National Liberation Day of Korea
The National Liberation Day of Korea is a holiday celebrated annually on 15 August in both South and North Korea. It commemorates Victory over Japan Day, when the United States and the Allies liberated Korea from 35 years of Japanese colonial rule. Etymology. In South Korea it is known as Gwangbokjeol (광복절; literally, "the day the light returned"), and is one of the public holidays in South Korea. In North Korea it is known as Chogukhaebangŭi nal (조국해방의 날; literally "Liberation of the Fatherland Day"), and is also one of the public holidays in North  Korea. The name "Gwangbokjeol" is composed from the Korean words 광 (gwang), meaning “light”; 복 (bok), meaning “restoration”; and 절 (jeol), meaning “holiday”. The word “restoration” is used rather than the word for “independence”, 독립 (dongnip), in order to illustrate how Korea had been a nation for centuries prior to Japanese rule. History. The day marks the annual anniversary of the announcement that Japan would unconditionally surrender on August 15, 1945. All forces of the Imperial Japanese Army were ordered to surrender to the Allies. Independent Korean governments were created three years later, on 15 August 1948, when the pro -U.S. Syngman Rhee was elected first President of South Korea and pro-Soviet Kim Il-sung was made first Leader of North Korea. "Gwangbokjeol" was officially designated a public holiday on 1 October 1949 in South Korea and is known as "Chogukhaebangŭi nal" (; literally "Liberation of Fatherland Day") in North Korea. Korea has been an independent nation for centuries, but it had been invaded multiple times, the last being the period of Japanese rule. It took three years after Korea became independent in 1945 for the nation to actually establish the Republic of Korea on August 15th, when National Liberation  Day is celebrated. August 15th is celebrated by many countries as Victory Over Japan Day, the day Japan was defeated and the Second World War came to an end. America, however, commemorates this day in September when the Japanese formally signed a declaration of surrender. North Korea. North Korea currently celebrates this holiday separately from South Korea. Nevertheless, Liberation Day is the only Korean holiday that is celebrated by both countries. In North Korea, it is typical to schedule weddings on the holiday. On 5 August 2015, the North Korean government decided to return to , effective 15 August 2015, and  said the official name would be Pyongyang Time or (PYT). The government of North Korea made this decision as a break from 'imperialism'; the time zone change went into effect on the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Korea. The holiday is often celebrated with a military parade on Kim Il-sung Square on jubilee years (ex: 25th anniversary, 40th anniversary, 50th anniversary, 60th anniversary, 70th anniversary) with the attendance of the Chairman of the State Affairs Commission and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of North Korea. The first parade was held in 1949 at Pyongyang Station. It  was held again in 1953, and then conducted every year until 1960, when it took a pause until the early 2000s. South Korea. Public holiday. In South Korea, many activities and events take place on the holiday, including an official ceremony attended by the President of the Republic either at the Independence Hall of Korea in Cheonan or at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts. During the celebration, the flags of different countries around the world hung in the middle of the road around the Jamsil area of Seoul between the Olympic Stadium and Olympic Park are taken down  and replaced with Korean national flags. All buildings and homes are encouraged to display the South Korean national flag "Taegukgi". Not only are most public museums and places open free of charge to the descendants of independence activists on the holiday, but they can also travel on both public transport and intercity trains for free. The official ""Gwangbokjeol" song" (광복절 노래) is sung at official ceremonies. The song's lyrics were written by Jeong Inbo (정인보) and the melody by Yoon Yongha (윤용하). The lyrics speak of "to touch the earth again" and how "the sea dances", how "this day  is the remaining trace of 40 years of passionate blood solidified" and to "guard this forever and ever". The government traditionally issues special pardons on "Gwangbokjeol". Assassination attempt. At 10:23 a.m., 15 August 1974, Mun Se-gwang, a Zainichi Korean and North Korean sympathizer, attempted to assassinate President Park Chung-hee at the National Theater of Korea in Seoul during a Gwangbokjeol ceremony; Park was unharmed but his wife Yuk Young-soo, First Lady of South Korea, was killed.