Held from 10 a.m. on March 1
2.3 km Taegukgi March from Doseonsa to Bonghwanggak
Gangbuk-gu, Seoul (Mayor Lee Soon-hee) will hold the 22nd March 1st Independence Movement Commemoration Event "Manse Called Again" on March 1st, reenacting the historic Manse movement of that day.
The event will take place around Bonghwanggak and Doseonsa in Uidong. Bonghwanggak is a historic site established in 1912 by Son Byeong-hui, a leader of the March 1st Independence Movement, to train leaders for national sovereignty restoration. Gangbuk-gu holds the March 1st Independence Movement commemoration event here every year.
Son Byeong-hui instilled a sense of independence in his disciples at Bonghwanggak, and many figures who passed through this place became the main participants of the March 1st Movement and devoted themselves to the independence of the homeland.
At 10 a.m. on the day, a bell-ringing ceremony honoring the spirit of the independence movement will be held at Doseonsa, followed by a 2.3 km march from Doseonsa to Bonghwanggak. This year’s Taegukgi (Korean national flag) march, held for the first time in over six years since COVID-19, will have about 400 residents participating. Participants will wear white durumagi (traditional Korean overcoats) and hold Taegukgi flags while shouting “Daehan Doknip Manse” (Long live Korean independence).
A commemorative ceremony will be held at Bonghwanggak starting at 11:30 a.m. In front of Bonghwanggak, various March 1st Movement experience programs for families will be operated, including an independence movement photo booth, Taegukgi pinwheel making, and commemorative photo sessions with independence activist character masks.
Meanwhile, at the Modern History Memorial Hall near the patriotic martyrs’ graves on the slopes of Bukhansan, free experience events for children and youth will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., including “Completing the Declaration of Independence,” making lamps titled “Light Up Daehan,” and “Meeting Our Neighborhood Independence Activists.”
Additionally, Gangbuk-gu will hold an exhibition titled “Korean Independence Movement History Through Photos” at Mia Station on Subway Line 4 from February 26 to March 31. The exhibition introduces the history of the Korean independence movement from 1907 to 1948 in a storytelling format based on materials provided by the Independence Hall of Korea. The “Pilgrimage Full of Aspiration for Independence” program, one of Gangbuk-gu’s regularly operated two-hour cultural tourism commentary courses, is also worth experiencing.
Residents of Gangbuk-gu are shouting "Manse" three times at the 2024 March 1st Independence Movement Commemoration Event. Provided by Gangbuk-gu.
The pilgrimage course starts from Solbat Park and continues to the April 19th Observatory, the graves of Shin Sook, Kim Chang-sook, Lee Si-young, the site of the joint grave of the Liberation Army, the grave of Kim Byung-ro, the grave of martyr Lee Jun, and the grave of Shin Ik-hoe. Participants can listen to expert commentary on the lives and achievements of each independence activist and learn about the noble spirit of the patriots who sacrificed for the country.
Mayor Lee Soon-hee stated, “Gangbuk-gu holds annual commemorative events to reflect on the historical significance of the March 1st Independence Movement and to pass on its spirit to future generations. I hope many residents actively participate this year as well to honor the spirit of the independence movement together.”
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