Independence Day was commemorated nationwide on Sunday, drawing citizens across the country to mark the 107th anniversary of Korea’s independence, achieved after the Japanese colonial period from 1910 to 1945.
In Seoul, citizens gathered for the 107th anniversary March 1 Independence Movement ceremony, "1919 Seodaemun, the Cry of That Day" (translated), held at Seodaemun Prison History Museum in Seodaemun-gu. Following the event, participants marched to Independence Gate, located near Dongnimmun Station.
Seodaemun Prison was originally built under Japanese rule to detain independence activists. It first opened on Oct. 21, 1908, as Gyeongseong Prison, and as the number of imprisoned activists surged, the facility was expanded and renamed Seodaemun Prison on Sept. 3, 1912. Eighty years later, the site was transformed into a museum honoring Korean patriots who sacrificed their lives in the struggle for freedom.
In Daejeon, a separate ceremony marking the 107th anniversary of the March 1 Independence Movement took place at the main auditorium of Daejeon City Hall. The program featured a reading of the Declaration of Independence, commemorative speeches, a memorial performance, a group rendition of the March 1 song, and three resounding cheers of "Manse," a Korean cheer meaning “hurrah.”
Meanwhile, the Independence Hall of Korea in Cheonan, dedicated to preserving the history of the nation’s suffering and its fight for independence, hosted a large-scale reenactment. Around noon, a Manse movement performance unfolded at Gyeoreui Great Plaza, with 1,919 citizens participating as honorary independence activists.
yoonseo.3348@heraldcorp.com
