INDEPENDENCE DAY RALLY

[Anchor Lead]

For our first story, we bring you the news of a massive rally that was held in Gwanghwamun Square yesterday to mark Independence Day. Despite the rainy weather, scores of citizens gathered in the square to condemn the Japanese government. Victims of Japanese wartime forced labor shared their stories of Japan's past atrocities.

[Pkg]

Candle lights with signs reading "No Abe" light up the night. Citizens have gathered in Gwanghwamun Square on Independence Day to condemn the Japanese government for its refusal to apologize for wartime atrocities. According to the organizers, some 100,000 people took part in the rally. Their voices resonate together to denounce historical distortions and economic retaliations. It rained all day on Liberation Day. Yet, it did not discourage the Korean public from holding rallies.

[Soundbite] "What's fearing them? Japanese government, apologize!"

Victims of Japanese wartime forced labor, now in their 90s, gathered in front of the Japanese embassy along with some two thousand citizens.

[Soundbite] "Apologize now! Yang Keum-deok is here!"

The Japanese embassy eventually rejected a statement signed by 16,000 people demanding Tokyo's apology. The victims shared vivid testimonies of Japan's invasion and looting in Korea.

[Soundbite] YANG KEUM-DEOK(VICTIM OF WARTIME FORCED LABOR) : "I went through enormous suffering at the Mitsubishi factory. They would beat me up and kick me even for taking bathroom breaks."

One of the rallies in Gwanghwamun was staged by the critics of the Moon Jae-in administration. There were minor scuffles but no major clashes.