Haman Gunbuk 3.20 Independence Movement Commemoration Event Held

Reenactment of 'Daehan Doknip Manse' Shouted for Independence 104 Years Ago

A commemorative event honoring the ‘Gunbuk 3.20 Independence Movement’ was held on the morning of the 20th in front of the Gunbuk 3.1 Independence Movement Monument in Haman-gun, Gyeongnam.

The ‘Gunbuk 3.20 Independence Movement’ is recorded as the uprising with the highest number of casualties in the Samnam region of Yeongnam, Honam, and Chungcheong.

The 104th Anniversary Commemoration Ceremony of the Gunbuk 3.20 Independence Movement in Haman Held
[Photo by Haman-gun]

The event, hosted by the Gunbuk 3.1 Independence Movement Memorial Association, was attended by about 700 people, including the Haman County Governor, provincial and county council members, the head of the Gyeongnam Eastern Veterans Affairs Office, heads of local institutions and organizations, representatives of bereaved families, local residents, and soldiers from the 39th Division.

The event proceeded in order from a memorial ceremony to a reenactment of the independence movement, a street parade, a shamanic ritual dance, a commemorative ceremony, and post-event performances such as a pungmul (traditional Korean percussion music) festival and qigong exercise performance.

In particular, the reenactment parade of the independence movement, which stretched from Gunbuk Middle School to the public sports ground, recalled the independence movement of March 1919, when people fiercely resisted and shouted for Korean independence despite the Japanese military’s violent suppression.

Governor Jo Geun-je said, “It was a meaningful time to reenact the proud history of our region and honor the patriotic spirit of our ancestors,” adding, “The county will also devote efforts to promoting patriotic martyrs and reexamining Haman’s history so that the sacrifices of those who worked hard for the country’s independence will not be in vain.”