Seeds of Mobilization, The Authoritarian Roots of South Korea's Democracy

Author

Cho; Joan E.

Year

2024

Publisher

University of Michigan Press

Language

English

Pages

ISBN

978-0-47290-403-7

Link

Last Update

31-Mar-2026

Keywords

Political Science ; Asian Studies

Description

On June 10, 1987, after almost three decades of repressive authoritarian rule, protestors poured into the streets of cities all over South Korea, shouting “Abolish the evil Constitution!” and “Down with dictatorship!” In addition to widespread street rallies held by student protestors and opposition politicians in Seoul, the capital city and often the center of such protests, mass demonstrations were held in cities such as Taejŏn, Pup’yŏng, Sŏngnam, and Kunsan, where such events had not been observed before. Altogether, approximately 240,000 people from 22 cities participated in mass demonstrations against the dictatorship on that day, thus marking the beginning of...