was erected to honor the participants of the protests.[7]