Jinju City Launches '100th Anniversary Commemoration Preparation Committee for the Equity Movement'

Inspection of Preparations for Major Events Including the April 25th Commemoration Ceremony

The centennial project commemorating the so-called Baekjeong (白丁) who initiated the ‘Hyeongpyeong Movement’ for social emancipation in Jinju, Gyeongnam in 1923 is set to be fully launched.

Jinju City announced on the 11th that it held a meeting of the ‘Hyeongpyeong Movement 100th Anniversary Commemoration Project Preparation Committee’ for events held during Hyeongpyeong Week from April 24 to 30 and for recommending recipients of the Jinju Hyeongpyeong Award.

Following the meeting held last September, this preparation committee meeting discussed more detailed and concrete plans for the events during Hyeongpyeong Week.

On April 25, the 100th Anniversary Ceremony of the Hyeongpyeong Movement will include the presentation of the Hyeongpyeong Award along with a special concert. The special concert will feature Jinju’s representative choir delivering moving performances with songs about equality and Jinju, as well as performances by singers from Jinju and well-known artists.

Members of the Preparatory Committee for the 100th Anniversary of the Jinju City Equality Movement.

From March 6 to April 28, cultural events related to the Hyeongpyeong Movement and the Youth Movement will include a writing and imaginative drawing contest for Jinju’s elementary and middle school students. The contest themes are the Jinju Hyeongpyeong Movement, Jinju Youth Movement, and Jinju March 1st Independence Movement, with the winning works to be exhibited at Jinju City Hall from April 24.

The play ‘Sumumada Huin Gomurae,’ which expresses the Hyeongpyeong Movement as a Madanggeuk (traditional Korean outdoor play), will be performed for two days on April 22 and 23 at the Jinju Fortress outdoor theater, and a youth Hyeongpyeong music concert will be held on April 29 at the Gyeongnam Culture and Arts Center.

From April 24 to 30, the townships and neighborhoods will conduct campaigns to widely promote the fact that Jinju is the birthplace of Hyeongpyeong history, along with educational programs to foster correct understanding of Hyeongpyeong history.

On April 27, a health walking event for people with and without disabilities will be held on the outdoor stage of Jinju Sports Complex, organized by the Jinju Disabled Sports Association. An international academic conference related to Hyeongpyeong will take place on April 29 at the main auditorium of Gyeongsang National University Museum, featuring exchanges of domestic and international academic information and presentations of research papers.

A commemorative poetry collection for the 100th anniversary of Hyeongpyeong, containing poems by 100 writers, will also be published. During Hyeongpyeong Week, a ‘Our Local History Tour ? Hyeongpyeong Tour’ will be held in a tour format for 30 multicultural marriage immigrant women, visiting Hyeongpyeong Movement memorial sites and major cultural tourism spots.

At the main building of Gyeongsang National University Museum, Jinju Theater, the venue of the founding general meeting celebration of the Hyeongpyeong Society, and modern and contemporary cinemas will be highlighted to deepen understanding of Jinju’s modern history and to raise local residents’ interest. Additionally, five municipal libraries will provide and exhibit children’s human rights-related books and screen films.

The Jinju Office of Education will publish local history teaching materials commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Hyeongpyeong Movement, conduct teacher training for elementary school teachers, and designate one week between March 6 and April 28 as Hyeongpyeong Movement Education Week to promote understanding of the movement and the commemorative projects to students, parents, and school staff.

Mayor Jo Gyu-il, who attended the meeting, said, “Just as the outcry 100 years ago brought about many changes, Jinju is now in the midst of waves of change, and the Asian Weightlifting Championships to be held in May will be a major wave of change for Jinju. We will diligently prepare events that remember Hyeongpyeong so that Jinju’s history can shine across generations.”