Mayor Kihyung Lee of Gimpo: "The Devotion of Independence Activists Is the Foundation of Today's Gimpo"

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In celebration of the 81st anniversary of Liberation Day, Gimpo City in Gyeonggi Province has held commemorative events that revisit the legacies of independence activists from Gimpo and encourage direct participation from citizens.

Lee Ki-hyung, Mayor of Gimpo, is delivering a congratulatory address at the 81st Liberation Day celebration held on the morning of the 15th at Gimpo Art Hall. Provided by Gimpo City

On the morning of the 15th, Gimpo City hosted a Liberation Day celebration at Gimpo Art Hall with over 500 attendees, including members of the Association of National Liberation Patriots, citizens, National Assembly members, provincial and city councilors, and heads of public institutions and organizations. This was the first national holiday event since the inauguration of the 9th popularly elected administration, making it notable for positioning citizens not merely as spectators but as central participants in the ceremony.

The celebration began with an introduction of the Association of National Liberation Patriots members. Before the national pledge, the names of 57 members sitting in the front rows were individually announced alongside the names of their independent patriot ancestors. Each time they stood, the audience expressed their gratitude with applause.

Commendations were presented to Myungwoo Choi (descendant of independent patriot Woo Kyeom Choi), a member of the Gimpo branch of the Association of National Liberation Patriots, and Seongrok Lee (descendant of independent patriot Younggil Lee), in recognition of their efforts to carry on the spirit of national independence and contribute to community development.

The event featured AI-generated videos that revived the faces and names of Gimpo’s independence activists who devoted themselves to the country’s liberation, bringing the region’s previously forgotten independence history to life on stage and moving the audience.

Citizens also took to the stage. The Gimpo City Children’s Choir performed “Hororo Arirang” in chorus, and 25 members of the Gimpo-bondong community leaders’ group led the audience in singing the Liberation Day Song on behalf of the citizens. The celebration concluded with a three cheers for victory led by Gyesoon Kim, Chairperson of the Gimpo City Council.

Kihyung Lee, Mayor of Gimpo City, stated, “The devotion of Gimpo’s independence activists and ancestors who gave everything for the nation’s freedom forms the very foundation of today’s Gimpo. We will activate the Memorial Hall for the Independence Movement as a living space for history education, and we will ensure that there is no neglect in honoring the families of patriots, including by expanding veterans’ benefits.”

Attendees including Lee Ki-hyung, Mayor of Gimpo, are performing the three cheers of "Manse" at the 81st Liberation Day Celebration held at Gimpo Art Hall on the morning of the 15th. Provided by Gimpo City

He added, “Now, the light we reclaimed 81 years ago will become a beacon guiding Gimpo toward a great leap forward, together with our citizens.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.