The National Liberation Day of Korea is a
holiday celebrated annually on 15 August in both
South and
North Korea
North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu River, Y ...
. It commemorates
Victory over Japan Day
Victory over Japan Day (also known as V-J Day, Victory in the Pacific Day, or V-P Day) is the day on which Imperial Japan surrendered in World War II, in effect bringing the war to an end. The term has been applied to both of the days on ...
, when the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
and the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
liberated Korea from 35 years of
Japanese rule.
Etymology
In
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
it is known as ''Gwangbokjeol'' (; ), and is one of the
public holidays in South Korea
Public holidays in South Korea each belong to one or more of three categories:
*National day ()
*National flag raising day ()
*Public holiday ()
Each category has a different legal basis. All national days are also flag raising days.
List of p ...
. In
North Korea
North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu River, Y ...
it is known as ''Chogukhaebangŭi nal'' (; ), and is also one of the
public holidays in North Korea
This is a list of public holidays in North Korea. See also the Korean calendar for a list of traditional holidays. , the North Korean calendar has 71 official public holidays, including Sundays. In the past, North Koreans relied on rations provi ...
.
The name ''Gwangbokjeol'' is composed from the Korean words 광 (gwang), meaning “light”; 복 (bok), meaning “restoration”; and 절 (jeol), meaning “holiday”. The word “restoration” is used rather than the word for “independence”, 독립 (dongnip), in order to illustrate how Korea had been a nation for centuries prior to Japanese rule.
History
The day marks the annual anniversary of the announcement that
Japan would unconditionally surrender on August 15, 1945. All forces of the
Imperial Japanese Army
The was the official ground-based armed force of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945. It was controlled by the Imperial Japanese Army General Staff Office and the Ministry of the Army, both of which were nominally subordinate to the Emperor o ...
were ordered to surrender to the Allies.
Independent Korean governments were created three years later, on 15 August 1948, when the pro-U.S.
Syngman Rhee
Syngman Rhee (, ; 26 March 1875 – 19 July 1965) was a South Korean politician who served as the first president of South Korea from 1948 to 1960.
Rhee was also the first and last president of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Ko ...
was
elected Elected may refer to:
* "Elected" (song), by Alice Cooper, 1973
* ''Elected'' (EP), by Ayreon, 2008
*The Elected, an American indie rock band
See also
*Election
An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population ...
first
President of South Korea
The president of the Republic of Korea (), also known as the president of South Korea (often abbreviated to POTROK or POSK; ), is the head of state and head of government of the Republic of Korea. The president leads the State Council, and is ...
and pro-Soviet
Kim Il-sung
Kim Il-sung (; , ; born Kim Song-ju, ; 15 April 1912 – 8 July 1994) was a North Korean politician and the founder of North Korea, which he ruled from the country's establishment in 1948 until his death in 1994. He held the posts of ...
was made first
Leader of North Korea
The supreme leader () of North Korea is the ''de facto'' paramount leader of the Workers' Party of Korea, the state and the Korean People's Army. The title has not been written into the national constitution as a separate office, but it currentl ...
. ''Gwangbokjeol'' was officially designated a public holiday on 1 October 1949 in South Korea
[Gwangbokjeol]
at Doosan Encyclopedia
''Doosan Encyclopedia'' is a Korean language encyclopedia published by Doosan Donga (두산동아). The encyclopedia is based on the ''Dong-A Color Encyclopedia'' (동아원색세계대백과사전), which comprises 30 volumes and began to be p ...
and is known as ''Chogukhaebangŭi nal'' (; literally "Liberation of Fatherland Day") in North Korea.
Korea has been an independent nation for centuries, but it had been invaded multiple times, the last being the period of Japanese rule. It took three years after Korea became independent in 1945 for the nation to actually establish the Republic of Korea on August 15th, when National Liberation Day is celebrated.
August 15th is celebrated by many countries as Victory Over Japan Day, the day
Japan's emperor announced the country's surrender. The United States, however,
commemorates this day in September when the Japanese formally signed a declaration of surrender.
North Korea
North Korea
North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu River, Y ...
currently celebrates this holiday separately from
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
. Nevertheless, Liberation Day is the only Korean holiday that is celebrated by both countries. In North Korea, it is typical to schedule weddings on the holiday.
On 5 August 2015, the North Korean government decided to return to
UTC+08:30, effective 15 August 2015, and said the official name would be
Pyongyang Time
Time in North Korea, called Pyongyang Time ( or PYT) or Standard Time of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (), is since May 2018 equal to Korea Standard Time: 9 hours ahead of UTC ( UTC+09:00). Like South Korea, North Korea does not curren ...
(or PYT).
The government of North Korea made this decision as a break from 'imperialism'; the time zone change went into effect on the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Korea.
North Korea reversed the change in May 2018.
The holiday is often celebrated with a
military parade
A military parade is a formation of soldiers whose movement is restricted by close-order manoeuvering known as drilling or marching. The military parade is now almost entirely ceremonial, though soldiers from time immemorial up until the la ...
on
Kim Il-sung Square __NOTOC__
Kim Il-sung Square is a large city square in the Central District of Pyongyang, North Korea, and is named after the country's founding leader, Kim Il-sung. The square was constructed in 1954 according to a master plan for reconstructing ...
on jubilee years (ex: 25th, 40th, 50th, 60th, 70th anniversaries) with the attendance of the
Chairman of the State Affairs Commission
The President of the State Affairs Commission of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea () is the head of state of North Korea.Socialist Constitution of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Article 100 The president chairs the State Af ...
and
Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of North Korea
The Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of Democratic People's Republic of Korea ( Korean: 조선민주주의인민공화국무력 최고사령관) is the commander-in-chief of the Korean People's Army, the military of North Korea. The office ...
