Another October is coming [National Prism]

In the lead-up to October, a story is always prepared for the nationwide commemoration of October 1st. This is the story of the October Uprising in Gyeongju, also known as the Anti-Japanese Uprising. On October 1st, a day marked by the "Military Day," Gyeongju holds a ceremony to honor the 10,000 civilians who perished during and after the Korean War.

The ceremony, known as the "Jed," pays tribute to those who disappeared without a trace or a grave. Many are unfamiliar with the October Uprising, as it remains a mystery among the scattered data. The Truth and Reconciliation Committee (Truth and Reconciliation) looks to data from the Truth and Reconciliation Committee first, but even that is limited.

The data from grassroots organizations and scholars' papers are also consulted. Despite the challenges of different names and varying casualty figures, the local government now officially refers to the event as "October Uprising." This change came about in 2016 when Gyeongju designated October 1st as "October Uprising and the Post-Korean War Civilian Casualties Support Act."

The incident, which had lasted for 70 years, became officially recognized only last year. October Uprising is now officially recognized as a nationwide "October Uprising" for the first time. The city of Gyeongju unveiled a plaque at the central intersection of Taeheung Road (formerly a church) marking the site of the uprising, stating, "In October 1946, the anti-Japanese uprising in the post-liberation era took place, opposing the maintenance of the Japanese colonial political, economic, and social structure under U.S. military rule."

Crying C. Yeo, the former chair of the October Uprising Uyik Club, expressed her joy at the new monument. In 2009, the Truth and Reconciliation Committee initially used the term "government-backed casualties" to describe the event. However, the grassroots organizations and families eventually gave up their silence and shame. To tell this story, one must go back to 80 years ago.

In 1946, Gyeongju was a hot and hungry place, filled with anger, struggle, and death. The joy of liberation was short-lived, as poverty and starvation quickly followed. Diseases like cholera and dysentery ravaged the city. The forced grain collection by the U.S. military regime went beyond the limits, and protests and strikes erupted across the city.

On October 1st, a labor strike meeting at Gyeongju Station station square turned violent when soldiers shot and killed two workers. News of the incident spread, and students were among the first to join the protest. Soon, the angry citizens joined the streets, swelling the crowd to over 20,000 people. The government declared martial law on October 2nd, banning traffic and arresting anyone passing by.

This was the first martial law in Gyeongju. The city was under siege, and the protests spread to other regions, including North and South Pyongan, Gyeonggi, and Gangwon, lasting through the winter. October Uprising is considered the first mass protest after liberation, and it marked the beginning of the brutal crackdown on civilian protesters.

The government justified its violence against protesters as part of the "Anti-Communist Campaign," and it became a precedent for future atrocities like the Gwangju Democratic Uprising and the Myongchun incident. The "Red Terror" became a justification for state violence, starting from Gyeongju. Just a month later, the October Uprising 80th commemoration ceremony will be held.

After eight decades of being branded as "communist traitors," the surviving families have mostly reached their 80s. This year, Gyeongju's local government is preparing a nationwide campaign to share the city's memory of October Uprising, officially recording the event, honoring the memory of the victims and their descendants, and restoring their dignity.