Editing March First Movement (section)

== Commemorations ==

=== History and description ===
The March First Movement has been commemorated for each year since its occurrence, in both Korea and amongst the Korean diaspora.{{Sfn|최|2009|pp=208–209}} Historically, both left- and right-leaning Korean groups have celebrated the occasion. For example, in China in the 1920s, the rivaling right-leaning {{Ill|Korean National Party (1935)|lt=Korean National Party|ko|한국국민당 (1935년)}} and left-leaning KNRP made a point of hosting a joint ceremony to bridge their political divide and demonstrate unity to observers.{{Sfn|최|2009|pp=|p=226}}

During the colonial period, independence activists scheduled speeches, rallies, and protests for the day. In Korea and amongst [[Koreans in Japan]] and [[Koreans in China|in Manchuria]], these events were often hosted in secret.{{Sfn|최|2009|pp=208–212}} The newspaper ''[[The Dong-A Ilbo]]'' openly commemorated the day in Korea on a number of occasions and was punished for doing so.<ref>{{Citation |script-title=ko:동아일보 (東亞日報) |url=https://encykorea.aks.ac.kr/Article/E0016629 |access-date=2024-03-09 |publisher=[[Academy of Korean Studies]] |language=ko |encyclopedia=[[Encyclopedia of Korean Culture]]}}</ref>

Commemorations typically involve readings of the declaration, speeches, nationalist music, and the displaying of nationalist symbols, particularly the ''[[taegeukgi]]'' (flag). A number of songs have been written and performed for these meetings, with several attested to in Shanghai and Manchuria in the 1920s.{{Sfn|최|2009|pp=220–221}} Scholar Choe Seon-ung ({{Korean|hangul=최선웅|labels=no}}) wrote that for the left-leaning [[Korean National Revolutionary Party]] in the 1930s, efforts were made to reduce the number of nationalist symbols in ceremonies, so as to promote [[proletarian internationalism]].{{Sfn|최|2009|pp=|p=227}} Social events, especially dinners (or if funds were insufficient, refreshments), and events such as sports festivals, also accompanied many ceremonies.{{Sfn|최|2009|pp=|p=222}} Koreans are also attested to boarding cars decorated with nationalist symbols and driving around whilst distributing leaflets about the independence movement.{{Sfn|최|2009|pp=|p=222}}

Commemorations have historically been funded by private donations, organization membership fees, and government grants. There are records of Koreans across the economic and social spectrum in Russia, China, the United States, and Cuba donating money for commemoration events.{{Sfn|최|2009|pp=213–215}}

Choe argues that after the [[division of Korea]], ceremonies reflected the increasing political polarization. In the southern [[United States Army Military Government in Korea]] (USAMGIK), right- and left-leaning groups held separate commemorations. Right-leaning groups continued to prominently display nationalist symbols.{{Sfn|최|2009|pp=226–227|p=}} Ceremonies also came to involve Korean reunification sentiment.{{Sfn|최|2009|pp=227–228|p=}}

=== South Korea ===
[[File:The 35th anniversary of Samiljeol(Independence movement day of 1st March) in Tapgol Park, Seoul Republic of Korea.gif|thumb|Celebration of the movement held in [[Tapgol Park]] in 1954.]]
In the USAMGIK, March 1 was made a holiday in February 1946. Various events were held in Seoul on that year's anniversary. Early on that day, a left-leaning group held a ceremony at the mountain [[Namsan Mountain|Namsan]]. A major celebration was held at the [[Bosingak]] pavilion. Present at the event were [[Syngman Rhee]], [[Kim Ku]], and [[O Se-chang]]. Absent at the ceremony was [[Choe Nam-seon]], the author of the declaration; in the years succeeding the movement, he had collaborated with the Japanese.{{Sfn|Shin|2018|pp=1–3}}

On [[Jeju Island]] on March 1, 1947, a rally with 30,000 people in attendance was held in which {{Ill|Anti-trusteeship movement|lt=anti-trusteeship sentiment|ko|신탁 통치 반대 운동}} (opposition of the Allied occupation of Korea) was linked to the spirit of the March First Movement.<ref>{{Cite web |last=김 |first=동만 |title=3·1절 기념 시위 사건 - 디지털제주문화대전 |url=http://www.grandculture.net/jeju/toc/GC00700009 |access-date=2024-06-08 |website=[[Encyclopedia of Korean Local Culture]] |archive-date=June 8, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240608073731/http://www.grandculture.net/jeju/toc/GC00700009 |url-status=live }}</ref>