. The first parade was held in 1949 at
Pyongyang Station. It was held again in 1953, and then conducted every year until 1960, when it took a pause until the early 2000s.
South Korea
Public holiday
In South Korea, many activities and events take place on the holiday, including an official ceremony attended by the President of the Republic either at the
Independence Hall of Korea
The Independence Hall of Korea () is a Korean history museum in Cheonan, South Korea. Opened on August 15, 1987, it has the largest exhibition facility in South Korea, with a total floor area of .
The museum primarily focuses on the Korean indepe ...
in
Cheonan or at the
Sejong Center for the Performing Arts. During the celebration, the flags of different countries around the world hung in the middle of the road around the Jamsil area of Seoul between the Olympic Stadium and Olympic Park are taken down and replaced with Korean national flags.
All buildings and homes are encouraged to display the South Korean national flag ''
Taegukgi
The national flag of South Korea, also known as the Taegukgi (also spelled as ''Taegeukgi'', ) and colloquially known as the flag of Korea, has three parts: a white rectangular background, a red and blue Taegeuk in its center, accompanied by fo ...
''. Not only are most public museums and places open free of charge to the descendants of independence activists on the holiday, but they can also travel on both public transport and intercity trains for free.
The official "''Gwangbokjeol'' song" (광복절 노래) is sung at official ceremonies. The song's lyrics were written by Jeong Inbo (정인보) and the melody by Yoon Yongha (윤용하).
The lyrics speak of "to touch the earth again" and how "the sea dances", how "this day is the remaining trace of 40 years of passionate blood solidified" and to "guard this forever and ever".
The government traditionally issues special pardons on ''Gwangbokjeol''.
Assassination attempt
At 10:23 a.m., 15 August 1974,
Mun Se-gwang
Mun Se-gwang (December 26, 1951 – December 20, 1974) was a Japanese-born North Korean sympathizer who attempted to assassinate South Korean president Park Chung-hee on August 15, 1974. The assassination attempt resulted in the deaths of Par ...
, a
Zainichi Korean
comprise ethnic Koreans who have permanent residency status in Japan or who have become Japanese citizens, and whose immigration to Japan originated before 1945, or who are descendants of those immigrants. They are a group distinct from South ...
and
North Korea
North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu River, Y ...
n sympathizer, attempted to assassinate President
Park Chung-hee at the
National Theater of Korea
The National Theater of Korea is a national theatre located in the neighborhood of Jangchung-dong, Jung-gu, South Korea. It is the first nationally managed theater in Asia.
Affiliation
The National Theater of Korea was established in 1950 by ...
in Seoul during a Gwangbokjeol ceremony; Park was unharmed but his wife
Yuk Young-soo
Yuk Young-soo (; 29 November 1925 – 15 August 1974) was the wife of the 3rd South Korean president Park Chung-hee and the mother of the 11th South Korean president Park Geun-hye. She was killed in 1974 during an attempted assassination of ...
, First Lady of South Korea, was killed.
In popular culture
* ''The Peak'' aka ''Life of Lee Youk-sa, the Poet who Embraced Epoch'', starring
Kim Dong-wan
Kim Dong-wan (; born November 21, 1979) is a South Korean entertainer, known as a member of South Korean boy band Shinhwa. He has been acting since 2002, and has starred in television dramas such as ''A Farewell to Sorrow'' and ''Children of He ...
of boyband
Shinhwa
Shinhwa () is a South Korean six-member boy band based in Seoul, composed of Eric Mun, Lee Min-woo, Kim Dong-wan, Shin Hye-sung, Jun Jin, and Andy Lee. Launched by SM Entertainment on March 24, 1998, the group signed with Good Entertainment ...
is a two-part special drama broadcast on
MBC to commemorate Gwangbokjeol. It is on the life of poet and independence activist, Lee Youk-sa, who lived during the Japanese colonial period, and died in prison at 40 leaving behind some 40 pieces of poetry.
* The third drama rendition of
Park Gyeong-ni's
epic novel ''Toji'' (literally "The Land"), is a 52-episode historical drama which aired from 27 November 2004 to 22 May 2005, was broadcast by South Korean broadcaster
SBS as commemoration of the 60th anniversary of Gwangbokjeol; and the only drama rendition after all 21 volumes were completed.
* The ability to pardon prisoners on this day was the theme for a comedy film that was released in 2002, called 광복절특사, where the main characters escape from prison, only to find out that they are going to be pardoned the next day on 광복절.
See also
* ''Independence Hall of Korea'' in Cheonan
*
Seodaemun Prison
Seodaemun Prison History Hall is a museum and former prison in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, South Korea. It was constructed beginning in 1907. The prison was opened on October 21, 1908, under the name Gyeongseong Gamok. During the early part of the Japa ...
in Seoul
References
Further reading
South Korea Independence Dayat Holidays around the World
External links
*
*
The Independence Hall of Korea''Gwangbokjeol Song'', video clip made in 1958at the Ministry of Public Administration and Security's official blog
''Gwangbokjeol Song''at the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs
{{Public holidays in South Korea
1945 in Korea
August observances
Korean independence movement
Public holidays in North Korea
Public holidays in South Korea
Victory days
Summer events in South Korea
Summer events in North Korea