March 1st is a day to celebrate Korean independence. It was this day in 1919 that several members of an underground movement read the Korean Declaration in Seoul. They were protesting the Japanese occupation.

If you’re interested, it really is a fascinating topic. My first reaction was to run to the library and take out as many books as I could find on the subject. You can thank my husband for bringing me down to earth and reminding me that this is a blog. The part of me that majored in history and political science wanted to write about the historical impact of the event and how it helped develop the modern Korean political structure. My husband, always the logical part of the relationship, simply shook his head at me and walked away. I got the message.

The basics of the day is that a group of Korean nationalists chose March 1, 1919 as the day that they would read the Declaration of Independence in public and really defy the Japanese. It did not mark the day that the Korean’s became independent, but it was a turning point. This particular event resulted in the Japanese taking actions against the movement. Thousands were said to have died and tens of thousands were arrested.

Today, the Korean people remember this day by reading the declaration in a ceremony in Seoul.

Most adopted children are not going to be interested in reading the Korean Declaration of Independence; however, if someone is interested…here is a link (www.kimsoft.com/2004/samil-declaration.htm).

Here are some things you can do with your child:

1. It might be a good day to have a Korean culture day with your child 2. Learn something new about Korea
3. Make a Korean flag with your child
4. Learn a new Korean word.

I found my information on http://english.tour2korea.com and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/March_1st_Movement. You can find information in many locations and in books at the library.