Every August 15, South Korea observes Gwangbokjeol (광복절), National Liberation Day. The Chinese characters in Gwangbok (光復) literally carry the sense of “restoring light,” but in Korean modern history the word refers more specifically to recovering the national sovereignty that had been lost under Japanese colonial rule.
Gwangbokjeol commemorates Korea’s liberation from Japanese colonial rule on August 15, 1945, as well as the formal launch of the government of the Republic of Korea on August 15, 1948. In 1949, August 15 was officially designated as a national holiday under the name Gwangbokjeol, a history summarized by Korea’s National Archives in its official Gwangbokjeol record.
When I was young, one of the clearest signs that Gwangbokjeol had arrived was the Taegeukgi, the Korean national flag. Apartment balconies would be lined with flags, sometimes enough that an entire building seemed covered with them. That scene is much less common today, but the historical meaning of August 15 has not disappeared simply because the way people observe national holidays has changed.
What Does Gwangbokjeol Commemorate?
In 1910, the Korean Empire was annexed by Japan, beginning 35 years of Japanese colonial rule. Colonial rule affected not only politics and the economy but also education, language, culture, and many parts of everyday life.
Japan’s surrender at the end of World War II brought colonial rule to an end in August 1945. For Koreans, August 15 became the day associated with Gwangbok—the recovery of a country that had lost its sovereignty.
The history of the Republic of Korea, however, cannot be understood only through 1945 or 1948. Following the March First Movement in 1919, the Korean Provisional Government was established in Shanghai, and the current Constitution of the Republic of Korea states that the country carries on the legitimacy of the Provisional Government established through the March First Independence Movement.
Japanese colonial rule ended in 1945, and on August 15, 1948, the government of the Republic of Korea was formally launched. Gwangbokjeol came to commemorate both liberation and the establishment of the government that followed it.
Liberation Came After Decades of Independence Movements
Japan’s defeat in World War II created the immediate international circumstances that ended colonial rule, but Korean resistance did not begin in 1945. Independence movements had continued for decades before liberation arrived.
On March 1, 1919, people took to the streets across Korea demanding independence. The March First Movement was followed by the establishment of the Korean Provisional Government, while resistance continued through many different organizations and political traditions.
Armed independence groups operated in Manchuria and China. The Provisional Government pursued diplomatic and military efforts overseas, while students, underground organizations, workers, religious groups, and other activists continued resistance inside Korea. These movements did not always agree about politics or about what an independent Korea should eventually become, but they shared the immediate goal of ending Japanese colonial rule.
Many of the people involved never became well-known national figures. Some were imprisoned, tortured, or killed, while others provided money, shelter, information, transportation, printing facilities, or other forms of support. I explore more of those different people and political backgrounds in my article on Seodaemun Prison and Korea’s independence activists.
A small number of foreigners also became involved in Korea’s independence movement. Homer Hulbert worked for decades to inform international audiences about Japan’s actions in Korea and argued for Korean independence. British journalist Ernest Bethell used the Daehan Maeil Sinbo to criticize Japanese policies, while Canadian Frank Schofield photographed the March First demonstrations and documented atrocities including the Jeam-ri massacre.
These were not simply foreigners who happened to be sympathetic observers. Some were later officially recognized by the Republic of Korea for their contributions to Korean independence. The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, for example, records Homer Hulbert’s activities and his posthumous Order of Merit for National Foundation.
Remembering these people does not change the fact that Korea’s independence movement was primarily a struggle carried out by Koreans themselves. It does, however, show that opposition to Japanese colonial rule sometimes crossed national boundaries.
Liberation Brought Joy, but Also Division
August 15, 1945 was clearly a day of enormous relief and celebration. After decades of colonial rule, Koreans could finally see that Japanese rule was ending.
But liberation did not immediately produce a single independent Korean government controlled entirely by Koreans. As part of the arrangements surrounding Japan’s surrender, Soviet forces entered the northern part of the peninsula and American forces entered the south, divided roughly along the 38th parallel.
