Seoul, April 11 South Korean acting President Han Duck-soo called for national unity Friday as he marked the anniversary of the 1919 establishment of Korea's provisional government under Japan's colonial rule.
On April 11, 1919, a group of Korean independence fighters established a provisional government in Shanghai, China, following a wave of anti-Japan protests across the nation, including the famous March 1 Independence Movement that year, Yonhap news agency reported.
Over 27 years, the provisional government relocated to seven other cities in China and served as the hub of Korea's fight to regain independence from Japan following its 1910 annexation.
"Today, as we commemorate the provisional government, we must reflect on the lessons of hope, unity and overcoming crises," Han said during a ceremony held at the National Memorial of the Korean Provisional Government, noting the grave challenges the nation faces at home and abroad.
"In the same way that our patriotic martyrs overcame a dark and gloomy colonial rule to recover the 'light of the Republic of Korea' through liberation, let us also go forward together to pass on a free, peaceful and prosperous Republic of Korea to our descendants," he said.
Han pledged the government's best efforts to honor the patriots who fought for independence and their bereaved family members.
In particular, he said the government will continue to pursue the repatriation of the remains of independence fighters buried overseas and construct a "Korea Memorial Road" connecting historic sites related to the independence movement.
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