Korea to mark 100th anniversary of student-led independence movement against Japan's colonial rule

Korea will hold an event later this week to mark the centennial anniversary of a key student-led independence movement during Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule of Korea, the Ministry of Patriots and Veteran Affairs said on Tuesday.

The commemorative event for the June 10 movement will take place at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul on Wednesday, bringing together around 800 people, including descendants of independence fighters and members of the general public, according to the ministry.

The June 10 movement was organized by students and religious leaders in 1926 to stand up against Japan's colonization of Korea by staging a nationwide protest on the day of the state funeral of Sunjong, the last king of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910).

But their plan was exposed, leading to the arrest of the movement's leaders. The crackdown by the Japanese colonial authorities sparked large-scale student demonstrations across the country and helped lay the groundwork for further student-led protests.

The June 10 movement is now regarded as one of the three major independence movements during Japan's colonial rule, alongside the March 1 Movement and the wave of student-led protests that followed.

On Monday, the ministry said 13 independence fighters who participated in the June 10 movement will posthumously be awarded state decorations and presidential commendations.

Yonhap