The National Liberation Day of Korea is a public holiday celebrated annually on 15 August in both South and North Korea. It commemorates the day when Korea was liberated from 35 years of Japanese colonial rule.
Etymology
In South Korea, it is known as Gwangbokjeol (Korean: 광복절; lit. The Day the Light Returned).[1] In North Korea it is known as Chogukhaebangŭi nal (조국해방의 날; lit. Liberation of the Fatherland Day).[2]
The name Gwangbokjeol uses the term “restoration” (복; bog) instead of “independence” (독립; dongnip) to emphasize that Korea had been independent for centuries prior to Japanese rule.[3]
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 were ordered to surrender to the Allies.[1] Independent Korean governments were created three years later, on 15 August 1948.
Korea has been an independent nation for centuries, but it had been invaded many times, with the last invasion 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 15, when National Liberation Day is celebrated.[3]
On 5 August 2015, the North Korean government decided to change its timezone back to UTC+08:30 effective 15 August 2015, and said the official name would be Pyongyang Time (PYT).[10][11] 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.[12] North Korea reversed the change in May 2018.[13]
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 in Cheonan or at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts.[1][14] 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 South Korean national flags.[3]
All buildings and homes are encouraged to display the South Korean national flag Taegukgi. 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.[1]
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).[1] 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".[15]
The government traditionally issues special pardons on Gwangbokjeol.[16][17]
The Peak aka Life of Lee Youk-sa, the Poet who Embraced Epoch, starring Kim Dong-wan of boyband Shinhwa 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.[20]
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.[21]
The ability to pardon prisoners on this day was the theme for a comedy film that was released in 2002, called Jail Breakers, where the main characters escape from prison, only to find out that they are going to be pardoned the next day on National Liberation Day.
^Toimela, Markku; Aalto, Kaj (2017). Salakahvilla Pohjois-Koreassa: Markku Toimelan jännittävä tie Pohjois-Korean luottomieheksi (in Finnish). Jyväskylä: Docendo. p. 40. ISBN978-952-291-369-2.
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