VANK has built a virtual exhibition hall on the metaverse platform ZEP, allowing Korean middle and high school students to learn about the teenage independence activists who dedicated their lives to Korea’s liberation 100 years ago, and to share their stories with the world.
ZEP, a leading domestic metaverse platform, surpassed 6 million cumulative users and 1 million monthly active users as of July 2023. Accessible worldwide via mobile devices, tablets, or computers, the platform enables users to interact with objects and implement various functions.
The global popularity of Korean pop culture, driven by groups such as BTS and BLACKPINK, has drawn more than 170 million fans worldwide. However, much of this interest remains limited to contemporary entertainment content.
VANK aims to connect this global curiosity to Korea’s long history and rich culture. As part of this effort, the organization has launched a project to shed light on teenage independence activists, who remain largely unknown outside Korea. With a large proportion of Hallyu fans being teenagers, VANK expects that introducing the teenage independence activists who fought for Korea’s freedom a century ago will resonate strongly with this audience.
To achieve this, VANK has created the “Teenage Independence Activists Exhibition Hall” in the metaverse, designed in the style of Seodaemun Prison, where many independence fighters were imprisoned and tortured.
The exhibition consists of three sections:
- The March 1st Movement of 1919 and the Declaration of Independence in 12 languages
- Profiles of teenage independence activists
- “Achieving the Korea Dreamed of by Teenage Activists 100 Years Ago”
In the first section, the March 1st Declaration of Independence is presented in 12 languages, including English, French, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, Arabic, Mongolian, Vietnamese, Italian, Indonesian, and Dutch. Videos feature foreigners reading the declaration, along with explanations of the historical significance of the movement and footage of contemporary international press coverage.
The videos emphasize that on March 1, 1919, countless Koreans shouted “Mansei for Korean independence,” declaring their will for liberation to the world. Among them were teenagers who courageously joined the struggle at a young age.
International newspapers and observers at the time highlighted their bravery:
- The Washington Post: “During a demonstration, a Japanese soldier slashed a young female student’s hand with a sword as she held the Declaration, but she continued the protest, holding the document in her other hand.”
- San Francisco Examiner: “The independence movement is widespread in Korea. Students arrested during protests were stripped and tied to crosses.”
- Dr. Homer Hulbert: “The March 1st Movement is the most beautiful example of patriotism in the world and evidence that Koreans are one of the finest peoples on earth.”
The second section introduces teenage independence activists, including child soldiers, Yu Gwan-sun, Yu Dong-ha, Shin Gi-cheol, Han Bong-sam, Kim Sang-deuk, Lee Hyo-jeong, the Eagle Youth Corps, the Girls’ Association, Kim Jae-mun, and Kim Gi-gwon. It particularly highlights how student activists emerged as leaders of the independence struggle after the March 1st Movement.
Despite brutal Japanese suppression with guns and swords, student demonstrators stood at the front lines, shouting “Mansei for independence.”
Yu Gwan-sun, who led the Aunae protest, was arrested and continued organizing demonstrations even in prison. She was tortured to death at age 18, leaving behind the words:
“My only sorrow is that I have only one life to give for my country.”
Yu Dong-ha, also 18, used his fluency in Russian to collect information, manage communications among activists, assist Ahn Jung-geun’s assassination attempt, and serve as interpreter for Ahn Chang-ho, continuing anti-Japanese resistance in Russia.
At the same age, Shin Gi-cheol organized the secret student group Sangnokrhoe, advocating for national consciousness and resistance to Japanese discrimination and colonial rule.
The Girls’ Association in Gwangju, composed of members such as Jang Mae-seong and Park Ok-ryeon (18), Jang Kyung-rye and Park Hyun-sook (17), operated as a secret society working for women’s liberation, Korea’s liberation, and the emancipation of the people.
In 1926, during the June 10th Demonstration, student activists once again cried out for independence amid deepened colonial oppression. Timed with the funeral of Emperor Sunjong, Korea’s last monarch, students organized and led the movement. As the procession passed Danseongsa Theater in Jongno 3-ga, students from Central High School distributed proclamations and waved the Taegeukgi, sparking mass demonstrations. Over 210 students in Seoul and about 1,000 nationwide were arrested.
In court, one student activist, Lee Sun-ho, declared:
“We undertook this movement with the conviction that crying out for freedom would bring freedom.”
The final section, “Achieving the Korea Dreamed of by Teenage Activists 100 Years Ago,” invites today’s youth to imagine what kind of Korea those activists envisioned after independence, and to write about how their own dreams can help build the nation those young heroes hoped for.
Through the creation of the “Teenage Independence Activists Metaverse Exhibition Hall,” VANK expressed hope that, just as teenagers of a century ago were heroes who saved the nation and changed the world, today’s Korean youth will also contribute to peace in Asia and a better future for the global community.
Meanwhile, VANK has been actively using ZEP to create virtual exhibitions that promote Korean history and culture amid the worldwide Hallyu boom, which has drawn more than 170 million fans. Other exhibitions include the VANK 20th Anniversary Hall, the “Hallyu Stars in History” Hall, the Dokdo Hall, and the Foreign Independence Activists Hall.