Song Hye-kyo and Seo Kyung-duk Shine Spotlight on Female Independence Activist Kim Hyang-hwa with New Multilingual Video

Actress Song Hye-kyo and Professor Seo Kyung-duk of Sungshin Women's University are continuing their efforts to bring the legacy of female independence activist Kim Hyang-hwa to a global audience.

In commemoration of 'Nation and Patriotic Martyrs' Day,' Professor Seo released a multilingual video titled 'Overcoming the Barriers of an Era, Crying Out for Independence: Kisaeng Kim Hyang-hwa.' The 4-minute video, planned by Professor Seo and sponsored by Song Hye-kyo, features narration in both Korean and English and is rapidly being shared among netizens worldwide.

The video centers on the historic scene where Kim Hyang-hwa and approximately 30 other kisaeng (female entertainers) bravely held up the Taegeukgi (Korean flag) and led a 만세 (manse, 만세) movement in front of the Jayeuiwon at Hwaseong Haenggung Palace.

It particularly emphasizes how their courageous protest did not cease even in front of the police station and subsequently spread as the 'Kisaeng Independence Movement' to various regions across the country.

Professor Seo stated, 'I produced this video to shed new light on the lives of female independence activists who are not widely known to the public and to introduce them extensively both domestically and internationally.' He added, 'Following Jeong Jeong-hwa, Yun Hui-sun, Kim Maria, and Park Cha-jeong, this is the fifth video I've created to introduce such figures.'

He further commented, 'Song Hye-kyo and I plan to continue producing a series of multilingual videos about many more female independence activists to consistently raise awareness both in Korea and abroad.'

The video is gaining traction not only on YouTube but also across various social media platforms and is being shared within Korean communities around the globe.

Meanwhile, over the past 14 years, Song Hye-kyo and Professor Seo Kyung-duk have donated Korean guidebooks, Korean signboards, and relief sculptures of independence activists to 39 Korean independence movement sites worldwide, marking a significant and meaningful journey of cultural promotion.

Korean netizens have responded enthusiastically to the project, with comments like 'Thanks to Song Hye-kyo, I'm learning about independence activists I'd forgotten,' 'Applause for the continuous efforts of Professor Seo Kyung-duk and Song Hye-kyo,' and 'The video quality is excellent. I hope more people get to see it.'