Pohang City Successfully Holds the 106th March 1st Movement Commemoration Ceremony
Reflecting on the Historical Significance and Spirit of Patriotism
- Reenactment of the March 1st Independence Movement, Reviving the Passionate Cheers and Waves of Taegeukgi from 106 Years Ago
The shout of “Long live Korean independence” echoed throughout Daejeon-ri, Songra-myeon, Pohang.
On the 1st, the '106th Anniversary of the March 1st Movement Commemoration Ceremony' was held in Daejeon-ri, Songra-myeon, Buk-gu, Pohang City. Photo by Pohang City
On the 1st, Pohang City held the ‘106th Anniversary of the March 1st Movement Commemoration Ceremony’ in Daejeon-ri, Songra-myeon, Buk-gu, attended by about 500 people including Mayor Lee Kang-deok of Pohang, Kim Il-man, Chairman of the Pohang City Council, Kim Ji-hyun, Head of the Southern Gyeongbuk Veterans Affairs Office, the bereaved families of the 14 patriots of Daejeon, veterans organizations, citizens, and students.
The ceremony was held to remember the noble spirit of independence and patriotism of the March 1st Movement patriots from the Pohang region who devoted themselves to restoring national sovereignty, and to provide an opportunity to inherit and develop the noble spirit of national independence.
The ceremony began with a wreath-laying and bell-ringing to honor and commemorate the souls of the 14 patriots of Daejeon-ri at the Daejeon March 1st Movement Memorial Hall, followed by the reading of the Declaration of Independence by Lee Byung-hoon, chairman of Daegu Christian Hospital and descendant of patriot Lee Jun-seok, a commemorative speech by Mayor Lee Kang-deok, singing of the March 1st Movement song, and a three cheers of “Manse.”
As a post-ceremony event, the Pohang Municipal Theater Troupe staged a reenactment performance of the March 1st Independence Movement.
Starting with the honored guests and theater troupe members, all attendees of the ceremony held Taegeukgi flags and shouted “Long live Korean independence” toward Dugok Forest, recreating the cheers and emotions of the day 106 years ago when the March 1st Independence Movement took place.
Daejeon-ri, Songra-myeon, where the ceremony was held, produced 14 patriots of the March 1st Movement from one village, and in the local records of Yeongil-gun, this village is named the ‘March 1st Manse Village.’ The government also recognized the contributions of the 14 patriots to the founding of the nation by awarding medals, decorations, and presidential citations.
Mayor Lee Kang-deok said, “Our ancestors already showed 106 years ago that when everyone’s strength is united as one, any difficulty can be overcome,” adding, “This is the resilience of Pohang people, and let us unite our efforts to build a more developed Pohang 50 and 100 years from now by inheriting the will of our forebears.”
Pohang City built the March 1st Movement Memorial Hall in 2001 in Daejeon 1-ri, Songra-myeon, known as the March 1st Manse Village, to commemorate the noble spirit of the 14 patriots of Daejeon-ri and to preserve and exhibit various relics of the patriots for use as a historical educational site. The city has held the March 1st Movement commemoration event annually since then.
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