Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon attended a Liberation Day bell-ringing ceremony at Bosingak pavilion in Jongno at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, joining 11 participants — including nine descendants of independence activists recommended by the Korean Liberation Association — to mark the 81st anniversary of Korea's liberation.
Among those who took part in this year's ceremony were Kim Sun-hee, a child of the late patriot Kim Sang-kwon, and Seo Dong-heup, a child of the late Seo Dal-su, along with seven other descendants of independence fighters who had resisted Japanese rule across the country. The group struck the bell a total of 33 times.
After the ringing, Oh waved a Taegukgi and led three cheers of "manse" — a traditional expression of hope for a bright future. He then joined the Seoul Future Union Choir, made up of about 100 citizens ranging from children to the elderly, in singing "Liberation Day Song" and "Ode to Seoul" to mark the occasion.
The venue also featured citizen participation programs, including an AI photo booth where visitors could take commemorative pictures against a backdrop evoking the moment of liberation, and a guided tour of independence movement sites across Seoul — including Bosingak, Tapgol Park and Seodaemun Prison.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government is running a special edition of its "Reading by the Clear Stream" program along Cheonggyecheon between Mojeon Bridge and Gwangtong Bridge from Friday through Sunday. The Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra will also hold a Liberation Day concert featuring Beethoven's "Choral" Symphony at the grand theater of Sejong Center for the Performing Arts on Sunday at 5 p.m.
seouldream01@heraldcorp.com
