3 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT GWANGBOKJEOL (AUG 15) IN KOREA, THE KOREAN INDEPENDENCE DAY 



August 15 is one of the most meaningful days to Koreans. It is a national holiday in Korea and the National Liberation Day of Korea, Gwangbokjeol. It is celebrated every year on 15th of August, and it will be marking 72nd year of Independence in 2017.

On this day, you will get to see many buildings and streets with Korean national flags called “Taegeukgi”.

1. Why is Gwangbokjeol so special?

August 15 is the day when Korea was liberated from the Japanese colony in 1945 and also when Korean government was established in 1948 after overcoming the fuss generated from the liberation.

It is the day when Japan declared unconditional surrender and the World War 2 was over, which made Korea restore its own power. ‘Gwangbok‘ means to regain the light, which perfectly describes the restoration of national independence that was lost for 36 years under the Japanese invasion.

2. People who sacrificed their lives for greater purposes.

Many people suffered and were killed during the colonial period. Some voluntarily gave up their lives in exchange of the liberation of Korea.

Ryu Gwansun (1902~1920) is the most famous figure who became the symbol of the March 1 Movement (1919) that took a big role in taking back Korea’s independence.

She was only a 16-year-old student when she organized the March 1 movement at her home town. In the demonstration on March 1st, her family members were brutally killed by the Japanese soldiers and she was imprisoned.

Even though she was locked up in the prison, she continued to declare the liberation of Korea. However, due to the harsh torture that 16-year-old body could not stand, she passed away in the prison.

Ahn Jung Geun (1876~1910) was a Korean independence activist and nationalist who is known for his assassination of Ito Hirobumi, the prime minister of Japan and former Resident-General of Korea back when Korea was about to be colonized by the Japan.

He shot Ito Hirobumi and yelled for Korean Independence in Russian, waving the Korean flag. He was later sentenced to death by the Japanese government but his perspectives of Pan-Asia, which is similar to the concept of European Union but among Korea, China and Japan, were highly praised even by the Japanese.

You can visit Ahn Jung Geun’s memorial hall located in Seoul.

Kim Gu (1876~1949) is another historic figure who cannot be excluded when talking about the liberation. During the Japanese colonial period, he moved to China to establish the provisional government of Korea that worked as the main quarter for the liberation movements. As he was always threatened to be killed by Japan, he had to move to one place to another frequently, but never gave up working for the liberation.

Finally after the liberation, Kim Gu came back to Korea, but Korea was divided into South and North. He insisted on building one single ｃountry, instead of two. However, in 1949, one year later after the establishment of South Korean government, he was assassinated by a Korean soldier. There are many political rumors behind his death, but nothing has been proven yet.

3. The place of despair and will, Seodaemun Prison

When people in Seoul were captured for the action that led to the liberation of Korea, they were sent to Seodaemun prison located in Seoul. People who were captured went to court run by Japanese and were tortured brutally in the prison.

After the liberation, the prison changed into an educational place to remember how the prisoners under the Japanese colonial were treated inhumanely. If you are interested in learning about Korean history, try a visit to this prison.

You can also learn more about the historical backgrounds of the anti-Japanese struggle and the historical figures during the colonial rule by visiting the Independence Hall of Korea located in Cheonan.

There will be a variety of events taking place across the ｃountry to celebrate this meaningful day for the peoeple of Korea.

Article Source: http://blog.trazy.com/3-things-you-need-to-know-about-gwangbokjeol-aug-15-in-korea-the-national-liberation-day-of-korea-on-aug-15-the-korean-independence-day/
Image Source: https://gotrazy.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/independence-hall.jpg

VOCABULARY WORDS:
1. Fuss (v.) ~ show unnecessary or excessive concern about something
2. Harsh (adj.) ~ cruel or severe
3. Capture (v.) ~ take into one's possession or control by force
4. Inhumane (adj.) ~ without compassion for misery or suffering cruel
5. Exclude (v.) ~ remove from consideration rule out
6. Provisional (adj.) ~ arranged or existing for the present, possibly to be changed later

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION:
1. What is 'Gwangbokjeol'?
2. Who are the people mentioned in the article and what were their contributions to the freedom of your ｃountry?
3. How does your ｃountry commemorate this important date in your history?