Gwangbokhoe Gwangju Branch Holds 'Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea Establishment Ceremony'

Go Wook, Branch Chief, "We Must Carry On the Independence Spirit of Our Forefathers"

On the morning of the 11th, an event was held at Sungil High School in Buk-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City to commemorate the proud history of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea, which continued the struggle for freedom and independence against Japanese colonial rule.

On the morning of the 11th, attendees at the 105th Anniversary Ceremony of the Establishment of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea held at Sungil High School in Buk-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City, are shouting "Manse" three times.
[Photo by Jin-Hyung Park]

The 105th Anniversary Ceremony of the Establishment of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea, hosted by the Gwangju Branch of the Liberation Association, was attended by about 400 people, including officials from related organizations such as the Gwangju Regional Veterans Affairs Office, as well as teachers and students of Sungil High School.

Mayor Kang Ki-jung of Gwangju, Chairman Jeong Mu-chang of the Gwangju City Council, Superintendent Lee Jeong-seon of Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education, Director Ha Seong-il of the Gwangju Regional Veterans Affairs Office, Moon In, Mayor of Buk-gu, Gwangju, and Kim Jin-hwan, Head of the Gwangju-Jeonnam Branch of the Ahn Jung-geun Memorial Association, also participated, adding significance to the event.

The event proceeded in the order of a report on the history of the establishment of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea, presentation of independence movement awards, commemorative speeches and congratulatory addresses, three cheers for victory, and a historical lecture.

The independence movement award was posthumously given to the late Park Hwa-sil, who led the Naju militia in Naju, Jeonnam in 1896 and contributed to autonomous independence. The bereaved family received the National Foundation Medal on behalf of the deceased, posed for commemorative photos holding bouquets.

After the commemorative and congratulatory speeches by various organization leaders, the attendees stood up simultaneously following the host’s guidance, raised both hands high, and shouted "Manse" (Hooray). They waved the Taegeukgi in one hand, reenacting the spirit of the March 1st Movement that inspired the independence struggle 105 years ago.

The following historical lecture was given by Ko Jae-cheong, Chairman of the Nokcheon Go Gwang-sun Memorial Association, who delivered a 40-minute lecture on the theme "The Meaning of the Establishment and Activities of the Provisional Government for Us Today."

Ko Wook, head of the Gwangju branch of the Liberation Association, is speaking at the 105th Anniversary Ceremony of the Establishment of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea held at Sungil High School in Buk-gu, Gwangju on the morning of the 11th.
[Photo by Jin-Hyung Park]

Ko Uk, head of the Gwangju Branch of the Liberation Association, emphasized, "Through today’s ceremony, we must all inherit the noble spirit of independence and the spirit of left-right integration of the Provisional Government patriots."

He added, "We must strive to establish lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula, a long-cherished wish of our nation, and to enjoy prosperity together with people around the world and in Northeast Asia in a new era of Korean Peninsula unification."