#15: 80th Liberation

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MPVA Did You Know Series #15:

MPVA Hosts ’80 Light, WE ARE ONE’ to celebrate 80 years of Liberation

In 2025, Korea marks the 80th anniversary of Liberation, a milestone of freedom, resilience, and national identity. To honor this moment, the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs organized the light festival “80 LIGHT, WE ARE ONE,” held from August 15 to 23 at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul. For nine nights, the historic heart of the capital became a living stage where light, art, and history converged.

The festival reimagined eight decades of Korea’s journey—from the hardships of colonial rule and the triumph of Liberation in 1945, to today’s thriving democracy—through the medium of light. Media facades projected vivid narratives across large-scale installations, blending historical photographs, digital design, and symbolic animations. Citizens encountered a storytelling experience that was both commemorative and forward-looking.

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Key highlights included an immersive 3D sequence, “One River of 80 Lights,” symbolizing how diverse streams of sacrifice and hope merge into one collective flow. Another segment, “Heroes Etched in Light,” transformed the figures of independence activists such as Yu Gwan-sun, Kim Ku, and Ahn Jung-geun into timeless light sculptures—reminding viewers of their courage and ideals. The festival also featured interactive citizen participation, where messages of gratitude to independence patriots were turned into animated displays, showing how individual voices could merge into a shared chorus of remembrance.

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Beyond spectacle, symbolic structures like the Water Pagoda and Mugunghwa-shaped light modules reinforced the themes of renewal, resilience, and national pride. A time capsule photo booth allowed visitors to step into history, blending personal memory with collective legacy.

Ultimately, “80 LIGHT, WE ARE ONE” was more than a festival of lights—it was a celebration of identity, unity, and gratitude. By illuminating the sacrifices of the past and the hopes of the future, the event transformed Seoul’s central square into a radiant tribute to Korea’s 80-year journey of independence and its enduring promise of togetherness.