Korean Cultural Centre India to celebrate 80th Korean Liberation Day with exhibition and film festival

New Delhi [India], August 12 : New Delhi is set to witness a special cultural celebration this week as the Korean Cultural Centre India (KCCI) marks the 80th anniversary of Korea's liberation from colonial rule, a historic day that falls on the same date as India's Independence Day on August 15.

Beginning August 14, KCCI will open a special photo exhibition titled "Korea, In the Shadows of Pain, The Light of Dreams" and also host the New Delhi Korean Film Festival 2025, bringing together history, art, and cinema to honour the shared values of freedom and human dignity between the two nations.

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The three-day film festival will be organised from August 14 to 16, while the exhibition will remain on display until October 31.

Speaking about the significance of the occasion, Hwang Il Yong, Director of KCCI, said, "Despite their different historical backgrounds, Korea and India share a common experience of walking the path towards freedom. I hope this film festival and photo exhibition will serve as an opportunity to shed new light on the meaning of liberation, a journey that both countries should remember and celebrate together, through culture and art."

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The exhibition, curated by Professor Jung Jae-Han of Yeungnam University of Technology, brings together the works of three acclaimed photographers, Koo Wangsam, Cho Kyusun, and Baek Jongha, each offering a unique perspective on Korea's modern history.The exhibition space consists of three galleries.

Koo Wangsam, regarded as a pioneer of modern Korean photography, documented the social and spatial realities of post-liberation Korea.

Baek Jongha's warm portrayals of rural landscapes capture the lyricism of nature through rain, clouds, trees, and water. Cho Kyusun's celebrated 'Dancing Egret' series uses the grace of the bird as a metaphor for the tensions and changes experienced during Korea's modernisation.

Adding to the immersive experience, visitors will be able to walk across a large floor map of the Korean Peninsula, which will display Polaroid photographs taken by foreign journalists in the days immediately after Korea's liberation.

This interactive installation invites the audience to revisit key historical moments region by region and to absorb the atmosphere of that era. The exhibition is organised in association with the Daegu Photography Culture Research Institute and the Yeungnam University Contemporary Photography and Film Society.

Alongside the exhibition, the 4th edition of the New Delhi Korean Film Festival will present films that reflect Korea's struggles, resilience, and personal convictions.

The opening film on August 14, Dongju: The Portrait of a Poet (2016), portrays the life of poet Yun Dong Ju, who resisted oppression through his writing.

On the same day, Korean actress Moon Choi, who features in the film, will join Indian audiences in an online "Cine Talk" session at 5:30 pm (local time) to share her experiences and the message she hopes the film will convey.

On August 15, audiences can watch Assassination (2015), an action drama about an armed independence movement's secret mission. The festival will close on August 16 with Dark Nuns (2025), an occult drama exploring themes of religion, the supernatural, and the intersection of human faith and fear.

To further highlight the friendship between India and Korea, visitors to KCCI will also be able to take part in a face-painting activity where the national flags of both countries will be painted on their faces.

Hwang Il Yong expressed confidence that the events would relate strongly to Indian youth, many of whom are more familiar with Korea through contemporary pop culture. "The authenticity and narratives unique to Korean films will deeply resonate with young Indians, and the photo exhibition will also serve as a valuable forum for exchange, blending history and emotion," he said.

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