Mayor Lee Hyunjae: "The Tree of Independence Planted by Our Ancestors Will Grow into the Future with 330,000 Citizens"

Hanam City Successfully Holds 107th March 1st Movement Commemoration

"The Noble Sacrifice of the Fallen Heroes Revived Through AI Video"

On March 1, to mark the 107th anniversary of the March 1st Movement, Hanam City in Gyeonggi Province held a commemorative ceremony at 10 a.m. in the main auditorium of the City Hall annex, honoring the noble sacrifice and spirit of independence of the nation's fallen heroes.

Lee Hyunjae, Mayor of Hanam, is delivering a commemorative speech at the ceremony held at 10 a.m. on the 1st in the main auditorium of the city hall annex to mark the 107th anniversary of the March 1st Movement. Provided by Hanam City

The event was attended by more than 300 people, including Lee Youngjae, President of the Hanam City Branch of the Liberation Association, Lee Hyunjae, Mayor of Hanam City, the Chairman of the Hanam City Council, National Assembly members, provincial and city councilors, representatives from veterans’ organizations, and local citizens.

Prior to the ceremony, a prelude performance by around 40 members of the Hanam City Children’s Choir signaled the start of the commemoration. The main program followed in the order of: the national rite, reading of the Declaration of Independence, commendations for those who contributed to independence, screening of a tribute video, and a commemorative performance. The event concluded with all participants joining together in three cheers of "Manse" for Korea's independence.

Of particular note, the tribute video themed "Hanam, the Unquenchable Flame" vividly recreated, using advanced AI video technology, the determination and sacrifice of Hanam’s ancestors for independence over a century ago, delivering a deeply moving message that transcended time and space.

For the commemorative performance, the six-member soloist ensemble "Lucesoli" took the stage to deliver powerful renditions of "Song of Hope," "Yearning for Mount Geumgang," and "Beautiful Country," conveying a message of hope. Lucesoli and the Hanam City Children’s Choir then joined voices to sing the March 1st Movement Song, paying tribute to the patriotism of the fallen heroes.

Lee Hyunjae, Mayor of Hanam City, emphasized that "thanks to the tree of independence planted by the blood and sweat of our ancestors, Hanam City and the Republic of Korea have achieved remarkable progress today," and stated, "We will never forget the sacrifices made by Hanam’s independence activists, including Koo Heeseo, Kim Gyoyoung, Kim Hongryeol, Lee Daehun, and Koo Seunghoe."

Hanam City is holding a memorial ceremony on the 107th anniversary of the March 1st Movement at 10 a.m. on March 1st in the main auditorium of the city hall annex. Provided by Hanam City

Starting in March, Hanam City plans to increase the monthly honorary allowance for national patriots from 170,000 won to 200,000 won, an increase of 30,000 won, and is also continuing to strengthen recognition for veterans by opening a senior citizens’ lounge for national patriots within the Hanam City Veterans’ Hall.

In addition, Mayor Lee highlighted Hanam’s remarkable achievements, such as the groundbreaking of Yonsei Hanam Hospital, attracting a five-star hotel like the Intercontinental Hotel, selecting a preferred bidder for the Camp Colbern site, the separation of Hanam Office of Education from the Gwangju Hanam Office of Education, and being selected as the nation’s top-performing city for comprehensive civil service evaluation for the fourth consecutive year. He stressed that all these accomplishments are the result of the participation and trust of Hanam’s 330,000 citizens.

Mayor Lee concluded his commemorative address by reaffirming his unwavering commitment to continue planting sturdy trees for future generations, drawing upon the unified strength of citizens and the sacrifices of their ancestors 107 years ago.

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