Hapcheon-gun Holds 78th Anniversary Memorial Ceremony for Atomic Bomb Victims

Hapcheon County in Gyeongnam held the 78th Memorial Ceremony for Atomic Bomb Victims on the 6th at the Memorial Hall inside the Hapcheon Atomic Bomb Welfare Center.

Organized by the Hapcheon branch of the Korea Atomic Bomb Victims Association, the memorial ceremony was attended by about 300 people, including County Governor Kim Yoon-cheol, National Assembly member Kim Tae-ho, Lee Do-wan, Director of the Gyeongsangnam-do Welfare and Health Bureau, Jo Sam-sul, Chairman of the Hapcheon County Council, Jang Jin-young, member of the Gyeongsangnam-do Provincial Council, executives of the Atomic Bomb Victims Association, Jang Seok-do, Director of the Korea Atomic Bomb Victims Welfare Center, representatives from the Embassy of Japan in the Republic of Korea, and Japanese civic groups.

Group photo of the 78th anniversary atomic bomb victims memorial ceremony in Hapcheon-gun.

In the memorial ceremony, Governor Kim served as the chief officiant, Chairman Jo as the assistant officiant, and President Jeong Won-sul of the Atomic Bomb Association as the concluding officiant. The event began at 10 a.m. with a ritual ceremony, followed by memorial performances, flower offerings and eulogies, and greetings from representatives of the bereaved families.

The ceremony is held to honor the Korean spirits who perished due to the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima on August 6 and Nagasaki on August 9, 1945, to raise awareness that there were Korean atomic bomb victims, and to help heal the physical and mental suffering they have endured.

In his eulogy, Governor Kim expressed, “I offer my deepest condolences to the Korean atomic bomb victims who ended their lives amid pain and fear, and I also extend my heartfelt sympathy to the atomic bomb victims and their families who continue to suffer from the aftereffects.”