March 1st Independence Movement Day speech template (South Korea)
Published 10 October 2026 · Date checked on 5 October 2026 · Written by the Cue Card Converter team at EventProgrammer, event production professionals
March 1st Independence Movement Day, Samiljeol, is a national holiday in South Korea. It commemorates the movement that began on 1 March 1919, when a Korean Declaration of Independence was read in Seoul and peaceful demonstrations spread across the country under Japanese colonial rule. Many people were killed, injured or imprisoned. A national ceremony is held each year, the Taegukgi flag is displayed on homes and buildings, and the courage of the independence activists is remembered.
- Date
- March 1
- Next dates
- Monday 1 March 2027
Wednesday 1 March 2028
Thursday 1 March 2029 - Country
- South Korea
- Tone
- Solemn – remembrance
- Typical events
- National and local ceremonies, Korean embassies and community associations abroad, Korean language schools, and gatherings at independence memorials and monuments on 1 March.
- Length
- 202 spoken words · about 1.5 min at 130 words a minute · 5 cue cards
The March 1st Independence Movement Day speech, ready as cue cards
A complete host script in 5 cards, about 1.5 minutes of speaking. Open it in the editor to add your names, change the card size or highlights, and print.
- WE BEGIN1 / 5
Good morning. My name is {Your name}, and on behalf of {Organisation} welcome to this commemoration of March 1st Independence Movement Day. Today we honour the men and women who stood up, peacefully and at great personal cost, so that their country could be free. - THE FIRST OF MARCH2 / 5
On 1 March 1919, a Declaration of Independence was read aloud in Seoul. Within weeks, people from every walk of life had joined peaceful demonstrations in towns and villages across the country. Many were arrested, injured or killed. Their courage is remembered as a turning point in Korean history. - THE NATIONAL RITUAL3 / 5
Please rise and face the flag. We begin with the pledge to the Taegukgi and the national anthem, followed by a silent tribute to the patriots who gave their lives.
[FLAG PLEDGE – AEGUKGA – SILENT TRIBUTE]
Thank you. Please be seated. - THE DECLARATION4 / 5
I now invite {Reader's name} to read a passage from the Declaration of Independence of 1919.
[READING OF THE DECLARATION]
Thank you. More than a century later, its call for freedom and human dignity still speaks to us. - CLOSING5 / 5
Thank you for joining this commemoration. The people of 1919 asked for freedom without weapons, with their voices and their flags. Let us honour them by treasuring the freedoms we share. Go gently, and carry their courage with you.
Red is used only for names, titles, organisations, dates, times and section headings. Replace the words in {curly brackets} with your own details; lines in [SQUARE BRACKETS] are stage directions and are not read aloud.
How to adapt it
- Official ceremonies open with the national ritual: the pledge to the flag, the anthem Aegukga and a silent tribute to patriotic martyrs. Follow the same order, and print the anthem's first verse for guests who do not read Korean.
- Display the Taegukgi at full height on 1 March. Official ceremonies often close with three cries of 'Manse', meaning 'long live'; include them only if your audience expects it.
- Guests at international events may include Japanese colleagues or friends. Keep the script centred on courage, peaceful protest and freedom rather than blame, and avoid current diplomatic or political issues.
- Yu Gwan-sun, a student who joined the movement and died in prison, is well known to Korean schoolchildren. Her story can make the reading card more personal for young audiences.
Print and rehearse
“Edit and print these cards” opens the script in the free cue card maker, where you can choose A5, 4 × 6 or 3 × 5 inch cards, print several per sheet with cut lines or export PDF, PowerPoint and Word, and rehearse full screen in practice mode. To write your own programme around it, see how to write an MC script and the run of show template.
Sources
Date and background checked on 5 October 2026 against: 우리나라 국가상징> 국경일/기념일. Customs vary between organisations and regions; always follow the official programme of your event.
More South Korea speech templates
- National Liberation Day · August 15
- National Foundation Day · October 3