Art, music and memory mark 80th anniversary of liberation
Marking the 80th anniversary of its liberation from Japanese colonial rule this Friday, South Korea is hosting a rich program of exhibitions, concerts, performances and participatory art projects nationwide.
Ranging from celebrations of Korea's Olympic achievements and independence movements to explorations of memory, hope and national identity, these events offer audiences a chance to honor the past, engage with the present and envision the future through music, art, invention and storytelling.
At the National Museum of Korea, the special exhibition “The Radiant Strides, Moving the World” celebrates Korean athletes who inspired generations. The exhibition, which runs through Dec. 28, traces the journey from Sohn Kee-chung’s groundbreaking 1936 Olympic victory to the symbolic torch relay at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.
Meanwhile, the “Independence and Invention" exhibition -- held at the museum’s annex until Aug. 31, organized with the Korean Intellectual Property Office -- explores the lives and innovations of five inventors who contributed to Korea’s modernization.
The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Deoksugung, presents “Landscape of Homeland and Longing” from Aug. 14 to Nov. 9, a special exhibition of Korean modern art exploring the longing for homeland through the lens of division, displacement and resilience. The exhibition will feature more than 200 pieces -- spanning painting, photography, sculpture and drawing -- by 86 artists.
At the National Folk Museum’s Paju branch, the video exhibition “The Reclaimed Light, the Enduring Song, Arirang” (July 15-Aug. 31) examines how Korea’s most iconic folk song has evolved through times of resistance, reunion and healing.
A series of performances will be held to mark the 80th Liberation Day.
On Liberation Day, Aug. 15, the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra will present a concert marking both the anniversary of Korea’s liberation and the orchestra’s own 80th founding year in 1945. Conducted by Choi Soo-yeoul, the program honors the spirit of the independence movement and the values of freedom and peace.
The concert opens with the Adagietto from Mahler’s Symphony No. 5, a movement famed for its depth and lyricism, followed by Ravel’s Piano Concerto in G Major, performed by pianist Kim Tae-hyung. Geomungo master Oh Kyung-ja will join for “Surijae,” a geomungo concerto by Jeong Dae-seok that reimagines traditional Korean music in a contemporary orchestral setting. The finale features the third and fourth movements of Sibelius’ Symphony No. 2.
On the same day, a history musical gala show will take place at the outdoor plaza of the National Museum of Korea in Seoul. The concert brings together powerful scenes from historical musicals such as “Baekbeom,” “Watch” and “Shinheung Military Academy,” all productions based on Korea’s independence movement and the lives of independence activists such as Kim Koo, Yun Bong-gil and others.
The National Gugak Center offers two special concerts. On Aug. 14 and 15, “The Light We Sing,” an evocative performance weaving together themes of harmony, memory, hope and future through traditional Korean music, will take place.
On Aug. 16, the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts will present “8.15 Seoul, My Soul” at Seoul Plaza in front of City Hall. The free outdoor gala, starting at 7 p.m., pairs timeless songs from “Les Miserables” and stirring numbers from the Korean hit musical “Hero,” featuring top musical theater actors such as Yang Jun-mo, celebrated for his portrayal of Ahn Jung-geun in “Hero,” and Min Woo-hyuk, acclaimed for his role as Jean Valjean in “Les Miserables.”
On Aug. 20, “Harmony,” a large-scale commemorative concert featuring both Korean traditional instruments and a Western orchestra, will be staged at the National Theater of Korea, highlighting the meaning of liberation through musical unity.
From Aug. 9 to 17, the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture will host a citywide program of exhibitions, performances and participatory events marking the 80th Liberation Day.
At Nodeul Island, SFAC has organized large-scale Taegeukgi installations, including a facade display of the historic 1919 “Jingwansa Taegeukgi,” 16 period flags, and a 40-meter installation made with 1,000 pinwheels. An indoor exhibition will showcase historical photographs and portraits of 80 female independence activists.
On Aug. 14 and 15 at Theater Quad in the theater district of Daehangno in central Seoul, SFAC presents “Train No. 37,” a sung-through musical created with Kazakhstan’s National Academic Koryo Theatre, memorializing the 1937 forced migration of Koreans to Central Asia and the survival of the Korean language and culture in exile.
Until Aug. 16, “My Taegeukgi, Our Taegeukgi” will run at SFAC’s five regional culture and arts education centers, where participants can design their own artistic Taegeukgi using DIY kits, encouraging reflection on the flag’s symbolism and Liberation Day’s meaning.
The National Asia Culture Center (ACC) in Gwangju will commemorate the 80th Liberation Day with two programs honoring independence activist Park Yeol.
On Aug. 15 at 3 p.m., Theater 2 will stage the musical “Park Yeol,” based on the true story of Park and Kaneko Fumiko following the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake, blending traditional Korean arts with drama to portray their unwavering resistance under colonial rule.
On Aug. 16 at 2 p.m., ACC’s Theater 3 will screen Lee Joon-ik’s award-winning 2017 film “Anarchist from Colony,” starring Lee Je-hoon and Choi Hee-seo, which vividly depicts Park’s courtroom defiance based on actual trial records.
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