Mayor Heo Seong-mu at the March 1st Movement Ceremony: "We Will Remember Our Ancestors' Passionate Cry"

Full text of Mayor Heo Seong-mu of Changwon City's March 1st Movement commemoration message.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Saeyan] “Despite the pain of losing our country, we remember the passionate cries of our ancestors who stood up resolutely without falling, and we vow to overcome today's crisis.”

Heo Seong-mu, Mayor of Changwon, held a memorial ceremony and commemoration for the patriotic martyrs and independence activists on the occasion of the 102nd Samiljeol (March 1st Movement Day).

At the memorial ceremony and commemoration held at the Patriotic Martyrs Shrine in Jinjeon-myeon, Masanhappo-gu, Changwon, Mayor Heo delivered a commemorative message mentioning five local independence activists engraved in the Nubi Exhibition to inspire citizens' historical awareness and enhance their pride.

The 145 independence activists from the Changwon area registered with the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs include Lee Gyo-jae, an independence activist recognized by the Shanghai Provisional Government; Pastor Ju Gi-cheol, who refused to participate in shrine worship and continued anti-Japanese movements until his death in prison; Heo Dang Myung Do-seok, a former fish market innkeeper who led the national movement in Masan; Bae Jung-se, who organized the Uiyeoldan and carried out anti-Japanese independence activities; and Kim Jin-hoon, who died a patriotic martyr at the young age of 22 due to severe torture by the Japanese police.

Mayor Heo reflected, “These are all names we must remember. The passionate aspirations of our ancestors flow through our bodies, and the land we stand on was made by their courage.”

Meanwhile, Changwon City is promoting the construction project of the Changwon Independence Movement Memorial Hall, aiming for completion in December 2023, to pass on the spirit of patriotism of local anti-Japanese independence activists to future generations.

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