SA’s Koreans celebrate national pride
ARMS raised above his head, Korean flag clenched tightly in his right hand, Tiger Han, the president of the Korean Association of Cape Town in South Africa, shouted passionately: “Manse, manse, manse” in Korean, or “Victory, victory, victory.”
As South Africans prepare to celebrate 25 years of independence from apartheid rule on Freedom Day in April, Koreans on Saturday in Cape Town celebrated 100 years of resistance to Japanese occupation, which took place from 1910 until 1945.
About 150 people came together to mark the “March First Movement”, which is also known as the Sam-il movement.
Koreans mark this day in recognition of the earliest public resistance to Japanese occupation.
The Sam-il movement wanted national independence from Japan, which eventually came to the Korean peninsula in 1945.
Han explained that the Sam-il movement is celebrated in Cape Town to bring second- and third-generation Koreans living in South Africa closer to their country of origin and to raise awareness of Korea’s painful history.
The celebration of the Sam-il movement is understood as an important part of acknowledging and recognising the values of self-determination and freedom from hostile occupation.
March 1 is a national holiday in North and South Korea.
The day was filled with speeches, song, dance and K-Pop (Korean pop music), and to further properly signify the importance of this day, a detailed documentary was shown depicting the Sam-il movement’s history and its impact on Koreans.
Following this, Sunny Yoon sang as the introduction to the event’s entertainment segment.
The programme included three energetic K-Pop dancers showcasing their very own interpretation of wellknown Korean hits.
And lastly, the Cape Town Korean School Choir sang a children’s nursery rhyme Bandal, or the Half-Moon, which was written by Yun Geugyeong in 1924.
This was at a time that the use of the Korean language was banned by the Japanese.
According to Sharon Choi, of the Cape Town Korean School in Rosebank, the writing of nursery rhymes for young children during the Japanese occupation was an important marker of Korean resistance and the songs encapsulate the hope of all Koreans by “sailing… to the beacon light of a new dawn” of freedom.
About 5 000 Koreans are living in South Africa today.
The Korean Association of Cape Town in South Africa aims to share Korean culture with South Africans “to promote further understanding between the two countries”.
A vibrant and colourful Korean Language School operates on Saturdays in Rosebank and teaches close to 40 eager South Africans the nuances and
BTS, one of K-Pop’s more successful international exports, is recognised by Time Magazine as one of the most influential global pop groups
intricacies of the Korean language, or Hangeul, to the newly converted.
Cape Town Koreans offer a taste of their country’s signature cuisine through the many authentic Korean restaurants found throughout the city and many young Koreans pursue studies at our universities.
South Africa has also not been immune to the Korean Wave or Hallyu, with a number of avid young Capetonians participating in K-Pop festivals and competitions held throughout the year.
Some of these K-Pop fans were present at the Sam-il movement’s celebration in Goodwood.
Lest we forget BTS, one of K-Pop’s more successful international exports, is recognised by Time Magazine as one of the most influential global bands and influential young leaders.
They were also the most retweeted celebrities in 2017 and 2018.