National Liberation of Korea

(August 15, 1945)

On this day, the Korean Peninsula gained its independence from Japanese occupation, and August 15 is still celebrated in both South and North Korea as one of the key national/public holidays.  In South Korea, the National Liberation Day is called Gwang-Bok-Jeol (광복절 - which reportedly literally translates to "the day of restoration of light").  In North Korea, this holiday is called Cho-Guk-Hae-Bangŭi-Nal (조국해방의 날 - literally Liberation of the Fatherland Day).

Korea's liberation on August 15, 1945 occurred on the same day as Japan's surrender to the Allied Powers (Victory over Japan Day or V-J Day), which followed the United States' bombing of Hiroshima (August 6) and Nagasaki (August 9), and the Soviet Union's declaration of war against Japan (August 9).  

​It is noted that South Korea's/Republic of Korea's own independent government was established in 1948 but also on August 15.

Source: Korean Culture and Information Service (KOCIS)/www.korea.net