Around 300 people, including Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, lawmakers from both the ruling and opposition parties, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and prominent former democracy activists, gathered at Seoul City Hall to commemorate the historic demonstrations that paved the way for the nation's democratic transition.
The June Uprising saw nationwide rallies against the authoritarian rule of then-President Chun Doo-hwan, eventually forcing the regime to revise the Constitution to restore a direct presidential election system. The protests ushered in a new era of democratization and liberalization in South Korean society.
This year's ceremony carried the theme "Only One Word, Democracy," echoing a line from the 1977 poem "It's Alright Not to be Flowers Now" by renowned poet Yang Sung-woo, who served as a spokesman for the national movement to achieve a democratic constitution. The theme revisits the rallying cry for democracy during the 1987 uprising while conveying a message of unity and coexistence.
![Attendees sing the national anthem during the 6·10 ceremony at the Seoul Metropolitan Government building in Jung-gu Seoul South Korea on June 10 2024 AJU PRESS Kim Dong-woo](https://image.ajunews.com/content/image/2024/06/10/20240610154759122152.jpg)
![South Korean Prime Minister Han Deok-soo 2nd L and participants observe a moment of silence for the victims of the democracy movement during the 6·10 ceremony at the Seoul Metropolitan Government building in Jung-gu Seoul South Korea June 10 2024 AJU PRESS Kim Dong-woo](https://image.ajunews.com/content/image/2024/06/10/20240610155224963173.jpg)
![Cho Gook L leader of the Rebuilding Korea Party and Heo Eun-ah R leader of the Reform Party of Korea observe a moment of silence for the victims of the democracy movement during the 6·10 commemoration ceremony at Seoul City Hall in Jung-gu Seoul South Korea June 10 2024 AJU PRESS Kim Dong-woo](https://image.ajunews.com/content/image/2024/06/10/20240610155506415503.jpg)
![South Korean Prime Minister Han Deok-soo delivers remarks during the 6·10 commemoration ceremony at Seoul City Hall in Jung-gu Seoul South Korea June 10 2024 AJU PRESS Kim Dong-woo](https://image.ajunews.com/content/image/2024/06/10/20240610160025763885.jpg)
![South Korean Prime Minister Han Deok-soo delivers remarks during the 6·10 commemoration ceremony at Seoul City Hall in Jung-gu Seoul South Korea June 10 2024 AJU PRESS Kim Dong-woo](https://image.ajunews.com/content/image/2024/06/10/20240610160254970795.jpg)
![Participants sing the song “Evergreen Tree” during the 6·10 commemoration ceremony at the Seoul Metropolitan Government building in Jung-gu Seoul South Korea June 10 2024 AJU PRESS Kim Dong-woo](https://image.ajunews.com/content/image/2024/06/10/20240610160443488683.jpg)
![Participants sing the song “Evergreen Tree” during the 6·10 commemoration ceremony at the Seoul Metropolitan Government building in Jung-gu Seoul South Korea June 10 2024 AJU PRESS Kim Dong-woo](https://image.ajunews.com/content/image/2024/06/10/20240610160633860909.jpg)
![Kim Deok-soo samulnori teams and students from Chung-Ang Universitys School of Performing Arts perform the closing performance “Democracy Daedongje” during the 6·10 commemoration ceremony at the Seoul Metropolitan Government Building in Jung-gu Seoul South Korea June 10 2024 AJU PRESS Kim Dong-woo](https://image.ajunews.com/content/image/2024/06/10/20240610160730870913.jpg)
![Students take pictures at a photo booth during a side event of the 6·10 commemoration ceremony at Seoul City Hall in Jung-gu Seoul South Korea on June 10 2024 AJU PRESS Kim Dong-woo](https://image.ajunews.com/content/image/2024/06/10/20240610161202247102.jpg)
![Peoples watch a photo exhibition held on the sidelines of the 6·10 commemoration ceremony at Seoul City Hall in central Seoul on June 10 2024 AJU PRESS Kim Dong-woo](https://image.ajunews.com/content/image/2024/06/10/20240610161423585645.jpg)
![Peoples watch a photo exhibition held on the sidelines of the 6·10 commemoration ceremony at Seoul City Hall in central Seoul on June 10 2024 AJU PRESS Kim Dong-woo](https://image.ajunews.com/content/image/2024/06/10/20240610161610453246.jpg)