Seoul City Selects 114 Citizens and Expert Committee Members
Cho Jeong-guk, President of Korea Festival Directors Association, Appointed General Director
Connecting Generations Through Communication and Empathy
In anticipation of the 80th anniversary of Liberation Day next year, 114 citizen and expert committee members have been confirmed to lead the commemorative projects. Jo Jeong-guk, president of the Korea Festival Directors Association, has been appointed as the general director of the Liberation Day 80th Anniversary Commemorative Project. Seoul City plans to prepare meaningful events that instill the identity of Liberation Day in its citizens.
On the morning of the 14th, Seoul City announced at Seoul City Hall that it held the 'Liberation Day 80th Anniversary Commemorative Project Citizen Committee Appointment Ceremony' and will begin full preparations for next year's event.
The appointment ceremony included the presentation of appointment certificates to representatives of citizen committee members and expert committee members, and was designed as an opportunity to explore the roles of the committee members necessary to promote projects that widely convey the meaning and value of Liberation Day. The citizen committee consists of 69 university students from 42 universities and 31 promotional supporters from various age groups ranging from their teens to their 60s. The expert committee includes ▲ descendants of independence activists such as Yoon Tae-gon, descendant of Yoon Eok-byeong, and Jo In-rae, descendant of Jo So-ang ▲ heads of veterans’ organizations such as Kim Dae-ha, head of the Seoul branch of the Liberation Association, and Kim Dong-jin, president of the Hulbert Doctor Memorial Association ▲ academia and research experts such as Lee Myung-hwa, director of the Independence Hall Research Institute, Lee Tae-ryong, director of the National Incheon University Independence Movement History Research Institute, and Jeong Jae-jeong, honorary professor of Korean history at the University of Seoul ▲ culture and arts experts such as Son Hye-ri, vice-chair of the Seoul Festival Committee, Shim Ji-eon, editor-in-chief of Monthly Art, Lee Yong-hoon, CEO of cultural planning company Perata, and Lee Jun-oh, art director at Innocean Worldwide ▲ and youth representatives Kim Young-min, Lee Jae-neung, and Choi Ji-won, operating committee members of the Seoul Youth Participation Organization.
As a pre-event, at the 8th-floor lobby of Seoul City Hall, there was a photo event where visitors could take pictures with AI-recreated seven patriotic figures (Martyr Lee Jun, Independence Activist Ahn Jung-geun, Martyr Yu Gwan-sun, General Kim Jwa-jin, Teacher Ahn Chang-ho, Chairman Kim Gu, and Independence Activist Yoon Bong-gil), with instant printing on-site. Additionally, an exhibition of quotes from six patriotic figures including Teacher Joo Si-gyeong and Uibyeong leader Choi Se-yoon was held. The main event opened with a passionate rendition of Arirang by Kim Jun-su, a traditional Korean musician from the National Changgeuk Company. This was followed by a video screening compiling photos of Liberation Day over the past 79 years and welcome speeches by AI-recreated four patriotic figures (Chairman Kim Gu, Independence Activist Ahn Jung-geun, Martyr Yu Gwan-sun, and Martyr Lee Jun).
Mayor Oh Se-hoon personally presented the appointment certificate to General Director Jo Jeong-guk, who will oversee the commemorative projects for the next 10 months. Director Jo said, "The year 2025, marking the 80th anniversary of Liberation Day, will be a major national turning point and a meaningful year for Seoul as a global city. We plan to design this as a precious opportunity that goes beyond typical commemorative projects, connecting citizens as one through intergenerational communication and empathy, and passing on our history and values to future generations."
Director Jo has extensive experience directing historical and cultural events and festivals such as the Gwanak Gang Gam-chan Festival and the Hanyangdoseong Cultural Festival. He is especially known for producing and directing the outdoor opera Turandot, directed by Zhang Yimou, which was performed at the Sangam World Cup Stadium in 2003 and attracted domestic and international attention.
After the appointment ceremony, the first committee meetings were held separately with participation from expert and citizen committee members. Citizen committee members, together with facilitators, brainstormed the committee’s roles and commemorative project ideas tailored to the citizen perspective, while expert committee members explored commemorative projects with historical value and festival directions that various citizen groups can enjoy together. Going forward, citizen and expert committees will regularly hold meetings to propose various commemorative project plans, which will be cross-verified for historical and academic value as well as citizen preference, and then finalized after review by the general director and the working task force.
Seoul City plans to conduct the Liberation Day 80th Anniversary Commemorative Project as a meaningful event that enhances the spirit of patriotism and the value of the independence movement, and instills the identity of Liberation Day in citizens. First, it will systematically discover more than 500 independence activists who sacrificed for the country’s independence but whose contributions have not been recognized or are unknown, and will apply to the government for official commendations (medals as independence merit recipients).
There will also be opportunities to invite descendants of independence merit recipients living overseas in countries such as China, Kazakhstan, the United States, Cuba, and Mexico to Seoul for communication events. In July, Mayor Oh became the first Seoul mayor to visit the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea building in Chongqing, China, where he met descendants of independence merit recipients and expressed his commitment to actively promote events inviting overseas descendants of independence merit recipients.
Efforts will also be made to improve treatment. Since Mayor Oh’s inauguration, Seoul City has strengthened respect for national merit recipients and honored their sacrifices by significantly increasing the monthly honorary allowance for surviving patriots from 200,000 KRW to 1,000,000 KRW in 2022. In 2023, the living assistance allowance was raised from 100,000 KRW to 200,000 KRW per month, and in 2024, the war veteran honorary allowance was increased from 100,000 KRW to 150,000 KRW per month. Starting next year, the honor allowance (currently 100,000 KRW per month) and the war veteran honorary allowance (currently 150,000 KRW per month) will each be increased by 50,000 KRW per month (the honor allowance increase applies to those aged 65 and older, and the war veteran honorary allowance increase applies to those aged 80 and older). Additionally, a new provision will be introduced to pay 200,000 KRW in death condolence money to the bereaved families of national merit recipients who have continuously resided in Seoul for more than one month. This is to honor those who have sacrificed and contributed to the nation.
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