The Korea National Park Service, under the Ministry of Climate, Environment and Energy, announced Friday that it is highlighting historical and cultural resources connected to the independence movement and liberation preserved within national parks, while strengthening their conservation through digital documentation and other measures, to mark the 81st Liberation Day.

Among the most notable independence movement-related resources in national parks are rock inscriptions on Cheonwangbong Peak in Jirisan, a March 1 Movement rock carving on Baegundae in Bukhansan, and a handwritten inscription by independence activist Kim Gu at Seokguram Hermitage in Bukhansan.

Rock inscriptions expressing the desire for independence, found near the summit of Cheonwangbong Peak in Jirisan National Park [Korea National Park Service]
Rock inscriptions expressing the desire for independence, found near the summit of Cheonwangbong Peak in Jirisan National Park [Korea National Park Service]

On Cheonwangbong Peak in Jirisan National Park, 392 characters carved into rock remain clearly visible, expressing the longing for the restoration of national sovereignty and independence. On Baegundae in Bukhansan, rock inscriptions believed to have been carved by independence activist Jeong Jae-yong relate to the drafting of the Declaration of Independence and the March 1 Movement, conveying to future generations the will to keep the desire for liberation alive.

Rock carvings related to the March 1 Movement near the summit of Baegundae in Bukhansan National Park [Korea National Park Service]
Rock carvings related to the March 1 Movement near the summit of Baegundae in Bukhansan National Park [Korea National Park Service]

Seokguram Hermitage in Bukhansan National Park is known as the hiding place where Kim Gu took refuge before fleeing to Shanghai. After liberation, Kim returned to the site and left a handwritten inscription that is now regarded as a historical and cultural resource documenting both the independence movement and the history of liberation.

Detail of the rock inscription bearing Kim Gu's handwriting at Seokguram Hermitage (Howon-dong, Uijeongbu) in Bukhansan National Park [Korea National Park Service]
Detail of the rock inscription bearing Kim Gu's handwriting at Seokguram Hermitage (Howon-dong, Uijeongbu) in Bukhansan National Park [Korea National Park Service]

Because cultural resources left outdoors are vulnerable to deterioration over time, the park service has been stepping up systematic conservation efforts to preserve these sites in their original condition. In 2024, it completed three-dimensional digital documentation of the Cheonwangbong rock inscriptions in Jirisan, and this year it is carrying out digital recording of the March 1 Movement rock carvings on Baegundae in Bukhansan.

Ju Dae-yeong, chairman of the Korea National Park Service, said the historical and cultural resources remaining in national parks are "precious heritage that carries the spirit of our forebears and the memory of our people." He added that he hopes the public will visit national parks on Liberation Day to reflect on the history of independence and the meaning of liberation alongside the beauty of nature.


thlee@heraldcorp.com