April 19th National Cemetery

In Suyu-dong in Seoul's Gangbuk district, with the peaks of Bukhansan rising behind it, lie the victims of the April Revolution of 1960. This national cemetery honours the students and citizens who took to the streets against the rigged election of 15 March that year, and a walk through its graves, memorial tower and museum is the clearest introduction to where Korean democracy began. It is easy to reach by subway, and entry is free.

How the cemetery came about

The presidential election of 15 March 1960 was marred by large-scale fraud. Protests in Masan and the death of the student Kim Ju-yeol spread anger across the country, and on 19 April tens of thousands of students and citizens marched in Seoul. President Syngman Rhee stepped down soon afterwards and the Liberal Party government collapsed.

The cabinet approved a memorial cemetery in February 1961. Work began in December 1962, and the cemetery and its memorial tower were completed on 20 September 1963. A major redevelopment between 1993 and 1995 gave it its present form, and in 2006 it was renamed the April 19th National Democracy Cemetery. The grounds cover 96,837 m², divided into a sacred area with the graves, shrine and museum, a public area with a plaza and pond, and woodland and lawns.

What to see

• April Student Revolution Memorial Tower: seven granite pillars, 21 m tall, at the centre of the cemetery. The inscription honours "the 186 young souls" who shed their blood for democracy. Behind the tower, ten 7 m stone banners stand on each side of the graves.
• The graves: six sections hold those killed during the revolution, those wounded who later died, and people decorated for their part in it — 596 graves so far.
• April 19 Revolution Memorial Hall: the ground floor uses film to tell the story of the uprising; the first floor covers its legacy, with artefacts and an education space. The observation deck on the top floor looks over the whole cemetery to Bukhansan.
• Yuyeong Shrine: a traditional timber hall holding portraits of the victims, reached by stone steps lined with pines and junipers. It is the quietest corner of the grounds.
• Monuments: a granite wall engraved with 12 poems about the revolution, sculpted groups of protesters and symbolic works such as the "Flame of Justice" stand around the plaza.

Good to know

The tower inscription was written by the poet Lee Eun-sang and brushed by the calligrapher Kim Chung-hyeon. Every April the area hosts the April 19 Revolution National Culture Festival, and the days around the 19 April ceremony are the busiest of the year. Bukhansan hiking trails start right behind the cemetery, so many visitors combine a visit with a walk up the Suyu-ri valleys.

Tripto tips

• Opening hours: the gates are open 06:00–18:00 from March to October and 07:00–17:00 from November to February. The memorial hall and shrine open 09:30–17:30 (March–October) and 09:30–16:30 (November–February) and are closed on Mondays (the following day if Monday is a public holiday). Entry is free.
• Time needed: allow 60–90 minutes for the tower, the graves and the museum's observation deck.
• Best time: April brings azaleas, cherry blossom and the anniversary events; in November the autumn colours frame the Bukhansan ridges.
• Getting there: take the Ui–Sinseol Line to 4.19 Minju Myoji Station, Exit 2, then walk about 8 minutes. Trunk buses 104, 109, 120, 144, 151 and 163 also stop nearby.
• Parking: about 100 spaces, with a two-hour limit. Traffic gets heavy around Seollal, Hansik, Memorial Day (6 June) and Chuseok.
• Etiquette: pets (except guide dogs), picnic mats, walking on the lawns, bicycles and scooters are not allowed. Keep your voice down among the graves.