The Nation's First National Cemetery Is Jangchungdan

Seoul Jung-gu Operates 'Path of Patriotism' Tour for Liberation Day
1.5-Hour Course from Jangchungdan Monument to National Theater
Includes March 1st Movement Memorial Tower and Reason for Its 1919cm Height
Walking Tour Program with Cultural Guide

Visitors are reflecting on the nonviolent March 1st Independence Movement in front of the March 1st Independence Movement Memorial Tower. Provided by Jung-gu.

Jung-gu District in Seoul (Mayor Kim Gil-seong) is conducting a walking tour of Jangchungdan Patriotic Path until the 16th in commemoration of the 79th anniversary of Liberation Day.

Although the cultural guide tour program is temporarily suspended during the summer months of July and August, this special operation is arranged from the 12th to the 16th of this month to celebrate Liberation Day. The tour runs from 6:30 PM for about 1 hour and 30 minutes.

The walking course with a cultural guide received great response and was fully booked as soon as recruitment opened. Visitors can freely explore while listening to audio commentary at each point through the 'Seoul Jung-gu Smart Tourism Electronic Map' app. Exiting from Exit 6 of Dongguk University Station on Subway Line 3 leads to the entrance of Jangchungdan Park, the walking tour location, where course signboards are installed.

The tour proceeds from Jangchungdan Monument - Korean Confucian Independence Movement Paris Declaration Monument - Statue of Martyr Lee Jun - Monument of Martyr Lee Han-eung - Statue of Martyr Yu Gwan-sun - March 1st Movement Memorial Tower - National Theater.

Upon entering the park, visitors first encounter the Jangchungdan Monument, which explains the history behind the establishment of Jangchungdan. The monument bears the inscription 'Jangchungdan' (奬忠壇) personally carved by Emperor Sunjong. Jangchungdan is Korea's first national cemetery, built by Emperor Gojong's order to honor those who sacrificed their lives during the Eulmi Incident. During the Japanese colonial period, Japan transformed Jangchungdan into a park and erected Bakmunsa Shrine to commemorate Ito Hirobumi, but after liberation, the Jangchungdan Monument was restored to its original place, bearing witness to the history of Jangchungdan.

Inside the park, visitors can sequentially see the Korean Confucian Independence Movement Paris Declaration Monument and statues of martyrs Lee Jun and Lee Han-eung. The 137 Confucian representatives who petitioned for Korea's independence at the 1919 Paris Peace Conference, martyr Lee Jun who sought to expose the injustice of the Eulsa Treaty at the Hague Peace Conference, and martyr Lee Han-eung who devoted himself as a diplomat for the country's independence?their spirit, who earnestly struggled to proclaim the will of our people to the world, still resonates deeply with us today.

The highlight of the tour is reached at the statue of martyr Yu Gwan-sun and the March 1st Independence Movement Memorial Tower. The gaze of Yu Gwan-sun's statue, a symbol of the independence movement, sharply points toward the site of Bakmunsa Shrine. The 3.1 Independence Movement Memorial Tower, standing 1919 cm tall, holds the passionate desire for independence from the year 1919 when the March 1st Movement occurred.

The tour concludes at the National Theater. During the Korean War, the National Theater was located in Daegu, then moved to Myeong-dong, and finally settled at its current location.

Mayor Kim Gil-seong said, "I hope the walking tour will serve as an opportunity to reflect once again on the historical significance of Jangchungdan Park and to feel pride in the country's independence and liberation," adding, "We will continue communication that informs our history through various programs utilizing Jung-gu's valuable historical assets."

Meanwhile, the Jangchungdan Patriotic Path tour will resume regular operation from next month.