Yonsei University marks 39th anniversary of martyr Lee Han-yeol amid calls to defend democracy

By Kim Do-yoon, The Herald Business

Around 100 people gathered on the Sinchon campus of Yonsei University on Tuesday to mark the 39th anniversary of the death of democracy martyr Lee Han-yeol, as June 10 Democracy Movement commemorations were held across the country.

Just dozens of meters from Lee Han-yeol Hill, where the memorial ceremony took place, the Yonsei University Student Council organized a separate rally in front of the student union building to condemn the National Election Commission over a ballot shortage that marred the ninth local elections.

Polling booths and ballot boxes were set up on campus around 1 p.m. Bearing the slogan "Elections are the flower of democracy," the boxes received ballots on which students wrote messages criticizing the election commission. By around 1:40 p.m., a line of more than 20 students had formed to take part.

A fourth-year Yonsei University student who gave only her family name, Noh, said she planned to join a declaration of conscience on Wednesday. "Regardless of whether the election results were favorable or not, I felt I had to speak out because the fairness of the election itself was not properly upheld," she said.

Graduate student Hwang Jeong-gyu, 23, said the election commission had "failed to fulfill its basic duty as an independent constitutional body." He added: "Many people shed blood for democracy, and martyr Lee Han-yeol made the ultimate sacrifice — it is deeply heartbreaking that something like this happened in 21st-century South Korea."

The Yonsei University Student Council Emergency Committee said it had "taken action to defend the values of democracy that have been undermined, in a June that was won through the blood and sweat of martyr Lee Han-yeol and countless sunbae who came before us." The committee called for a thorough investigation into the election management failures and effective measures to prevent a recurrence.

At the same time, a memorial ceremony was held at Lee Han-yeol Hill, attended by Yonsei University students and alumni, figures from the democratization movement and bereaved family members.

In his memorial address, Yonsei University President Yoon Dong-sup pledged to "do his utmost to ensure that the spirit of martyr Lee Han-yeol does not remain confined to this campus but continues to live on in the lives of students and in the future of our society." He also pledged to carry forward Lee's call "to advance toward a more just world, a warmer community and a more responsible democracy."

Gangwon Province Governor Woo Sang-ho said, "What we are commemorating is not simply the death of martyr Lee Han-yeol, but the strength that overcame fear and restored democracy because of his sacrifice." He described Lee as "an ordinary young man who wanted democracy to be restored," adding that his sacrifice "became a turning point that changed our society."

Meanwhile, student councils from 12 universities nationwide, including Yonsei University, plan to hold simultaneous declarations of conscience at 6 p.m. Wednesday to condemn the ballot shortage at the June 3 local elections and demand corrective measures.

The participating student councils are from Yonsei University, Konkuk University, Korea University, Kyung Hee University, Sogang University, Seoul National University, University of Seoul, Sungkyunkwan University, Soongsil University, Chonnam National University, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies and Hongik University.