"Not a Given Liberation" Commemorating the 76th Anniversary of Liberation, Seoul Dream Signboard Public Display

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Seoul Metropolitan Government will unveil the third Seoul Dream Billboard commemorating the 76th anniversary of Liberation Day to the public on the 23rd. Following the themes of ‘Dokdo’ and ‘Liberation Army Uniform,’ the final theme reflecting on the meaning of Liberation Day is ‘Cave.’

The Dream Billboard features the phrase, “Liberation was not given for free. The people move forward toward a great Republic of Korea and a stronger future,” alongside a photo of a cave wall. This cave is located midway up the mountain in Sinseondong, Taepyeong Village, Najagu, Wangqing County, Jilin Province, Manchuria. The cave wall still bears drawings of the Taegeukgi flag as well as inscriptions of the Korean Independence Army and names.

According to academia, this cave is believed to have been a hiding place for students of the Najagu Military Academy (Dongrim School) who were preparing for armed anti-Japanese resistance in the mid-1910s. The names written just above the Taegeukgi drawing are ‘Lee Jun, Ryang Hee, Ji Seung-ho, Jang Tae-ho,’ who are likely students of Dongrim School.

This Dream Billboard, which shows that the history of the independence movement is alive and breathing across the world, can be seen at Seoul Plaza until September 12. After that, the billboard will feature the winning phrase from a public contest themed on “words that evoke leisure and happiness in autumn.”

Yoon Jong-jang, Director of Citizen Communication Planning at Seoul City, said, “The reason we have been able to protect our country’s independence and sovereignty from the past to the present is above all because of the earnest wishes and devoted sacrifices of the people.” He added, “Just as the liberation 76 years ago was not a fortune given for free, I hope all Seoul citizens, facing the more difficult times due to the spread of COVID-19, believe in their own resilience and wisely overcome this crisis.”

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