Commemorative events, art displays and musical performances serve as renditions of the 80th year since the liberation celebration.
South Korea is commemorating the 80th anniversary of its liberation from Japanese colonial rule with a series of major events, including a national Liberation Day ceremony, multiple art exhibitions, and cultural festivals.
On Aug. 15, a commemorative Liberation Day ceremony will be held at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Seoul, attended by President Lee Jae Myung, families of independence activists, and about 2,500 people. The president will deliver a speech honoring independence fighters and calling for peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula.
One of the key exhibitions is "The Radiant Heritage of Independence" at Deonduk Hall in Deoksu Palace, featuring rare artifacts from the anti-Japanese resistance movement and AI-revived faces of independence heroes. This and other exhibitions encourage reflection on Korean identity and the significance of liberation.
An evening festival titled “We Are the Light” took place on August 14 at Heungnyemun Square, Gyeongbokgung Palace, celebrating liberation with cultural performances and community gatherings.
Overseas, commemorative events such as the “Spirit of Korea” concert were held in Los Angeles on August 2, featuring Korean-American musicians performing works reflecting on the liberation anniversary.
The National Museum of Korea's annex is hosting the "Independence and Invention" exhibition, exploring the lives and innovations of five inventors who contributed to Korea's modernization. The National Museum of Korea is also hosting the special exhibition "The Radiant Strides, Moving the World", celebrating Korean athletes who inspired generations.
A series of performances will be held to mark the 80th Liberation Day, including "Train No. 37", a sung-through musical memorializing the 1937 forced migration of Koreans to Central Asia. The National Gugak Center is hosting two special concerts: "The Light We Sing" and "8.15 Seoul, My Soul" at Seoul Plaza.
On Aug. 16, "8.15 Seoul, My Soul" will be a free outdoor gala starting at 7 p.m. at Seoul Plaza, pairing timeless songs from "Les Miserables" and stirring numbers from the Korean hit musical "Hero", featuring top musical theater actors.
The National Asia Culture Center (ACC) in Gwangju will commemorate the 80th Liberation Day with two programs honoring independence activist Park Yeol. The National Folk Museum's Paju branch is hosting the video exhibition "The Reclaimed Light, the Enduring Song, Arirang", examining the evolution of Korea's most iconic folk song.
At Nodeul Island, large-scale Taegeukgi installations and an indoor exhibition showcasing historical photographs and portraits of 80 female independence activists have been organized by the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture (SFAC). Until Aug. 16, "My Taegeukgi, Our Taegeukgi" will run at SFAC's five regional culture and arts education centers, where participants can design their own artistic Taegeukgi using DIY kits.
On Aug. 15 at 3 p.m., Theater 2 at ACC will stage the musical "Park Yeol", based on the true story of Park and Kaneko Fumiko following the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake. On Aug. 16 at 2 p.m., ACC's Theater 3 will screen Lee Joon-ik's award-winning 2017 film "Anarchist from Colony", which vividly depicts Park's courtroom defiance based on actual trial records.
The exhibition "The Journey of Taegeukgi" traces the journey from Sohn Kee-chung's 1936 Olympic victory to the symbolic torch relay at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. South Korea is hosting a nationwide program to celebrate the 80th anniversary of its liberation from Japanese colonial rule, with events combining formal state ceremonies, cultural exhibitions highlighting Korea’s independence heritage, and celebratory performances across both South Korea and Korean diaspora communities.
- In addition to the formal ceremonies and historical exhibitions, the "Spirit of Korea" concert in Los Angeles featured Korean-American musicians playing music that reflected on the liberation anniversary.
- As part of the commemorative events, the evening festival "We Are the Light" celebrated liberation with entertainment performances and community gatherings at Heungnyemun Square, Gyeongbokgung Palace.
