“Hurray for the independence of Korea! Hurray! Hurray! Hurray!”
March 1st Movement Day in Korea
Every year on 1st of March, the Flag of South Korea (Hangul: 태극기) is placed everywhere in Korea. The March 1st Movement Day, also known as Sam Il Jeol (Hangul: 삼일절), can be seen as a symbol of the Korean Independence Movement. Korea was a colony of Japan from 1910 into 1945. The pain and sorrow of being a colony are beyond description.
At 2 p.m. on 1st of March, 1919, 33 ethnic representatives read out loud the Korean Declaration of Independence. The declaration, which begins with the following words, is truly touching. “We herewith proclaim the independence of Korea and the liberty of the Korean people.” What kind of feelings did people have at that time?
“The March 1st Independence Movement was the declaration and the act by which the Korean people spoke out about the value of independence, peace, democracy and human rights.”
President Moon Jae-in
Massive crowds assembled in Pagoda Park to hear the declaration that a student, Jae-yong Chung, read publicly. He shouted “No power in this world can obstruct or suppress it!” Approximately 2,000,000 Koreans had participated in the more than 1,500 demonstrations. Were there no suppressors? No. 7,509 people killed, 15,849 wounded, and 46,303 arrested by the Japanese police force and army. As punishment, some of the arrested demonstrators were executed in public.
It is my posting : ‘Sam-Il-Jeol’ Independence Movement Day & 33 Korean Religious Leaders
100th Anniversary of the March 1st Movement
On Friday, all people of the Koreas commemorate the 100th anniversary of the March 1st Movement. President Moon Jae-in visited the graves of several key figures in the fight for Korean independence, and the government decided this week to honor freedom fighter Yu Gwan-sun with the country’s highest medal of honor, the Republic of Korea Medal.
Yu was only 16 when she attended the main March 1 gathering in Seoul, and she was arrested and died in prison at the age of 17. If you want to know more info here
The theme of the anniversary ceremony is “Let’s Open Another 100 Years Together,” a clear reference to South Korean Moon’s work to engage with the North. What does it mean? President Moon said “We are no longer in the periphery of history. I hope we will open a new era with pride and confidence that the strength to decide and open the next 100 years rests in us.”
Trump and Kim Jong Un & Moon Jae-in
How did the Trump-Kim summit go in Hanoi, Vietnam? On February 28, Trump and Kim left Hanoi abruptly without signing any sort of agreement. People are in shock. What happened? Many expected that one of the most likely things to come out of Hanoi would be an agreement to end the Korean War, which has been on pause for more than 60 years. It led many experts and lawmakers to heave sighs of relief, even as the summit’s abrupt finale raises questions about What’s Next?
But Moon Jae-in didn’t stop to hope. Because he love peace. He want to end the Korean War. Countless people do not want war, they want PEACE. If he truly love the people, he will strive for peace. He said “On April 27, both Chairman Kim Jong Un and I discussed joint projects to mark the 100th anniversary of the March First Independence Movement and to mark the founding of the provisional government, and our initiative was contained in the Panmunjeom Declaration.”
“If the South and North can share together the history of Korean independence, both will become much closer in their hearts,” he added.
Reference: http://korea.net/NewsFocus/policies/view?articleId=161004
https://thediplomat.com/2019/03/korea-commemorates-100th-anniversary-of-march-1st-independence-protests/
What will happen in the future? I want to remember lives and spirits of each of those who sacrificed and devoted their lives to the independence of our country.
The next posting will cover the stories of people who work for them and work for peace.
