CEREMONY FOR INDEPENDENT ACTIVISTS

[Anchor Lead]

This year marks the centennial anniversary of the March 1st Independence Movement. However, many patriots who sacrificed their lives for the nation remains forgotten. A memorial ceremony was held on Sunday to remember independence activists, who gave their lives for Korea's liberation from Japanese colonial rule. A memorial facility dedicated to them is shockingly small and in poor condition. Here is the story.

[Pkg]

Amid heavy rain, a memorial ceremony was held on Sunday to pay tribute to those who sacrificed their lives for the nation. The service, the 80th of its kind, was held in the form of a traditional ritual originating from the Joseon Dynasty.

[Soundbite] MOON HEE-SANG(NAT'L ASSEMBLY SPEAKER) : "The Korean people will never forget the noble spirit of numerous patriots who passed into history."

The ceremony was held at Hyeonchungsa Shrine in Independence Park. Measuring some 188 square meters, the facility is too small to hold all the memorial tablets of the patriots.

[Soundbite] CHO SE-HYUN(ORGANIZATION OF PATRIOTS' FAMILIES) : "This shrine now holds memorial tablets for 2,800 out of 3,500 patriots. The remaining 700 are not honored here, since the space is too narrow. Due to cats, a memorial tablet over there was flipped down, causing others below to fall. As a result, 15 memorial tablets were broken. It's shameful."

Back in 2015, the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs announced plans to spend 19.5 billion won to expand the memorial facility by ten-fold and transform it into a hall of independence. The project should have been completed last year if it had gone as planned. However, the ground remains untouched to this day.

[Soundbite] LEE SOON-KYU(DESCENDANT OF INDEPENDENCE FIGHTER LEE KANG-NYON) : "No progress has been made in the plan to build a hall of independence. I am disappointed, honestly."

[Soundbite] CHOI JIN-HONG(DESCENDANT OF MYONAM CHOI IK-HYUN) : "Honoring patriots properly is the first step to abolishing remnants of pro-Japanese collaborators."

Now, it is necessary for us to remember those who sacrificed their lives while working to achieve Korea's independence from Japanese occupation.