The 90th anniversary of the founding of Korea's Provisional Government was commemorated at Kim Ku Plaza in Seoul on Monday (Apr. 13).

The Provisional Government was formed in Shanghai, China, on April 13, 1919, following the Korean Declaration of Independence during the March 1st movement of the same year. The government was later moved to Chongqing, China.

President Lee said in a congratulatory message that the Provisional Government not only created the official name of "The Republic of Korea," but also laid the foundation for the republic's birth after the Second World War.

He went on to say that the Provisional Government's establishment was an honorable choice by the forefathers to inherit the spirit of the March 1st Independence Movement and to decide the nation's destiny on their own.

President Lee went on to say that the government of the Republic of Korea, which succeeded to the legitimacy of the Provisional Government, achieved the country's industrialization and democratization successfully and is now marching forward to join the league of advanced nations.

In regards to the global economic crisis, the President emphasized that people should face the difficulties head-on, just as the fallen patriots pushed through the harsh period of their times to achieve national independence.

By James Ro
Korea.net Staff Writer