Martyrs’ Day commemoration ceremony transforms into a 50-minute musical epic

This year's government commemoration ceremony for Patriots' Day (November 17) will be held in a 50-minute musical format that breaks the existing mold.

The Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs announced on the 4th that the '87th Patriots' Day Commemoration Ceremony' will be held at COEX in Seoul on the 17th as a 'musical epic' and a 'performance-type government commemoration ceremony'.

This commemorative ceremony was staged as a musical that incorporated the basic protocols of existing government commemorative ceremonies, including the national ceremony, awards for independence contributors, and commemorative speeches, into the flow of the play.

Music director Kim Moon-jeong, who directed hit musicals such as 'Mamma Mia', 'Les Miserables', and 'Rebecca', and actor Yang Jun-mo, who has played Dr. Ahn Jung-geun in the musical 'Hero' for a long time, will participate in this 'Musical Memorial Ceremony' to enhance the perfection of the play.

For the first time as a government commemorative event, ticket reservations will also be available. Starting at 1pm on the 5th (Thursday), up to 500 people can reserve free tickets at NOL Ticket (https://nol.yanolja.com) on a first-come, first-served basis. You can apply for up to 4 tickets per account.

The Ministry of Veterans Affairs emphasized that this commemorative ceremony is the last government commemoration of the year, marking the 150th anniversary of Baekbeom Kim Gu's birth, and said, "This is a new ceremony that will show the high cultural power of the 'culturally powerful Republic of Korea' that Kim Gu dreamed of."

Martyrs’ Day began when the Provisional Council of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea established it as a memorial day in the spirit of ‘Let us not forget November 17, when the Eulsa Treaty of Korea was forcibly concluded on November 21, 1939.’