Samiljeol in South Korea

After nearly a decade of oppressive Japanese occupation, Koreans’ desire to regain their sovereignty reached its tipping point in early 1919. On Feb. 26, young independence activists drafted the Korean declaration of independence. By midnight the next day, 21,000 copies of it were printed and distributed to regions throughout the country at the dawn of March 1 including Pyeongyang, Wonsan, Daegu, Gunsan, Imsil and Seoul. The protests were intended to be peaceful demonstrations where delegates would read the declaration from designated places at 2 p.m. But carried away by nationalistic fervor after listening to the proclamation, people attending the rallies grew rowdy as they repeatedly shouted “Manse (Hurrah)!” Violence then broke out as Japanese police attempted to suppress them, and many protesters were beaten and arrested.