A ceremony was held in Tokyo on Friday to mark the centennial of an independence movement against Japan’s colonization of the Korean Peninsula. 

Organized by the Korean YMCA in Japan, the event commemorated the February Eighth Independence Declaration issued at a rally by some 600 Korean students studying in the Japanese capital in 1919. 

During the ceremony, head of the Korean YMCA Lee Cheong-gil assessed the significance of the movement, saying it planted a message of justice and peace in the hearts of people all around the world. 

Also in attendance at the event was South Korean Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs Pi Woo-jin, who thanked everyone who contributed to the Korean independence movement. 

A similar event to mark the historic rally was also held at the YMCA headquarters in Seoul.