Park,+Young+WooBlockD

1982 Student Demonstrations ** Event: ** My dad, Chan Ho Park, was arrested for participating in the student demonstrations in the fall of 1982. He had two main reasons for demonstrating. One was that Korea was ruled by a dictator, Chun Doo Hwan; my dad believed in democracy. Another reason was that Japan altered historical events to their advantage. For example, they denied that Korean culture influenced Japanese culture. Then they used the modified version of history in Japanese school textbooks. Dad, like many other Koreans, thought this outrageous.

In 1982, my dad was in the second year of college. He was suspended from school after he was caught demonstrating. Because he was arrested, he had to serve in the military for two years as shown in Source A below.

Dad was put at a disadvantage in his career because he demonstrated. But, like he said in the interview (Source C), he feels proud and does not regret it. It is because he was part of the movement that established democracy in Korea.

Like my dad, thousands of students demonstrated and sacrificed themselves for Korea as is noted in Source B. Student demonstrations was essential in Korea history because it brought down dictatorship and helped Korea defend itself against Japan.

__A. Artifact__
 * Sources: **

__B. Written Source (Link)__ Translation //// //While seizing power after Park Jung Hee’s downfall in the Busan-Masan Situation in October 10, 1979, Chun Doo Hwan aroused the 5.18 pro-democracy movement. There had been no student demonstrations in the few years following Chun Doo Hwan’s rise to power, but after the general election if February 1985, the student demonstrations revived.//

//With these student demonstrations, the labor movement that had been subdued by the New Army came back, and the laborers supported the student demonstrations. This shows that the student demonstrations have changed from the previous campaigns.//

//As the disputes over the constitutional amendments and the suppressed human rights were revealed in the late 1986, the student demonstrations became more stimulated until the government was forced to accept the people’s demands with the 6.29 Declaration.//

//Afterwards, actions were taken to form a democratic government, including the creation of the direct election system. In 1888, a new government was established.//

//Student demonstration was the biggest factor that made modern Korean history in the 1980s dynamic. The student demonstrations in the 1980s had a distinct characteristic although it was against the culture under the Japanese Occupation and the massacre caused by the military authorities.// //Most of all, the student demonstrations during this period showed a significant amount of ideals and an aim for revolution. The slogan “Into the People” was a characteristic of the student demonstrations supporting laborers, farmers, and peasants.//

__C. Interview__ Me. Why did you join the student demonstrations? Dad. To give Korean people democracy and to express national pride against Japan.

Me. How often did you demonstrate? Dad. Twice a week.

Me. How did you get arrested? Dad. Policemen searched my bags and found demonstration papers.

Me. What are demonstration papers? Dad. They are advertisements or notices about today’s demonstration issues.

Me. How do you demonstrate? Dad. Usually students get together and shout out short phrases and sometimes sing together.

Me. Example of the slogans you used? Dad. 전두환은 물러가라! It means “Go home Chun Doo Hwan!”. He was the president and dictator at the time.

Me. How did the demonstrations affect your life? Dad. It affected my school life. It made me leave the school for a semester, about six months. Pure science was my dream, but I considered changing my goal from idealistic pure science to realistic business like management. I also had to serve in the military though I didn’t have to.

Me. Do you regret having joined the demonstrations? Dad. No!

Me. Why? Dad. Because it was kind of...my fate. Because I had to defend my beliefs, my convictions.

The picture on the top (A) shows my dad serving in the military. Below (B) is a screenshot of an entry from Naver’s online encyclopedia about student demonstrations in Korea. Source C is an interview with my dad about his experience in the student demonstration.
 * Description of Source **

Source A is a primary source, because it is a photo that depicts a personal experience firsthand. Source C is also a primary source because the interviewee is the person who experienced the things he is telling the interviewer about. Source B is a secondary source, because it is an explanation and analysis of the history of student demonstrations.
 * Source Type **

In Korea, there is a law that allows certain companies to choose students studying engineering in pure sciences. The selected students are excused from the mandatory military service to work for the company, because they show a high potential of making an important contribution to the country. My dad was such a student; Samsung selected him for majoring in physics and electrical engineering. Because he participated in the student demonstrations, though, he had to serve in the military. The photo of Source A proves that Dad did serve in the military as a direct result of him joining the student demonstration.
 * Significance of Source **

Students in Korea have demonstrated for a long time for various reasons. Source B examines why, how, and when students demonstrated, and the results that the demonstrations brought. This source shows that Dad was part of a movement that helped transform Korea.

The interview of Source C shows the reason Dad joined the student demonstrations, how he felt about it, and how it affected his life. These can be found from other sources too, but the interview shows these from Dad’s perspective. Since the project is based on Dad’s experience, the interview is the most accurate source, because no other source can tell the exact reason why Dad joined the demonstration and how he felt about it.