Aug. 15 is the independence day of Korea. (Lalien Guillen Park)

By Korea.net Honorary Reporter Lalien Guillen Park

In Korea, Aug. 15 is a public holiday known as National Liberation Day.

Interestingly, in the Korean language it's called Gwang-bok-jeol (광복절) and it holds a deeper meaning. Gwang means "light," bok means “to restore” and jeol means “holiday,” which literally gives its meaning as the Day of the Restoration of the Light. However, why is this its name?

At one point in our lives, we all have our darkest moments. The same goes for nations. When freedom and identity are ripped away from a nation, there is nothing to follow but darkness and despair.

For thousands of years, Korea had been an independent nation that richly cultivated its own history, society, economy and arts over the course of time. It created an incomparable identity of its own as a strong nation in Asia and was only strengthened more by the development of its own writing system, Hangeul (한글).



In 1910, however, Korea was formally colonized by Japan, which lasted until 1945. This was perhaps Korea’s darkest moment in its history as a nation. Japan took away the nation’s freedom and tried very hard to erase the nation’s identity, as well. Under Japanese imperialism, Koreans were forced to change their names into Japanese names, and they were strictly forbidden to use the Korean language. Men and women were exploited and the nation’s natural resources were amassed for the benefits of the Japanese people.

However, as the saying goes, stars shine brighter in the darkness. During the Japanese oppression, there were countless patriots who bravely fought for the liberation of Korea. These patriots were the bright stars that shone as a beacon of hope during the darkened days of Japan colonization. Two of the many brave men and women who gave up their lives fighting for Korea’s independence are Yu Gwan-sun (유관순) and Ahn Jung-geun (안중근).

Yu Gwan-sun (1902-1920)



Yu Gwan-sun is dubbed the “Joan of Arc of Korea." She was a student activist who organized protest movements against Japanese occupation. She, along with other collaborators, was behind Korea’s most historic demonstration, known as the March 1 Movement. She was arrested by Japanese military police, tortured in prison to reveal the whereabouts of other collaborators, and died at the age of 18.

Ahn Jung-geun (1879-1910)



Ahn Jung-geun was a Korean independence activist and nationalist known for his assassination of Ito Hirobumi (伊藤 博文, 이토 히로부미) (1841-1909), a former prime minister of Japan and the first Japanese Resident-General of Korea from 1905 until 19190. Ahn killed him on Oct. 26, 1909, at Harbin Railway Station in Manchuria. As a pledge to kill Ito Hirobumi, Ahn cut off the last joint of his left ring finger. He was arrested after the assassination and sentenced to death, which was executed on March 26, 1910.

After 36 years under the darkness of the rule of Japanese imperialism, light was finally restored on Aug. 15, 1945, as Japan surrendered in World War II. From then on, the Korean people have held on to this light firmly, never wanting to lose it again. They faced a lot of difficulties after liberation, such as political disputes and the Korean War, but this light kept them on guard against any foreign invasion.

This light continues to unite them even now that they are divided into two nations. In fact, Aug. 15 is one of the very few holidays that both North and South Korea celebrate annually. In North Korea, this day is called Jo-guk-hae-bang-ui Nal (조국해방의 날), which literally means Liberation of the Fatherland Day. It's always heartwarming to see something that unifies the two Koreas. They both make sure to remember the past and commemorate this glorious day together, in their own ways.

Aug. 15 is a good day for the younger generation to learn about the past, value the lessons it teaches and keep the light that has been restored on this day for the hopes of a brighter future. After all, as Winston Churchill once said, “A nation that forgets its past has no future.”



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