Governor Jintae Kim: "Passage of the Gangwon Special Act Will Be a 'Second Declaration of Independence' to Decide Gangwon's Future for Ourselves"

Gangwon Province Holds 107th Anniversary March 1st Movement Ceremony
Over 1,000 Attend at Baekryeong Art Center of Kangwon National University
"Declaring Gangwon's Self-Determination with the Shouts from 107 Years Ago"

On March 1, Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province (Governor Jintae Kim) held the "107th Anniversary March 1st Movement Commemoration Ceremony" at the Baekryeong Art Center of Kangwon National University.

Jin Tae Kim, Governor of Gangwon Provincial Special Self-Governing Province. Provided by Gangwon Province

Approximately 1,000 people attended the ceremony, including Jintae Kim, Governor of Gangwon Province; Kim Munduk, Head of the Gangwon Branch of the Liberation Association; National Assembly members Kiho Han and Heo Young; Provincial Assembly Chairman Siseong Kim and other provincial assembly members; Superintendent of Education Kyungho Shin; as well as heads of veterans' and institutional organizations.

The commemorative event began with a pre-ceremony performance and proceeded in the following order: national ceremony, reading of the Declaration of Independence, screening of a commemorative video, awarding of honors to independence patriots, commemorative address, singing of the March 1st Movement song, and three cheers of "Manse."

Notably, this year's ceremony featured a video under the theme "The Footprints of the March 1st Movement in Gangwon Province," which depicted the development of the independence movement that took place across the province after March 1919. This served as an opportunity to once again inherit and advance the spirit of the March 1st Movement and to inspire patriotism.

The Governor's Commendation was awarded to three individuals: Jongsoon Lee (born in 1934, member of the Wonju United Branch of the Liberation Association), Seobun Gam (born in 1946, member of the Yeongdong Southern United Branch of the Liberation Association), and Jieun Heo (born in 1992, curator at the Gangwon Liberation Memorial Hall).

In his commemorative address, Jintae Kim, Governor of Gangwon Province, emphasized, "Let us reflect on the spirit of independence of our forebears from 107 years ago in today's Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province."

Governor Kim stated, "The cry for freedom in 1919 was a declaration of self-determination to found our own nation, and likewise, the establishment of Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province in June 2023 is another declaration of independence-one that asserts we will decide the future of Gangwon for ourselves."

He continued, "Over the past four years, with 120 projects and investments totaling 4 trillion won, we have been redrawing Gangwon's industrial landscape, and through eight victories in eight major social infrastructure projects, we have persistently broken through previously blocked paths. However, Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province's independence is still incomplete."

He also pointed out, "A special law for metropolitan city and provincial integration, which included several trillion won in budget support and the priority relocation of public institutions, was passed swiftly. In contrast, the Gangwon Special Act still has not cleared the National Assembly. Why must it be so difficult for local governments within the same Republic of Korea to enjoy equal freedom and authority?"

He concluded, "The demonstration urging the passage of the Gangwon Special Act was itself a declaration of self-determination, and the passage of the amendment will be our era's declaration of independence. Let us engrave the shouts from 107 years ago in our hearts and march forward with strength."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.