‘Dokgotak’, a record and memory of the Bu-Ma democratic uprising, became a preliminary cultural heritage (comprehensive)

(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Kim Ye-na = Records of the Bu-Ma democratic uprising, nostalgic cartoons, and works by Goam Lee Ungno (1904-1989) were recognized as future cultural heritage.

The National Heritage Administration announced on the 11th that it had selected a total of six items, including the ‘Manifesto of Democratic Struggle of the Bu-Ma Democratic Uprising’ and ‘Kim Taek-yong Report Manuscript of the Bu-Ma Democratic Uprising’, as preliminary cultural heritage.

The Bu-Ma Democratic Uprising was a large-scale democratization movement launched by citizens and students in the Busan and Masan regions against the Yushin dictatorship in October 1979.

The Declaration of Democratic Struggle is of great historical value as it was written to promote the protests at Pusan ​​National University on October 15th.

“Are you saying that throughout the half-thousand-year history of the Korean people, there was an ahistorical ruling group that so mercilessly and brutally oppressed and exploited the people?” (from ‘Declaration of Democratic Struggle’)

The report manuscript, which was also selected as a preliminary cultural heritage, is a record of reporter Kim Taek-yong, who was a Busan Ilbo reporter stationed in Masan, covering and organizing the scene of the democratic uprising from October 18 to 21, 1979.

It is of great value as historical material as it contains records of the uprising in the Masan area.

Lee Eung-no, a master of modern and contemporary Korean art, has been creating intensively since the 1980s, including the 'Group Statue' series, work tools, and vests worn during work, etc., were also added to the list of preliminary cultural heritage.

The National Heritage Administration explained, "'Group Statue' is a work by the elderly Lee Eung-no, who witnessed the May 18 Democratization Movement in 1980, that embodies the people's aspirations and cries for democratization and freedom."

It is highly regarded as the author's representative work and a legacy that preserves the flow of history.

The handwritten manuscript of 'Pigeon Choir', a cartoon that reflects the times and emotions of the 1970s, and the script when it was produced as a television cartoon movie were also selected as preliminary cultural heritage.

The cartoon is a work that deals with the daily life of the main character ‘Dokgo-tak’ and his family. It was produced as an animation ‘Dokgo-tak’s Pigeon Choir’ in 1987 and gained great popularity.

It is one of the representative works of Korean comics history, and it is rare because the manuscript with the handwriting of the late cartoonist Lee Sang-moo (real name Park No-cheol) remains intact.

The ascender connection device, various equipment, and climbing maps written by the late Captain Kim Hong-bin, a mountaineer who overcame disabilities to climb all 14 Himalayas and the highest peaks on all 7 continents, have become reserve cultural heritage.

Memorabilia such as gold medals and table tennis sticks from the North and South Korean athletes who formed a unified team and won the women's team championship in 1991 for the first time in history were also named.

From the 23rd of this month to the 6th of next month, the National Heritage Administration will hold a photo exhibition titled 'Records of Our Lives, As a Legacy for the Future' featuring the newly selected preliminary cultural heritage at the National Palace Museum.

An official from the National Heritage Administration explained, "The heritage sites selected this year symbolically show important trends in modern history, such as industrialization, democratization, and the dismantlement of the Cold War system from the late 1970s to the 2000s."

Reserve cultural heritage is a system that selects and protects cultural heritage that represents modern and contemporary history and culture, even if it has not been 50 years since it was created or formed.

Last year, 10 items were selected for the first time, including the ‘Monk Beopjeong Papillon Chair’.

The National Heritage Administration recently announced that it plans to establish a new 'Preservation List System', a preliminary list to manage neglected non-designated heritage and protect the transmission system in the field of intangible cultural heritage.