National Liberation Day of Korea "to touch the earth again" and how "the sea dances", how "this day is the remaining trace of 40 years of passionate blood solidified" and to "guard this forever and ever". The government traditionally issues special pardons on "Gwangbokjeol". In 1974, Yuk Young-soo, First Lady of South Korea and spouse of Park Chung-hee, was assassinated by Mun Se-gwang at the National Theater of Korea in Seoul during a Gwangbokjeol ceremony. National Liberation Day of Korea The National Liberation Day of Korea is a holiday celebrated annually on August 15 in both North and South Korea. It commemorates Victory over Japan
Stephenson Grand Army of the Republic Memorial Secretary of War Jacob M. Dickinson, Senator George P. Wetmore, Representative Samuel W. McCall, General Louis Wagner, and Thomas S. Hopkins. The soil at the chosen site, present-day Indiana Plaza, could not support the memorial's weight, so the concrete foundation had to be expanded. The Stephenson memorial was formally dedicated at 2:30pm on July 3, 1909. Hundreds of elderly veterans attended the event, many wearing their military uniforms. Prominent attendees included President William Howard Taft and Senator William Warner. Following the invocation, GAR commander-in-chief Colonel Henry M. Nevius gave an impassioned speech about the sacrifices made by Union forces during