Samiljeol(삼일절) is a national day dedicated to the Protests of March 1.This date also signifies the birth of Korean Nationhood. This uprising happened on 1 March 1919, when Japan invaded Korea. It was a public demonstration of resistance in Korea against Japanese military rule. The 1st March movement was a catalyst for the Korean Independence Movement, an essential tool for expanding Korea’s independence movement to other local authorities, including Hoengseong. Hoengseong was the first district in Gangwon-do Province during the first March Revolution to join the Independence movement.
In 1919, a group of influential Koreans secretly drafted an declaration of Independence opposing the rule of Japan. On March 1, they read the document aloud in Seoul’s Pagoda Park infront of 1 million Koreans that “Korea is an independent state and Koreans are a self-governing people”.Marches were carried out by the Koreans chanting “Mansei!” which means “Long live korea”.
Samiljeol name means the “Three-One Movement” or “First March Movement” in Korea that occurred on March 1,1919. It is also called as “Man-se Demonstrations” occasionally.The Samil Movement emerged after 1905 under the de facto military rule of the Japanese Empire in response to the oppressive existence of colonial occupation.Movement was also inspired by the “Fourteen Points”, it was a statement about principles of peace that was given by the president of Princeton University Mr.Woodrow Wilson.
South Korea declared the 1st of March as a national holiday on May 24, 1949. General Choe Hong-hui dedicated to the Sam-il Movement the first of the three patterns (sam-il teul) trained by taekwon-do’s III-degree black belts.
Every year, March 1 is celebrated as a national holiday in South Korea, children go to schoolyards dressed in costumes, singing the song of March 1 and waving the Korean flag to show their spirit of March 1.