The two Koreas to mark centenary of movement for independence from Japan together

In Kaesong a summit to organize the joint event to commemorate the March 1 Movement. Japan ruled the Korean peninsula from 1910 to 1945. In 1919, patriots publicly read the Unilateral Declaration of Independence. Tokyo carried out a ferocious repression: over 7 thousand dead, and 10 thousand injured.

Seoul (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Senior officials from both Koreas held an inter-Korean liaison meeting this morning. The issues discussed included the joint celebration of the next centenary of the Samil undong 삼일 운동 (三 一 運動), the "March 1 Movement", a popular uprising organized in 1919 against the colonial rule of Japan. This is reported by the Ministry of Unification of Seoul.

The summit took place in Kaesong, in the north. The South Korean deputy minister of Unification, Chun Hae-sung, and his North Korean counterpart, Hwang Chung-song, took part. The possibility of organizing an event to commemorate the independence movement has long existed.

In line with an agreement between the leaders of the two countries, Seoul has already presented a proposal that includes the candidate sites and some programs related to the celebration. Pyongyang still has to answer. Yesterday, a ministry official said that the joint celebration, if held, will be smaller than expected since the anniversary is only two weeks away.

Japan dominated the Korean peninsula from 1910 to 1945. In 1919, following the death of King Gojong of Korea, political exiles abroad and local clandestine movements wrote the Unilateral Declaration of Independence, called Gimidognip seoneonseo 기미 독립 선언서; they plan public reading for the first of March.

Gathered in the Seoul Pagoda Park, on the morning of that day the 33 signatory activists carried out their plan in front of a large crowd. A wave of protests followed that immediately took over the whole capital. The Japanese authorities responded with a ferocious repression; throughout the country there were more than 7 thousand dead, over 10 thousand injured and an unknown number of prisoners (for some experts 50 thousand).

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