Korea Heritage Service to recruit attendees for 80th Liberation Day exhibition opening

Public invited to reflect on legacy of independence at Deoksugung’s Seokjojeon Hall

Taegeukgi, the Korean national flag, preserved at Jingwan Temple in Bukhansan, northern Seoul (Korea Heritage Service)

The Korea Heritage Service is recruiting 150 attendees to participate in the official opening ceremony of an exhibition commemorating the 80th anniversary of Korea’s liberation from Japanese colonial rule.

The event will provide participants with a meaningful opportunity to reflect on the history and cultural legacy of Korea’s independence movement.

“The Radiant Heritage of Independence” exhibition will take place at Seokjojeon — Korea’s first Western-style stone building, constructed in 1910 — located in Deoksugung, one of the five major palaces of the Joseon era (1392–1910) in central Seoul. It will run from Aug. 12 to Oct. 12.

Applications to attend the opening ceremony will be accepted via the Korea Heritage Service’s official website from 1 p.m. Monday to 6 p.m. Thursday. Each applicant may register up to five people, and participation is free of charge.

Selected participants will be announced on the agency’s website on July 23.

Attendees of the opening ceremony will be treated to a series of celebratory performances, including an opening act by a children’s performance troupe, and will have the chance to preview the exhibition before it opens to the public.

The exhibition will examine the significance of liberation through the lens of modern-era cultural heritage. More than 110 artifacts will be on display, including nationally designated treasures such as a Taegeukgi, the Korean national flag, preserved at Jingwan Temple in Bukhansan, northern Seoul. Also on view will be historical documents related to independence activist Seo Young-hae, recognized as cultural heritage earlier this year.