Hwaseong City Concludes '2025 Balan Marketplace Independence Movement Memorial Cultural Festival'

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Park Chan-hyuk] Hwaseong Special City held the '2025 Balan Marketplace Independence Movement Memorial Cultural Festival' at Hwaseong General Sports Complex on the 29th to commemorate the 106th anniversary of the March 1st Independence Movement.

The event's slogan, 'Heroes,' embodies the meaning of honoring the noble sacrifices of patriots who perished in the Jea-am Church Massacre and transmitting their spirit to future generations.

The event was attended by approximately 300 people, including Hyangnam-eup Mayor Min Young-seob, Hyangnam-eup Residents' Autonomous Committee Chair Kim Gun-yeop, and local residents, who marched from Hyangnam 2nd District Central Plaza to Hwaseong General Sports Complex to reenact the Balan Marketplace Independence Movement.

The reading of the Declaration of Independence that followed provided all participants with a meaningful moment of wishing for national independence with one heart. The independence activist flash mob performance moved audiences as the younger generation expressed the spirit of the independence movement in a contemporary and dynamic manner.

Meanwhile, the Jea-am Church Massacre, which occurred on April 15, 1919, when Japanese military forces massacred civilians who had supported the independence movement at Jea-am Church, is a tragic historical event of significant importance in the history of Hwaseong City and the Republic of Korea.

Hyangnam-eup Mayor Min Young-seob stated, "This event is an occasion to once again remember the historical significance of the independence movement in the Republic of Korea and the Hwaseong region," and added, "Like the slogan 'Heroes,' I hope we all today take pride and become heroes who remember the courage and sacrifice of independence activists."

Hyangnam-eup Residents' Autonomous Committee Chair Kim Gun-yeop said, "We are reenacting the Balan Marketplace Independence Movement every year to honor the sacrifice and courage of 137 independence activists of Hwaseong City, who are 'Heroes' we must all remember," and continued, "The local community coming together to pass on the aspirations of the past to future generations and upholding their value is the true image of a 'Hero.'"