Independence Movement Day

Independence Movement Day, also known as March 1^st Movement, is a public holiday in South Korea, and it is observed on March 1 each year.

Independence Movement Day commemorates the starting day of the protest movement by Korean people and students calling for independence from Japan on March 1, 1919.

On March 1^st, 1919, 33 Korean cultural and religious leaders formed the core of the Samil Movement in the Taehwagwan Restaurant in Seoul, and they read and signed the Korean Declaration of Independence. The Korean Declaration was then read publicly in many places across the country and was supported by thousands of students and civilians.

Over 2 million Koreans participated in over 1,500 demonstrations nationwide, but the Japanese police force and army brutally suppressed them. More than 7,000 people were killed, 16,000 were wounded, and 46,000 were arrested.

The movement did not achieve the independence of South Korea. However, it catalyzed the Korean Independence Movement, and Korea gained independence at the end of World War II in 1945.

Independence Movement Day was declared a national holiday in Korea on May 24, 1949.

The following is the list of Independence Movement Day in South Korea from 2022 to 2026.

Please check more public holidays in South Korea: