Seoul to mark 81st Liberation Day with historic bell-ringing ceremony at Bosingak pavilion

Seoul will observe the 81st Liberation Day on Saturday through a public bell-ringing ceremony at the historic Bosingak pavilion in the city's Jongno District, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Government. The holiday marks Korea's liberation from 35 years of Japanese colonial rule, which ended in 1945.

The event, titled "The sound of liberation awakens the future," begins at 11:30 am. It includes the traditional 33-bell tolling, a tribute to Joseon Dynasty customs. Back then, 33 rings at dawn signified the end of the city's nightly curfew and the opening of its eight gates.

Eleven individuals will take turns ringing the bell, each doing so over three rounds. In attendance are Seoul's Mayor Oh Se-hoon, the speaker of the Seoul Metropolitan Council, and nine descendants of independence activists. These individuals were chosen by the Heritage of Korean Independence, the official public association that represents Korean independence activists and their surviving relatives, including a daughter of an imprisoned patriot and a child of a covert resistance organizer.