Gangbuk-gu Runs History Education Programs for All Generations at Modern History Memorial Hall

Seoul's Gangbuk-gu (district mayor Lee Soon-hee) announced that the Modern History Memorial Hall — operated by the district under a contract with the Institute for Research in Collaborationist Activities — will run a range of history education programs, including the "2026 First-Half Independence Democracy Citizen School," to deepen residents' historical awareness and promote generation-specific history education.

The "2026 First-Half Independence Democracy Citizen School" will run four sessions from June 20 to July 18 in the memorial hall's lecture room, under the theme "Revisiting the June 10 Independence Movement."

The lecture series was organized to reexamine the historical significance of the June 10 Independence Movement and the spirit of national resistance, and to explore the values of the independence movement and their legacy.

The four sessions will proceed in the following order: "How Have We Remembered the June 10 Independence Movement?" by Yoon Sang-won, professor at Jeonbuk National University, on June 20 at 2 p.m.; "Who Led the June 10 Independence Movement?" by Lim Kyung-seok, emeritus professor at Sungkyunkwan University, on July 4 at 1 p.m.; "The Students Who Led the Protest on June 10, 1926" by Park Jong-rin, professor at Hannam University, on July 4 at 3:30 p.m.; and "The June 10 Independence Movement as an Anti-Japanese National United Front Movement" by Kim Jeong-in, professor at Chuncheon National University of Education, on July 18 at 2 p.m.

Alongside this, the Modern History Memorial Hall is also running hands-on history education programs for elementary, middle and high school students.

The elementary school program, "Find the Secrets of the Modern History Memorial Hall!," combines curriculum-linked workbook activities with a craft session making Bonghwanggak mood lamps. This year, 28 elementary school classes within the district are scheduled to visit between April and September through an MOU with the Seongbuk-Gangbuk Office of Education. Registration closed early amid strong interest.

The middle and high school program, "Junhee's Accidental Time Travel," is a standing history education and experience program. It uses virtual reality and the metaverse to let students meet independence activists from Gangbuk-gu through workbook activities, along with a craft session making acrylic puzzle keyrings.

Both the Independence Democracy Citizen School and the youth history classes are free to attend. Residents and schools wishing to participate may apply through the Modern History Memorial Hall's website or by phone. Spots for the citizen school are filled on a first-come, first-served basis, and applicants may sign up for all sessions or only the sessions of their choice. Group bus support is also available for the youth history classes.

A memorial hall official said the programs were intended to give residents a meaningful opportunity to learn deeply about the values and spirit of resistance in Korea's modern history ahead of the 100th anniversary of the June 10 Independence Movement. The official added that the hall would continue to develop diverse history and cultural education programs so that all generations — from children to adults — can learn and experience history in a vivid, engaging way.