Jongno March 1st Movement Ceremony 'Reenacted 105 Years Ago at Tapgol Park'... Improvement Project Proclamation Ceremony Also Held

Young Independence Activist Jeong Jaeyong Revived by AI Technology
Reading the Declaration of Independence with His 33-Year-Old Great-Grandson

Jung Moon-heon, Mayor of Jongno-gu, attending the March 1st Movement anniversary ceremony held last year at Tapgol Park. (Photo by Jongno-gu Office)

Once again, “Long live Korean independence” will resound at Tapgol Park in Jongno, where the Declaration of Independence was read 105 years ago. Jongno-gu, Seoul (District Mayor Jeong Munheon) announced that it will hold the “105th Anniversary March 1st Movement Commemoration Ceremony” at Tapgol Park at 2 p.m. on March 1. The time of 2 p.m. marks the moment in 1919 when the Declaration of Independence was read.

On March 1, 1919, when 33 national representatives gathered at Taehwagwan to read the Declaration of Independence, independence activist Jeong Jaeyong (1886?1976) ascended the octagonal pavilion stage in Tapgol Park and read the March 1st Declaration of Independence aloud. As citizens joined in, the March 1st Independence Movement spread nationwide.

The event is co-hosted and organized by Jongno-gu, the Liberation Association, and the Jongno Cultural Center, with support from the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs. Representatives from seven major religious denominations?including Buddhism, Protestantism, Confucianism, Won Buddhism, Cheondogyo, and indigenous religions?as well as the president of the Liberation Association will attend. The program will proceed with a March 1st memorial service, speeches and congratulatory remarks by guests, reading of the Declaration of Independence, and a ceremony to announce the Tapgol Park Improvement Project.

At the ceremony, the district plans to use artificial intelligence (AI) technology to recreate the image of Jeong Jaeyong, a 33-year-old youth who fervently wished for the country’s independence 105 years ago, and have him read the Declaration of Independence together with his great-grandson Jeong Yeongyu (33).

Additionally, the district will hold the “Tapgol Park Improvement Project Announcement Ceremony,” symbolizing the restoration of Tapgol Park to its original state when it was designated as a national cultural asset. Under the subtitle “Returning Tapgol Park to Its Original Form,” a performance marking the first step of this project will take place.

District Mayor Jeong Munheon stated, “We will strive to reexamine the historical and cultural value of Tapgol Park and restore its original appearance through verification. We ask for continuous support and interest so that Tapgol Park, which embodies the spirit of our nation’s independence, can transform into an ‘educational space’ for learning the lessons of history and a ‘cultural space’ for all.”

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