On October 1, 1949, South Korea designated March 1 as the national holiday Samiljeol ({{Korean|hangul=삼일절|labels=no}}), and ceremonies were designated to be organized by the federal and local governments.{{Sfn|최|2009|pp=227–228|p=}} Each year, a reenactment of the reading of the declaration is held in Tapgol Park.<ref name="Japan Focus" /> In 1950, South Korea recognized a song about the movement by Jeong In-bo ({{Korean|hangul=정인보|labels=no}}), one of several written and performed about the movement, as the official song for its commemorations.{{Sfn|최|2009|pp=227–228|p=}}[[File:Centennial March 1st Movement Hyoja Studio 17.jpg|thumb|Centennial celebration of the movement, with President Moon in center (2019)]]In 2018, President [[Moon Jae-in]]'s administration established the Commission on the Centennial Anniversary of March 1st Independence Movement and the [[Korean Provisional Government]] (KPG) to celebrate these occasions.<ref>{{Cite web |title=March 1st Independence Movement and Korean Provisional Government >Memories & Gratitude>March 1st Independence Movement>March 1st Independence Movement |url=https://www.together100.go.kr/eng/lay2/S79T82C88/contents.do |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200616233226/https://www.together100.go.kr/eng/lay2/S79T82C88/contents.do |archive-date=2020-06-16 |access-date=2020-03-14}}</ref> The KPG was the government-in-exile of Korea during the Japanese occupation, and a predecessor of the current government. North Korea refused to participate in the joint project of the anniversary due to "scheduling issues".<ref>{{Cite web|last=Gibson|first=Jenna|date=Mar 1, 2019|title=Korea Commemorates 100th Anniversary of March 1st Independence Protests|url=https://thediplomat.com/2019/03/korea-commemorates-100th-anniversary-of-march-1st-independence-protests/|access-date=|website=}}</ref> The commission ceased its operation in June 2020.

=== North Korea ===
[[File:Kim Il Sung Our Construction.png|thumb|[[Kim Il Sung]] speaking at the first public celebration of the March First Movement in [[Soviet Civil Administration|northern Korea]] in 1946.<ref>{{Citation |last=이 |first=명자 |script-title=ko:우리의 건설 (우리의 建設) |encyclopedia=[[Encyclopedia of Korean Culture]] |url=https://encykorea.aks.ac.kr/Article/E0074406 |access-date=2024-05-03 |publisher=[[Academy of Korean Studies]] |language=ko |archive-date=December 13, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241213025339/https://encykorea.aks.ac.kr/Article/E0074406 |url-status=live }}</ref> A ''taegeukgi'' flag is flying above Kim; both the north and south used the design from 1945 to 1948.<ref name="Tertitskiy2015">{{Cite web |last=Tertitskiy |first=Fyodor |date=20 June 2014 |title=Kim Tu Bong and the Flag of Great Extremes |url=http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?num=11993&cataId=nk03600 |access-date=10 August 2016 |work=[[Daily NK]] |archive-date=August 23, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170823073142/http://www.dailynk.com/english/read.php?cataId=nk03600&num=11993 |url-status=live }}</ref>]]
In 1946, the [[Provisional People's Committee of North Korea]] made the occasion a national holiday. This later changed; the holiday was renamed to "The People's Anti-Japanese Uprising Memorial Day" ({{Korean|hangul=반일인민봉기기념일|labels=no}}) and demoted from the status of national holiday.{{Sfn|최|2009|pp=227–228|p=}} Commemorations are reportedly mostly central, with few local celebrations. The events are geared towards inciting anti-American and anti-Japanese sentiment.<ref name="Kim 1997" /><ref name="DailyNK 2006" />

Before the division of Korea, the ''[[taegeukgi]]'' flag and [[Aegukga]] anthem were widely associated with commemorations of the movement, but over time, these disappeared in both North Korean commemorations and historical writings on the movement.{{Sfn|최|2009|pp=229–230|p=}} Choe theorizes that this is the result of these symbols becoming more associated with right-leaning Koreans over time.{{Sfn|최|2009|pp=229–230|p=}}

=== Japan ===
{{See also|Zainichi Koreans}}
Koreans who arrived in Japan before 1945 (called "Zainichi Koreans") and their descendents have commemorated the movement on an annual basis.{{Sfn|최|2009|pp=208–209}} Commemorations were more possible in the countryside than in the cities, as pressure from Japanese authorities was lower there.{{Sfn|최|2009|pp=211–212|p=}} On a number of occasions, Koreans used unrelated events, such as school concerts and union meetings, as covers for commemoration ceremonies and rallies. Police officers arrived to break up some rallies.{{Sfn|최|2009|pp=208–209}} On a number of occasions, Koreans held surprise mass demonstrations in the open. In 1921, Korean students held a rally in [[Hibiya Park]] in Tokyo. The police were reportedly surprised by its occurrence, and rushed to gather officers in order to disperse it. In 1923, around 300 Korean students approached [[Ueno Park]] in order to conduct another rally, but found that Japanese police had already been stationed there in high concentrations. The Koreans reportedly conducted the protest regardless.{{Sfn|최|2009|pp=208–209}} In 1925, a rally at [[Tokyo Imperial University]] led to violent clashes with police, the involvement of the military to suppress the unrest, and ten arrests.{{Sfn|최|2009|pp=|p=211}}

