“Long Live Korean Independence!” (“대한민국만세!!”)
“Long Live Korean Independence!” (“대한민국만세!!”)
I just walked through the Independence Park yesterday and started thinking. And as much as I respect Miss Seo Jae Won for her efforts in ballet at the National University of Arts, I have always seen Ryu Gwansun as Miss Korea forever. Ryu Gwansun was just seventeen when she received a teaching scholarship at Ewha Woman’s University High School in 1919. She witnessed the March First Independence March in Seodaemun known as Independence Gate today. I just passed through that same spot yesterday and took this picture at the independence gate.
After March 1st, 1919 the Japanese government closed all the schools and Ryu Gwansun returned to her hometown, Cheonan, and participated in the independence movement with her parents.
Both of her parents were killed in the Independence demonstrations. She was arrested and promised a lighter sentence in exchange for giving up her nationalistic ideas. She never compromised. She remained a patriot and in Korea she is like a modern “Joan of Ark". She was tortured and she died in prison when she was only 18. But she will always be free. She became the inspiration for Korean people to unite in the movement for independence.
So who is Miss Korea? Today there are so many beautiful girls in Korea. Some of them are great and talented in sports and excel in academics but the real Miss Korea is a girl who stood by what she believed facing torture and trial she endured and gave her life for her country.
Today we realize that there is something more than ourselves that must live on. Ryu Gwansoon shouted, “Long Live Korean Independence!” It wasn’t until after 1945 Korea received independence from Japan but because of the independence movement the Korean government lived on and the Korean language lived on. Today we don’t know how much influence of our own lives have. We need a bigger goal. For Ryu Gwansun it was, “Long Live Korean Independence!” This has inspired Koreans until today. There is even a family with triplets in Korea. The father named them 대한(Long Live) 민국(Korean) and 만세 (Independence)!
Let’s do something great with this Steemit community and share quality posts and help each other out. Long Live Steemit Independence!!
Love,
365GROOVY