Marking the 81st Liberation Day, 21 descendants of independence activists residing in five countries, including the United States, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Mexico, will visit South Korea.

The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs announced that it will host an invitation event for descendants of independence activists residing abroad for a six-night, seven-day schedule starting tomorrow, August 10, through August 16.

The 21 participants are descendants of 15 independence activists who dedicated themselves to the country's liberation across various fields, including the June 10 Independence Movement, armed struggles, funding independence activities, the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea, and righteous army activities.

The group includes descendants of Patriot Park Yong-gyu, who distributed anti-Japanese manifestos and planned the protest during the state funeral of Emperor Sunjong during the June 10 Independence Movement in 1926—which marks its 100th anniversary this year—and Patriot Son Byeong-seok, who planned the second June 10 Independence Movement and produced the manifestos.

After arriving tomorrow, August 10, the descendants will begin their itinerary by paying tribute at the Seoul National Cemetery, followed by visits to the National Memorial of the Korean Provisional Government, Seodaemun Prison History Hall, and the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). They will attend the Liberation Day celebration ceremony on August 15 and depart the country on August 16.

Initiated in 1995 to mark the 50th anniversary of liberation, the invitation program for overseas descendants of independence activists has been held for descendants born and raised abroad who otherwise would not have had the opportunity to visit South Korea. Up until last year, 1,013 descendants from 21 countries had visited the country.

(Photo: Yonhap News)