Why this place, out of all places, for .the March First Independence Movement? There’s a story. Let’s explore why.

Tapgol Park was built in 1899. Like its name, Tapgol, or “place with a pagoda”, was home to a Buddhist temple, specifically, Wongaksa Temple, which was erected during the rule of King Sejo of Joseon. There was a stone pagoda at the site of Wongaksa Temple, whose marble white color has lent it the name ‘White Pagoda’.

Wongaksa Temple began to lose its form during the rule of Prince Yeonsan. The temple was first replaced by Jangagwon, an institute specializing in music, then a space where the gisaeng, female entertainers during the Joseon period, stayed. It was such a spiteful decision. When Prince Yeonsan was expelled, government offices moved into the area. What remained of the temple was destroyed when it was torn down for repair materials.

However, the ten-story white tower made out of marble served as a landmark of Seoul for its beautiful and rare form. When famous poets in the late Joseon period came together to this place, they were even called ‘Baektapsipa’.

So, this historic site ended up becoming a park during the Korean Empire period. It is said that a British man working in customs named Brown came up with this idea, but it is not certain. Others say it is Korea's first park, but this is false. The first park was in the foreign concession in Incheon. It was named ‘Gakuk Park’, which was renamed as Jayu Park later.

So it’s not the first in Korea, but it is the first park to be in Hanseong, the capital of the Korean Empire. A special building was erected here around 1900, namely the octagonal pavilion. Octagonal pavilions appear to have a circular roof, which symbolizes the authority of the king or the emperor. For instance, the octagonal Hwanggungu of Wongudan, which was built in 1899, also symbolizes the authority of the emperor.

So this octagonal pavilion is said to be a gift of King Gojong to the people. Franz Eckert, the leader of the Korean Empire’s marching band, composed a song for the emperor, which was performed at the octagonal pavilion.

If one thinks about it, a park is also a space where people can come together freely. While the park was created by the emperor and the state in the beginning, people came together and created a different space.

On March 1, 1919, the Korean Declaration of Independence was read aloud at the octagonal pavilion. It was read by Jeong Jaeyong from Hwanghae-do. What a wonderful event. Above all, you can feel its significance as the proclamation of an ‘independent nation’ and ‘liberated people’. This meant that the emperor was there when our country was taken away from us, but we did not need the power of emperors to take it back.

I imagine that people came to the idea that they were the ones who were at the helm of the country as time went by. This concept seemed to become clearer as the March First Independence Movement went on. After all, the imperial house did not fulfill its role in any capacity during the movement.

In the end, the independence movement arose in Seoul and spread to the rest of Korea. Following the example of the national leaders, students, and leaders began to move, and soon, the entire nation rose up. This brings us back to the idea of the people, or citizens, as the holders of sovereignty. It brings us back to the idea that, in the end, it is our thoughts, our minds, and our strength that will take back our country.

These thoughts led people to think about the idea of ‘nationalism’, a political system that none had imagined for Korea. It was the dream of a republic in Korea, excluding the crown that had been on the ruler’s head since the founding of the Korean nation. This wish, led to the temporary Korean government in Shanghai adopting the declaration ‘Korea shall be a democratic republic state’ in its provisional charter in its founding on April 11, 1919. The ruled became the citizen, and the kingdom became the republic.

The first goal in the movement was to drive away the Japanese, but its ultimate goal now became the establishment of a democratic republic state. So those working toward the goal of the independence movement between 1919 and the liberation of Korea were working toward two goals.

So the fact that the March First Independence Movement began at Tapgol Park signifies that the time of the emperor was over, and the time of citizens was beginning. Keep this in mind as you look around Tapgol Park to see it in a different light.

Today’s Tapgol Park still has traces of the Crown Prince of Joseon’s piety when it was Wongaksa Temple, the emperor’s prestige in the octagonal pavilion, and the March First Independence Movement, which transformed this space to that of the citizens, standing with the statue of Son Byeonghui. This space captures different periods of time, as symbols of the independence movement transforming the future of Korea and the history of the Korean Empire becoming the Republic of Korea. It lights a fire in my heart.