President Moon Jae-in paid his respects Tuesday to those killed in a 1960 pro-democracy civil uprising that led to the ousting of South Korea's first President Syngman Rhee.

Moon offered flowers and burned incense before holding a moment of silence at a national cemetery in northern Seoul that holds the remains of 186 people killed in the "April 19 Revolution."

In a message posted on social media, Moon said the civil uprising proved that all state authority shall emanate from people.

"As democracy continues to expand beyond politics into economy and life, it will protect us from oppression, discrimination and unjust power," Moon said.

The civil revolt was touched off by public anger over vote rigging in the presidential election by the Rhee government in power at the time.

A series of nationwide student protests culminated on April 19 with hundreds of demonstrators killed or wounded in clashes with armed police.

The uprising ultimately forced Rhee to step down after 12 years in office. Rhee was the first president of South Korea, which was founded in 1948 after its liberation from Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule. Rhee later went into exile in Hawaii and died there in 1965. (Yonhap)