Hyemin Lee (Illustration by Hyemin Lee/Stripes Korea)

Aug. 15 marks Liberation Day in Korea, known as Gwangbokjeol, which means “the day the light returned.” In 1945, Japan’s surrender ended World War II and freed many Asian countries from Japanese rule. For Korea, it ended 35 years of Japanese colonial rule, and across the peninsula, Koreans poured into the streets, waving Taegeukgi flags and shouting in joy. But liberation also opened a painful new chapter: Korea was divided into Soviet and U.S. occupation zones, north and south of the 38th parallel. Separate governments were established in 1948 and the Korean War broke out in 1950. Gwangbokjeol marks both the return of freedom and the beginning of a division that still remains.

(Illustration by Stripes Korea)