Yeongdeungpo-gu Yangpyeong-dong Lotte Yangpyeong Building 3.1 Movement Monument Erected... Eunpyeong-gu Raises ‘Jingwansa Taegeukgi’ for March 1st Movement Day

[Seoul District News] Yeongdeungpo-gu Creates 3.1 Movement Memorial Stone Made of Granite (100cm×65cm×50cm) at Lotte Yangpyeong Building Public Notice Ahead of March 1st... Seong Jang-hyun, Yongsan-gu Mayor, Pays Tribute at Yu Gwan-sun Memorial on Feb 28... Jungnang-gu Holds '103rd March 1st Independence Movement Commemoration Ceremony' at Manguri Park on March 1 at 2 PM... Dobong-gu Presents as Leading Local Government at National Assembly Forum for Resident Autonomy Activation in Decentralization 2.0 Era

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Yeongdeungpo-gu (Mayor Chae Hyun-il) will commemorate the 103rd anniversary of the March 1st Movement by erecting a marker stone at the site where the independence movement took place.

103 years ago, four locations in Yeongdeungpo-gu witnessed the March 1st Movement. According to the National Institute of Korean History and the March 25, 1919 edition of the Maeil Shinbo newspaper, “On March 23, the March 1st Movement broke out in various places including Yeongdeungpo-myeon Yeongdeungpo-ri, Dangsan-ri, Yangpyeong-ri, and Yanghwa-ri (currently Yeongdeungpo-dong, Dangsan 2-dong, Yangpyeong 2-dong).”

Based on these records, the district installed a marker stone at Yeongdeungpo Station Square in 2020 to widely publicize the spirit of the patriots who resisted Japanese colonial rule. This year, it will install a marker stone at the site of the Yangpyeong-dong March 1st Movement. At that time, over 300 residents of Yangpyeong-dong protested against Japanese rule, shouting for Korean independence.

The marker stone will be installed in the publicly accessible area of the Lotte Yangpyeong Building (10, Yangpyeong-ro 21-gil, Yeongdeungpo-gu), near Seonyudo Station, which is considered the site of the March 1st Movement.

Made of granite measuring 100 cm wide × 65 cm high × 50 cm deep, the inscription reads: “1919.3.23. Yeongdeungpo-myeon Yangpyeong-ri, here over 300 people held the March 1st Movement to widely expose the injustice of Japanese rule.”

On March 1, a dedication ceremony was planned with Mrs. Tan Young-in (Incheon), granddaughter of the late Mr. Tan Won-gi, who led the March 1st Movement and endured imprisonment. However, the event was canceled due to the spread of COVID-19.

Meanwhile, the district plans to sequentially install March 1st Movement marker stones at the sites of Dangsan-ri and Yangjin-ri, which also witnessed the movement, to utilize them as exploration sites for local memorial facilities.

Chae Hyun-il, Mayor of Yeongdeungpo-gu, said, “Although the barley fields where the Korean independence cries once echoed have disappeared, the noble spirit of our patriots continues to live in our hearts. We will do our best to make Yeongdeungpo-gu a place where those who dedicated themselves to the country are respected.”

On the 28th, ahead of the 103rd anniversary of the March 1st Movement, Seong Jang-hyun, Mayor of Yongsan-gu, visited the Itaewon Bugundang Historical Park (33, Noksapyeong-daero 40da-gil) to pay respects at the memorial monument for the independence activist Yu Gwan-sun.

This was to honor the spirit of Yu Gwan-sun, a symbol of the independence movement, and to alleviate the disappointment of not being able to hold a March 1st commemorative event due to COVID-19.

The district’s memorial project for Yu Gwan-sun began in 2015. Yu Gwan-sun, who sacrificed her life for independence at the young age of 18, was initially buried in Itaewon Cemetery and later moved to Manguri Cemetery. To remember her, a memorial monument was erected in April 2015 at Itaewon Bugundang Historical Park, and on Arbor Day 2016, soil and pine trees from her birthplace in Cheonan were planted in front of the monument. The nearby road was also named “Yu Gwansun-gil” in her honor.

Meanwhile, to commemorate this year’s March 1st Movement, the district created a Taegeukgi (Korean national flag) street in the vicinity of Hyochang Park, spanning 710 meters with 35 street flags and 30 Taegeukgi trees, providing an opportunity to foster patriotism in daily life.

Seong Jang-hyun, Mayor of Yongsan-gu, said, “Every inch of this land we stand on is as precious as the lives of the patriots who sacrificed themselves. Our duty is to pass on this precious land, which was protected with their lives, intact to future generations. As Shin Chae-ho said, ‘A nation that forgets its history has no future.’ Continuing the independence spirit of Yu Gwan-sun is a mission for all of us.”

Memorial Ceremony for the 101st Anniversary of the Death of Yu Gwan-sun Held in September 2021

Jungnang-gu (Mayor Ryu Kyung-gi), in collaboration with the Jungnang Branch of the Liberation Association (Chairman Kang Tae-jin), will hold the “103rd Anniversary March 1st Movement Patriotism Commemoration Ceremony” on March 1 at 2 p.m. at the joint burial site of Yu Gwan-sun in Manguri Park to reflect on the noble spirit of the independence movement and continue the spirit of patriotism.

Manguri Park, where the 103rd anniversary event will be held, is the resting place of many patriots who devoted their lives to the country, including Yu Gwan-sun and 33 national representatives who led the March 1st Movement such as Manhae Han Yong-un and Oh Se-chang, as well as independence activists Bang Jeong-hwan and Moon Il-pyeong. It is a place imbued with the lives and spirits of those who sacrificed for the nation.

