August 15, 1945. We call this date Gwangbok-Jul, often translated as Korea’s National Liberation Day. Gwangbok (光復) is often interpreted to mean “to reclaim gloriously,” slightly different from haebang, liberation, in that the focus of the word does not reside in the removal of Japanese oppression of the people. Instead, Gwangbok places emphasis on the reclamation of lost statehood, national identity, and self-determination.

The historically celebrated date, August 15, is the date that Japan surrendered to the Allied powers ending the long-fought Second World War, but the history of Gwangbok begins much long ago. Efforts to reclaim lost identities began almost immediately after King Gojong agreed to the Eulsa Treaty in 1905, relinquishing Korea’s diplomatic power to become Japan’s protectorate. The Patriotic Enlightenment Movement (애국계몽운동) strived to spread knowledge and education to the people so that they could collectively resist the beginnings of colonization, while voluntary, informal “righteous armies” (의병) formed around the country to resist militarily colonization efforts by the Empire of Japan.

The history of the Korean Independence movement is long, and incredibly difficult to write out in this short piece – but from the end of the Korean Empire to the beginnings of the Republic of Korea, the existence of this country today is the product of many years of resistance and sacrifice.