Awards for April 19 Revolution Meritorious Figures

On the occasion of the 66th anniversary of the April 19 Revolution, the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs will award the Order of Merit for National Foundation to 70 individuals who contributed to the development of democracy. This recognition will serve as an occasion to inherit and reflect upon the spirit of the April 19 Revolution.

This commendation comes three years after 31 individuals were honored in 2023 and marks the first awarding of April 19 Revolution meritorious figures since the launch of the Lee Jae-myung administration.

The 70 recipients were selected after an evaluation process involving a total of 798 candidates. Among the 70 honorees, 32 are high school students, 25 are university students, and 13 are members of the general public, with 11 women included.

By protest type, 36 of the 70 recipients are associated with the April 19 Revolution, 24 with the Masan March 15 Uprising, and 8 with the Daegu February 28 Democratic Movement. One person each was recognized for the Daejeon March 8 Democratic Uprising and the Gwangju March 15 Uprising. Honorees include Mr. Kim Young-gap, who planned the February 28 Democratic Movement and protected the protesters; Ms. Kim Song-ja, who was active in the March 15 Uprising and the second Masan protests; and Mr. Kim Han-ju, who led his peers and juniors in participating in the April 19 Revolution.