June 3 Protests

Also called: June 3 Movement

As student and citizen protests against the Park government’s talks with Japan grew, the government declared martial law in Seoul on 3 June 1964.

News that the 1962 Kim–Ohira memo had fixed the size of Japan’s claims payments fuelled criticism that Korea was normalizing relations without an apology or proper reparations for colonial rule. Protests that began in March peaked on 3 June, when martial law was declared; the Korea–Japan Basic Treaty was signed the following June.