"The Nation's Land May Disappear, But the National Spirit Remains"... Honam Uibyung Memorial Ceremony

An event commemorating the Honam Righteous Army of the late Joseon period, who fought to the end against Japanese imperialist oppression, was held in Gwangju.

The Gwangbokhoe Gwangju Metropolitan City Branch and the Hanmal Honam Uibyung Memorial Project Association held the "14th Hanmal Honam Uibyung Memorial Ceremony and Eodeungsan Uibyung Day Commemoration" on the morning of the 26th at the auditorium of Bomun High School in Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City.
[Photo by Min Hyun-gi]

On the morning of the 26th, the Gwangju Metropolitan City Branch of the Liberation Association and the Hanmal Honam Righteous Army Memorial Project Association held the "14th Honam Righteous Army Memorial Ceremony of the Late Joseon Period and Eodeungsan Righteous Army Day Commemoration" at the auditorium of Bomun High School in Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju.

About 300 people attended the memorial ceremony and commemoration, including Jeong Hong-sik, head of the Gwangju Regional Veterans Office, Jeong Mu-chang, chairman of the Gwangju City Council, Park Byung-gyu, mayor of Gwangsan District, members of the Liberation Association, and students of Bomun High School.

The event was divided into two parts. In the first part, a salpuri dance was performed to console the noble spirits of the Honam righteous army, and participants learned the Independence Army song. Lee Tae-ryong, director of the Independence Movement History Research Institute at Incheon National University, gave a special lecture on the theme "Honam Righteous Army during the Japanese Invasion Period."

In the second part, the ceremony concluded in the order of the national salute, welcoming remarks, memorial address, tribute speech, commemorative speech, reading of the loyalty proclamation, the Righteous Army song, and three cheers for victory.

Ko Wook, head of the Gwangju branch of the Liberation Association, said, "If you ask the April 19 Revolution how Gwangju became the torch that called for democracy, the answer lies there. The flag of the April 19 Revolution comes from the 1929 Gwangju Student Independence Movement, and its spirit originates from the righteous army independence movement of the late Joseon period." He added, "Year after year, we engrave the heartfelt stories of the righteous army ancestors and vow that no shameful history will ever be repeated on this land. We will live by the awakening order of Chairman Lee Jong-chan of the Liberation Association, who said, 'Even if the land disappears, the national spirit does not vanish.'"

Kim Gap-je, director of the Hanmal Honam Righteous Army Memorial Project Association, said, "The Honam righteous armies stood at the forefront not only during the Imjin War but also whenever the Joseon state abandoned its people and the military failed to protect them during national crises." He continued, "We earnestly hope that the spirit of independence of the Honam martyrs will be sublimated into the national spirit, and this event was organized to remember the anti-Japanese independence movements of the people in various regions of Gwangju and Jeonnam."

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