Independence Movement Day

(1st of March)

Today was the Independent Movement Day in Korea, being the anniversary of first resilience against the Japanese occupation of the Korean peninsula around the 1920s.

We headed towards the sound of a parade and managed to find a huge procession of proud Korean flags and banners headed toward the bottom of Gyeongbokgung Palace. We found the tremendous sight of crowds lined by the palace walls and surrounding mountains. The only thing i could even begin to liken the event to in the UK is Will and Kate’s wedding. There was a long boulevard filled with crowds waving Korean flags in time with an aggressive reading of the declaration of independence. People were happy to see our curiosity in what the day was about. But i couldn’t help noticing the hostility between Korea and Japan because of the attempted colonisation, which was a little intimidating and we ended up having to retreat to a museum exhibition on their beloved past King Yeongjo of Joseon. It was an escape from the madness and worryingly glorified military presence. It was an intense day, but i feel like i can understand better the current and past rich politics of Korea having seen the public’s passion for independence and peace through their fairly recent hardships.

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