132nd Anniversary Ceremony of the Donghak Peasant Revolution to Be Held at the National Museum of Korea

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced that, together with the Donghak Peasant Revolution Memorial Foundation, it will hold the "132nd Anniversary Ceremony of the Donghak Peasant Revolution" at 11:00 a.m. on May 11 in the main auditorium of the National Museum of Korea.

The Donghak Peasant Revolution, which took place in 1894, was a historic event in which people stood up autonomously against unjust realities and foreign invasions to create a world where all could prosper together. It is regarded as the starting point of democracy in the Republic of Korea.

This year’s ceremony, held under the slogan “Donghak Peasant Revolution, Becoming the Light of Today,” aims to honor the noble spirit of those who participated in the Donghak Peasant Revolution for the values of freedom and equality, and to reinterpret its historical significance in a modern context. Over 400 people are expected to attend, including descendants of revolution participants and officials from Donghak Peasant Revolution Commemoration Associations across the country.

During the event, Minister Choi Hwi-young will read President Lee Jaemyung’s written commemorative address. The address will highlight that the core values of a government based on popular sovereignty align with the ideology of “Great Unity” from the Donghak Peasant Revolution, and emphasize that the spirit which flowed through the March 1st Independence Movement, the 4·19 Revolution, and the 5·18 Democratization Movement, and continued through the Candlelight Revolution and the Revolution of Light, has become the driving force that brought today’s Republic of Korea to the world’s attention as a “model democratic nation.”

Next, Shin Soon-cheol, Chairman of the Donghak Foundation, and Jeong Tan-jin, Chairman of the Descendants Association, will present registration certificates to families newly registered as descendants this year. A commemorative performance will follow. The theater troupe Hanhol and the Brillante Children’s Choir will stage a dramatic retelling based on letters written by Handalmun, a member of the Donghak Peasant Army, to his mother, depicting the circumstances of the time. Singer An Ye-eun will perform “Beautiful Country” together with the children’s choir.

Minister Choi Hwi-young stated, “Remembering and reviving the spirit of the Donghak Peasant Revolution is essential to establishing our identity,” and added, “We will continue to promote initiatives that share the historical significance and spread the spirit of the Donghak Peasant Revolution together with the public.”