Independence Hall Cancels Liberation Day Celebration for the First Time in 37 Years Since Opening

“Director Participates in Government-Hosted Liberation Day Event”…Only Cultural Programs Held

The Independence Hall of Korea has decided to cancel the Liberation Day commemoration ceremony for the first time since its opening, holding only cultural events instead.

According to the Independence Hall, it had been preparing the commemorative cultural event "Geunari Omyeon" to mark the 79th anniversary of Liberation Day on the 15th. In previous years, the Independence Hall hosted Liberation Day events either organized by the central government with the President in attendance, by the Chungnam Provincial Government, or by the Hall itself.

This year, as both the central government and Chungnam Province are holding separate commemorative events at venues other than the Independence Hall, the Hall had planned to hold its own event.

The schedule included the Liberation Day commemoration ceremony at 10 a.m., followed by cultural events in the afternoon such as the Black Eagles air show, percussion performances, fusion Korean traditional music performances, popera performances, a concert by singer Koyote, as well as special exhibitions, document releases, academic symposiums, and various hands-on activities.

However, after the inauguration of the new director Kim Hyungseok on the 8th, the commemoration ceremony was canceled. This is the first time in the 37-year history of the Independence Hall that the ceremony has been canceled.

The Independence Hall stated, "The new director was invited to the government-hosted Liberation Day ceremony," and explained, "With no director present at the Hall, it was difficult to hold the commemoration ceremony, so it was canceled."

The local political community immediately voiced opposition.

Lee Jungmoon, a member of the National Assembly from the Democratic Party, said, "This should never have happened. The government event is the government event, but the Hall should have held its own event. I don't know why the Yoon Sukyeol administration is doing this, but it is a problem that the well-managed institution is now in crisis just because one director was replaced. Whether through the Political Affairs Committee or the National Assembly, we will work to correct this."

Meanwhile, the Liberation Association has identified the new director Kim as a New Right scholar and has opposed his appointment. The Liberation Association, the Institute for Research in Collaborationist Activities, and others are continuing protests at the Independence Hall calling for Kim's resignation.

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