Uiryeong County, Founder of "Uibyung Day" as a National Memorial Day, to Host National Ceremony for the First Time in 14 Years

May 30 to June 1 at Chungiksa
Exhibitions, Hands-on Activities, and Commemorative Ceremony on June 1

A national commemorative event honoring the spirit of sacrifice of the Uibyung, who voluntarily rose up whenever the nation was in crisis, will be held in Uiryeong, South Gyeongsang Province.

On May 29, Uiryeong County announced that the "15th Uibyung Day Commemoration Ceremony" will take place at the Chungiksa area in Uiryeong County at 10:00 a.m. on June 1, with representatives from Uibyung organizations nationwide, descendants of Uibyung fighters, and local residents in attendance.

This event, hosted by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and organized by Uiryeong County, will be held under the theme "Uibyung! Spreading Hope Across the Nation."

"Uibyung Day" falls on June 1, which is the solar calendar equivalent of the lunar April 22, the day in 1592 when the first Uibyung rose up in Uiryeong during the Imjin War. In recognition of the efforts of Uiryeong residents who led the movement to designate this as a national memorial day in 2010, the first Uibyung Day Commemoration Ceremony was held in Uiryeong County in 2011.

At that time, the ceremony was attended by the Prime Minister and many government officials. Since then, the government has held the national commemorative ceremony in various regions across the country where Uibyung movements took place.

This year, Uiryeong County is organizing the Uibyung Day ceremony in celebration of the 50th Honguijanggun Festival (formerly Uibyung Festival), the largest Uibyung festival in the country.

Uiryeong County aims to use the 15th Uibyung Day Commemoration Ceremony, being held in Uiryeong for the first time in 14 years since the inaugural event, to promote to the entire nation the Uibyung spirit that the county has preserved for half a century.

The county has set the goal of this ceremony as spreading the "value of Uibyung," not as a relic of the past but as a contemporary spirit needed in today's society.

From May 30 to June 1, various experiential and exhibition events for children, the "Uibyung of the Future," will be held in the areas around Chungiksa, the Uibyung Tower, and the Uibyung Museum.

The 1st Uibyung Day Commemoration Ceremony held in Uiryeong in 2011. Provided by Uiryeong County

There will be a variety of hands-on programs, such as making Uibyung bows and swords, trying on Uibyung costumes, and creating certificates of patriotism. In the "Uibyung Theme Hall," where visitors can learn about Uibyung from different eras and regions across the country, the history and spirit of the Uibyung will be highlighted.

The official ceremony will be held on June 1 in front of the Uibyung Tower, the symbol of Uibyung and the pride of Uiryeong.

The Uibyung Tower is a memorial built on April 22, 1972, to honor General Gwak Jaewoo (1552?1617), known as Honguijanggun, a Uibyung leader during the Imjin War, and the achievements of seventeen generals who served under him.

The ceremony will proceed with commemorative addresses and memorial speeches, followed by a chorus of the Uibyung Song and the traditional three cheers for the nation.

County Governor Oh Taewan emphasized, "Uiryeong County, a small local government, has independently pursued and achieved the establishment of Uibyung Day over the course of half a century. The beginning and end of the Uibyung spirit is undoubtedly our unique source of pride."

Governor Oh added, "The significance of this national ceremony is even greater as it is being held just before the presidential election. The spirit of sacrifice that stood firm in the face of crisis, and the Uibyung spirit that embraced everyone for the goals of 'justice and community,' will serve as a new beacon of hope and a focal point for unity and harmony in today's Korea, where division and conflict persist."