The ceremony will begin with the national anthem, followed by readings of the Declaration of Independence by Jungnang-gu Mayor Ryu Kyung-gi, Liberation Association Chairman Kang Tae-jin, and representatives of parents, youth, and students. Afterwards, commemorative speeches by the mayor and chairman, the singing of the March 1st Movement song, and a reenactment performance by a musical actor portraying Yu Gwan-sun will take place. The event will conclude with flower offerings and three cheers of “Manse.”

Ryu Kyung-gi, Mayor of Jungnang-gu, said, “I hope this event commemorating the 103rd anniversary of the March 1st Movement will shed light on the precious historical heritage in our district. At a time when the entire world is constrained by COVID-19, I hope we can overcome current difficulties and pledge a hopeful future by inheriting the spirit of our ancestors who turned adversity into opportunity.”

The ceremony will be held on a small scale with social distancing measures in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19, with participation limited to about 50 people including veterans’ organizations and local residents.

Eunpyeong-gu (Mayor Kim Mi-kyung) raised the “Jingwansa Taegeukgi” (Treasure No. 2142), designated as a national treasure on October 25 last year, as street flags along major arterial roads in the Eunpyeong area to commemorate the 103rd anniversary of the March 1st Movement.

The flags will be displayed for two days from February 28 to March 1. The display routes include Tongil-ro, Eunpyeong-ro, Jeungsan-ro, Yeonseo-ro, and Seooreung-ro. As part of the memorial project for Baek Cho-wol, an independence activist from Eunpyeong, the district has raised the Jingwansa Taegeukgi along with the national flag every year on March 1st and Liberation Day since 2015.

The “Jingwansa Taegeukgi” is the Taegeukgi used by the monk Baek Cho-wol during the independence movement. It was discovered on May 26, 2009, during dismantling and repair work at the Chilseonggak of Jingwansa Temple, found between the altar and a pillar. Its dimensions are 89 cm wide, 70 cm high, with the Taegeuk diameter measuring 32 cm. Along with the flag, other independence movement materials were found, making it a cultural asset of great historical value.

Notably, the “Jingwansa Taegeukgi” is believed to have been made by painting the Japanese imperial flag’s red sun with blue, symbolizing strong resistance against Japanese oppression. It also highlights the active exchange between the Buddhist community and the Korean Provisional Government and the role temples like Jingwansa played as important bases in the independence movement. It is an important resource for re-examining the reality and significance of Korea’s independence movement history.

A district official stated, “Baek Cho-wol’s Jingwansa Taegeukgi, a proud symbol of independence, has become Eunpyeong’s fifth national treasure. We hope residents will feel proud when they see the Jingwansa Taegeukgi raised as street flags on March 1st.”

Meanwhile, under the “Joint Promotion Agreement for the Memorial Project of Monk Baek Cho-wol” signed in 2016, the district has continued the memorial project by raising the Jingwansa Taegeukgi in Goseong and Hamyang counties in Gyeongnam Province.

Lee Dong-jin, Mayor of Dobong-gu, Seoul, attended a National Assembly forum on February 25 held in Seminar Room 1 of the National Assembly Members’ Office Building to discuss revitalizing resident autonomy in the era of Local Autonomy 2.0 and presented a case study of a leading local government.

Co-hosted by the Korea Association of Mayors, Governors, and District Heads, National Assembly members Park Jae-ho and Oh Young-hoon, and the National Network for Resident Autonomy Legislation, the forum gathered experts from various fields of resident autonomy to explore legislative measures for revitalizing resident autonomy and preparing for the Local Autonomy 2.0 era.

At the event, Dobong-gu, recognized as a “Leading Local Government for Resident Autonomy” by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety in 2018, presented its case on “Resident Autonomy and Public-Private Cooperation in the Local Autonomy 2.0 Era.” Mayor Lee Dong-jin, who also serves as the current chairman of the Local Autonomy Local Government Council, delivered the presentation personally.

Mayor Lee explained that decentralization and realization of resident autonomy are national and era-defining tasks in local governance, and that the role of residents is gradually shifting from “mobilization type → participation type → cooperation type.”

He reviewed Dobong-gu’s efforts to revitalize resident autonomy, highlighting achievements such as ▲the nation’s first enactment of the Basic Ordinance on Resident Participation in 2011 ▲Seoul’s first enactment of the Resident Participation Budget Ordinance in 2011 ▲being a leading autonomous district that started village communities before Seoul in 2012 ▲the nation’s first enactment of the Basic Ordinance for Cooperation Activation in 2016 ▲Seoul’s first enactment of the Ordinance on Establishment and Operation of Resident Autonomy Councils in 2017.

Furthermore, Dobong-gu’s resident autonomy process has been evaluated as stable through ▲establishing a resident participation foundation via village planning groups (expanding village planning to all neighborhoods) ▲prioritizing village planning before transitioning to resident autonomy and promoting “gradual resident autonomy councils” ▲and a differentiated promotion strategy based on the principle that “autonomy is about direction, not speed,” emphasizing “process and people.”

In closing, Mayor Lee addressed the discussion on legislation for resident autonomy councils, stating, “A new perspective is needed beyond the extension of the Special Act on Local Administrative System Reform. An essential approach rather than a functional one is required. Also, rather than uniform application, a phased approach and guaranteed diversity are necessary. Detailed matters should be delegated to ordinances, but institutional grounds for establishing and supporting resident autonomy councils must be prepared. This requires joint efforts by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and local governments.”

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