Memory of the World- Republic of Korea

Archives of the April 19 Revolution

The Archives of the April 19 Revolution refers to an extensive collection of documentary materials about the student-initiated, pro-democracy movement that erupted in the spring of 1960 in the Republic of Korea. The materials cover the backgrounds anddevelopmentsoftherevolutionleadingto the downfall of authoritarian President Syngman Rhee (In office 1948-1960) – from a student rally in the provincial city of Daegu on February 28 to large-scale demonstrations in Seoul on April 19 to oppose therigging of theMarch15presidentialelection– as well as post-revolution, fact-finding efforts, punishments of those who were accountable and reparations for victims.
The April 19 Revolution heralded a true democracy in the ruins brought about by Japanese colonial rule (1910-1945) and the Korean War (1950-1953). The Rhee administration ordered police to shoot at unarmed students and citizens, causing 186 deaths and6,026wounded.Themassiveuprising,initiated by high school students and joined by other students and adults, from 10-year-olds to those in their seventies, preceded postwar student activism, including the revolution of 1968 in Europe, the antiwarprotestsin the UnitedStates,andthe studentmovement in Japan. The nominated heritage, therefore, is highly valuable for understanding world history.