Jung-gu District in Seoul (Mayor Kim Gil-seong) walked the path of the independence movement together with residents to commemorate the 105th anniversary of the March 1st Movement.
On March 1st at 9:30 a.m., Jung-gu held a March 1st Movement commemorative event at the 3.1 Independence Movement Monument in Jangchung-dong. National veterans, residents, and students took turns reading the Declaration of Independence with Mayor Kim Gil-seong of Jung-gu, and together with about 200 residents present, they held Taegeukgi flags and shouted three cheers of "Manse." Afterwards, the participants marched from the Statue of Yu Gwan-sun → Statue of Lee Jun → Paris Declaration Monument of Korean Confucian Independence Movement, listening to stories of the independence movement told by a cultural commentator.
A special exhibition titled "Walking through Jung-gu Following the Footsteps of the Independence Movement" is being held in the lobby on the first floor of Jung-gu Office until the end of March. Many historical heritages related to the independence movement still remain throughout Jung-gu. Through the exhibition, the district introduces independence movement memorial sites and independence activists within the area.
On February 29th, a "March 1st Declaration Calligraphy Event" was held at Jung-gu Office for employees and residents. Reflecting on the freedom and peace that ancestors longed for during the Japanese colonial period, participants took time to appreciate the preciousness of this day given to us today.
A large Taegeukgi flag flutters on the outer wall of the Jung-gu Office building. It serves as a reminder that the peace we enjoy today was made possible because of the ancestors who did not hesitate to sacrifice their lives for the country. The district will display Taegeukgi banners throughout March.
On February 26th, Professor Shin Byung-joo of Konkuk University, who is active as a panelist on KBS History Journal "That Day," was invited to give a lecture titled "The Development Process and Historical Significance of the March 1st Movement." The auditorium at the district office was packed with about 300 employees. The enthusiasm of the employees to properly understand history matched the fervor of the independence movement 105 years ago.
From February 26th to 29th, the Jung-gu Education Support Center operated a "March 1st Movement Pop-up Book Making" program for 970 elementary school students. Taegeukgi sandwich making and Taegeukgi making experience events will continue until the end of March, providing time to reflect on the meaning of the spirit of independence with children.
In his March 1st Movement commemorative speech, Mayor Kim Gil-seong of Jung-gu emphasized, "We exist today because of the March 1st Manse Movement," and urged, "Let us remember the spirit of the patriotic martyrs who sacrificed and devoted themselves for the nation's independence."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