=== Soviet Union ===
[[File:Shinhanchon March 1st Movement Anniversary Protest (1920) 01 (cropped).jpg|thumb|Anniversary marches in Vladivostok (1920)]]
Commemorations of the movement in the Soviet Union were allowed relative freedom. Koreans marched on streets and gave speeches in public venues.{{Sfn|최|2009|pp=223–224}} Buildings were also booked for ceremonies and rallies,{{Sfn|최|2009|pp=209–210}} and plays were performed by Korean theater companies.{{Sfn|최|2009|pp=223–224}} The Korean enclave [[Sinhanch'on]] in Vladivostok commemorated the anniversary of the movement each year from 1920 until its dissolution in 1937.<ref name="donga.com"/>

=== China ===
{{See also|Koreans in China}}
In [[Manchuria]], as Japanese influence over the region increased, open commemoration of the movement became increasingly met with repression.{{Sfn|최|2009|pp=209–212|p=}} There, in 1932, an anti-Japanese insurgency arose that was dedicated to the March First Movement.{{Sfn|최|2009|pp=|p=209}} Elsewhere in China, such as in [[Tianjin]], [[Nanjing]], and [[Hankou]], Koreans met and held rallies. Some of these meetings were documented in Japanese intelligence reports.{{Sfn|최|2009|pp=209–210|p=}} In 1925, Koreans in Tianjin distributed thousands of fliers about the independence movement around the city.{{Sfn|최|2009|pp=215–216}} In Shanghai, ceremonies were hosted by the Korean Residents Association ({{Korean|hangul=교민단|labels=no}}) and not necessarily by the Korean Provisional Government, and various Korean organizations in the city were invited.{{Sfn|최|2009|pp=|p=214}} Koreans have been attested to commemorating the day in the streets and in the open in the [[Shanghai French Concession]].{{Sfn|최|2009|pp=215–216}} Amidst the [[Second Sino-Japanese War]] in 1938, Korean members of the Korean National Revolutionary Party are attested to celebrating the day by singing the [[Aegukga|national anthem]].{{Sfn|최|2009|pp=|p=226}}

=== Other regions ===
Korean [[ethnic enclave]]s, especially [[Koreatown]]s, have hosted annual March First Movement commemorations. In 2024, events were hosted in a range of countries, including Brazil, Mongolia, Kuwait, Taiwan,<ref>{{Cite web |last=이 |first=석호 |date=2024-03-02 |script-title=ko:대만, 브라질, 쿠웨이트, 몽골 등 해외 곳곳에서 3.1절 기념식 |url=http://www.worldkorean.net/news/articleView.html?idxno=50650 |access-date=2024-05-02 |website=월드코리안뉴스 |language=ko |archive-date=May 2, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240502022523/https://www.worldkorean.net/news/articleView.html?idxno=50650 |url-status=live }}</ref> and the United States.<ref>{{Cite web |last=김 |first=윤미 |date=2024-03-06 |script-title=ko:105주년 3.1절, 워싱턴 동포들도 '한마음' |url=https://news.koreadaily.com/2024/03/05/society/community/20240305145003296.html |access-date=2024-05-02 |website=[[The Korea Daily]] |language=ko |archive-date=May 2, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240502022521/https://news.koreadaily.com/2024/03/05/society/community/20240305145003296.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[Korean Mexicans]] in [[Mérida, Yucatán|Mérida]] have celebrated the anniversary of the movement with public events in recent years. Some celebrations have included reenactments of the reading of the declaration and public marches.<ref>{{Cite web |script-title=ko:메리다 3.1운동 100주년 만세운동 재현 |url=https://overseas.mofa.go.kr/mx-ko/brd/m_5939/view.do?seq=1329156&srchFr=&srchTo=&srchWord=&srchTp=&multi_itm_seq=0&itm_seq_1=0&itm_seq_2=0&company_cd=&company_nm=&page=2 |access-date=2024-04-29 |website=Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Mexico |date=March 6, 2019 |archive-date=December 11, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241211064536/https://overseas.mofa.go.kr/mx-ko/brd/m_5939/view.do?seq=1329156&srchFr=&srchTo=&srchWord=&srchTp=&multi_itm_seq=0&itm_seq_1=0&itm_seq_2=0&company_cd=&company_nm=&page=2 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-03-04 |script-title=ko:한복 입고 3·1절 기념행사 참석한 멕시코 한인후손들 |url=http://www.dongponews.net/news/articleView.html?idxno=49059 |access-date=2024-04-29 |website=재외동포신문 |language=ko}}</ref>

[[Koreans in Cuba]] are also attested to holding celebrations.{{Sfn|최|2009|pp=|p=215}}

In the United States, [[New York (state)|New York state]] designated March 1 as Yu Gwan-sun Day on February 27, 2024.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Cho |first=Il-joon |date=January 2, 2019 |title=New York State to institute official day to honor Yu Gwan-sun and Mar. 1 movement |url=https://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_international/876742 |access-date=2024-05-02 |website=[[The Hankyoreh]] |language=ko |archive-date=May 2, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240502021101/https://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_international/876742 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Hwang |first=Seok-Joo |date=2024-02-29 |title=New York enacts Yu Gwan-sun Day |url=https://en.yna.co.kr/view/PYH20240229185400315 |access-date=2024-05-02 |website=[[Yonhap News Agency]] |language=en}}</ref>