What had initially been drawn as a military boundary developed into a much deeper political division as relations between the United States and the Soviet Union deteriorated and conflicts within Korea intensified. In 1948, the government of the Republic of Korea was formally launched in the South, while a separate regime, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, was established in the North. Two years later, the Korean War began.
That history makes August 15 more complicated than a simple ending to one chapter. Colonial rule ended, which was an enormous achievement and source of relief, but Korea soon faced occupation by competing powers, political division, and eventually war.
The joy of liberation and the tragedy of division therefore sit very close together in Korean modern history.
How Gwangbokjeol Is Observed Today
Today, the South Korean government holds an official Gwangbokjeol ceremony every August 15. Independence activists and their families are remembered, and museums, memorial sites, local governments, and cultural institutions often hold exhibitions or commemorative programs related to liberation and the independence movement.
One of the most familiar traditions is displaying the Taegeukgi. Koreans are encouraged to fly the national flag at homes and buildings on Gwangbokjeol, just as they do on several other national holidays.
Television channels also commonly show documentaries, films, historical programs, and news features about the colonial period and independence movement. Museums and sites connected with independence history can become especially visible around August.
Because Gwangbokjeol naturally brings the colonial period back into public discussion, unresolved historical issues between Korea and Japan are also frequently mentioned at this time. Those issues continue to influence modern relations between the two countries, something I discuss separately in my article on Korea–Japan relations and their historical rivalry.
That does not mean Gwangbokjeol is simply a day for expressing hostility toward contemporary Japan or Japanese people. Japanese culture and travel are familiar parts of life for many Koreans today. Enjoying contemporary Japanese culture and believing that colonial history should be remembered accurately are not contradictory positions.
The Taegeukgi I Remember From Childhood
When I was a child, national holidays looked different from the way they do now. On Gwangbokjeol morning, I could look at apartment buildings and see Taegeukgi hanging from balcony after balcony. Sometimes there were enough flags that they seemed to form a pattern across the entire building.
At that age, I did not think deeply about the history behind August 15. Putting out the flag simply felt like something families did on a national holiday. There was a Taegeukgi at home, and on the appropriate day it came out.
The scene has changed considerably. I see far fewer homes displaying flags today, and I also do not personally put out a Taegeukgi on every national holiday the way families around me seemed to do when I was young.
I would not take that change to mean that Koreans no longer consider Gwangbokjeol important. The way people engage with national holidays has changed as well. Someone may watch a commemorative ceremony, visit a historical site, read about an independence activist online, talk about the history with family, or simply spend part of the day thinking about what August 15 represents.
Even so, when I think about the Gwangbokjeol of my childhood, the first image that comes back to me is still rows of Taegeukgi hanging from apartment balconies. It is probably my oldest personal image of the holiday.
Remembering Gwangbokjeol Today
People spend Gwangbokjeol in different ways. Some display the national flag, some watch the official ceremony or visit places connected with the independence movement, and others spend it much like any other public holiday.
What Gwangbokjeol commemorates, however, has not changed. Japanese colonial rule ended after 35 years, and before that moment generations of people had resisted colonial rule and worked for Korean independence. Liberation was followed almost immediately by division, and Korea then experienced war and decades of political upheaval before becoming the country it is today.
Gwangbokjeol is therefore more than a reminder of a single day on August 15, 1945. It recalls liberation from colonial rule, the people who struggled for independence, and the history that followed liberation.
The apartment balconies filled with Taegeukgi that I remember from childhood are much less common now, and I do not display the flag on every national holiday myself. Still, when August 15 comes around, those old rows of flags return to my mind along with the history behind them and the long road that led to the Korea we live in today.
About the Author 🇰🇷
I live in South Korea and write about the small details of Korean life and culture that I experience and observe firsthand.
English is my second language, so I sometimes use tools such as Gemini and Google Translate to help with translation and editing. The experiences, observations, opinions, and cultural perspectives in my articles are my own, and I personally review and edit every article before publishing it.
My goal with Korea Core Info is simple: to share everyday Korea from a local perspective and help international readers discover things they might not always find in a typical travel guide.
I hope my stories and guides help you understand Korea a little better — not just as a place to visit, but as a place where people live their everyday lives.