![[The First Path] 100 Years Ago Today: Our Daily Promise at 10:10](https://thekoreantoday.com/gangseo/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2025/10/featured-image-144.png "[The First Path] 100 Years Ago Today: Our Daily Promise at 10:10")
🎉 Introducing Our New Historical Series
100 YEARS AGO TODAY
10:10“As the clock smiles, reflect on a century of history”
📅 Published Every Evening at 10:10 PM KST
🌍 Rotating Locations • Including Korean Diaspora
Why Look Back 100 Years
In 2025, South Korea stands as one of the world’s top 10 economies. K-pop sweeps the globe, Korean films win Oscars, and Korean semiconductors and batteries dominate global markets.
Yet exactly 100 years ago in 1925, our ancestors endured each day under Japanese colonial rule. Fifteen years had passed since losing their nation, six years since the failed March 1st Movement. It was an era when hope seemed nowhere in sight.
“A nation that forgets its history has no future”
– Danjae Shin Chaeho, Korean independence activist and historian
100 years. A century is far enough for objectivity, yet close enough for empathy—a perfect distance. It’s the era our great-grandparents lived through, where our roots lie.
For international readers: Korea’s colonial experience (1910-1945) parallels those of India, Ireland, and the Philippines. Understanding this history illuminates how today’s vibrant K-Culture emerged from decades of cultural resistance and survival.
🗺️ A Different Stage Each Day
No longer confined to Seoul
We journey to wherever the most significant events occurred that day
Event-Driven Selection
We follow the most
important story of the day
All of Korea
Seoul, Pyongyang, Busan
Daegu, Wonsan, Gwangju
Korean Diaspora
Jiandao, Shanghai, Harbin
Hawaii, LA, Vladivostok
🔄 Daily Thematic Rotation:
• Monday – Personal Stories (deep dive into real individuals)
• Tuesday – Law & Culture (courtrooms, theaters)
• Wednesday – Education & Markets (schools, daily commerce)
• Thursday – Labor Scene (factories, ports, mines)
• Friday – Women & Religion (homes, churches, temples)
• Saturday – Arts & Architecture (performances, buildings)
• Sunday – Weekly Review (comprehensive reflection)
✅ Our Promise – Only Verified Facts
1. Web-Search Verified Facts Only
Daily systematic web research (15-20 searches)
• Contemporary newspapers: Dong-A Ilbo, Chosun Ilbo, Maeil Sinbo
• Government-General of Korea official gazettes
• Overseas Korean press (Shanghai, San Francisco, Hawaii)
• International newspapers (NYT, The Times, Asahi Shimbun)
We never fabricate what cannot be confirmed
2. Clear Source Attribution
“According to Dong-A Ilbo, October X, 1925, page X…”
“Government-General Gazette No. X records…”
“Shanghai’s Independence News reported…”
Every fact has a documented source
3. Honest About Gaps
When sources are unavailable, we say so
No speculation or imagination to fill gaps
Instead, we provide weekly context and daily patterns
Historical integrity is paramount
4. Event-Based Editorial Strategy
★★★ Major Events – In-depth event analysis
★★☆ Moderate Events – Event + daily life blend
★☆☆ Quiet Days – Deep dive into daily patterns
Daily research determines optimal approach
🔍 Our 5-Stage Research System
15-20 Systematic Searches Daily
Stage 1: Korean Peninsula Press (5-6 searches)
Dong-A Ilbo, Chosun Ilbo, Maeil Sinbo, Kyungsung Ilbo
Government-General Gazettes and official records
Stage 2: Overseas Korean Press (3-4 searches)
Shanghai Independence News, Sinhan Minbo (SF)
Jiandao newspapers, Vladivostok, Japan-based Korean press
Stage 3: International Press (3-4 searches)
New York Times, Washington Post, The Times
Asahi Shimbun, Shenbao (Shanghai), Pravda
Stage 4: Academic Archives (2-3 searches)
National Institute of Korean History Database
Library of Congress, Internet Archive, British Library
Stage 5: Targeted Deep Research (2-3 searches)
Specific events, individuals, locations
Cross-verification and fact-checking
“We don’t create history. We excavate and share it.”
👤 Person of the Day – Real Lives, Real Stories
Beyond Statistics – Human Stories
History isn’t just numbers and events. We document real people—their names, ages, occupations, and daily lives from 1925.
Examples:
• Kim Cheolsu (35), rickshaw puller on Seoul’s Jongro street
• Lee Younghee (17), student secretly learning Hangeul
• Park Sooni (42), housewife preparing kimchi for winter
• Choi Yongdal (28), independence activist in Shanghai
Their routines, small victories, unbreakable hope. We remember ordinary people who lived through extraordinary times—people just like us.
Why This Matters Globally:
Colonial experiences—whether in Korea, India, Ireland, or the Philippines—share universal patterns of resistance, survival, and cultural preservation. These individual stories illuminate how today’s vibrant K-Culture emerged from generations of quiet defiance.
📅 1925 – A World in Flux
🇰🇷 Korea in 1925
- 15th year under Japanese rule
- “Cultural Rule” period (1920-1931)
- Korean Communist Party founded (April)
- KAPF (Korea Artista Proleta Federacio) established (August)
- Provisional Government reforms
- Hangeul standardization efforts begin
🌍 The World in 1925
- America’s Roaring Twenties peak
- Germany’s Weimar Republic
- Stalin’s power struggle in USSR
- China’s May 30th Movement
- Hitler publishes Mein Kampf
- Locarno Treaties (October)
🌏 East Asia Context
- Japan’s Taishō Democracy era
- China: Warlords vs Nationalists
- Korean exile communities growing
- Independence movements underground
- Cultural preservation in secret
1925 was the calm before multiple storms.
In 4 years: the Great Depression. In 6 years: Manchurian Incident.
In 14 years: World War II. In 20 years: Korea’s liberation.
But in 1925, none of this was certain. People lived with hope against despair.
📖 What You’ll Find in Each Edition
Korea Under Colonial Rule
Daily newspapers
Major events analyzed
Person of the Day
Real individuals
Their daily lives
East Asia in Turmoil
China, Japan, USSR
Regional dynamics
The World Stage
USA, Europe
Contemporary world
Daily Life 24 Hours
Routines, culture
Prices, living
Century Mirror
1925 vs 2025
Dialogue & reflection
⏰ Why 10:10 PM
Look at a clock at 10:10. The hour and minute hands form a V.
V for Victory.
At this hour when the clock smiles,
we remember the victory of our history—surviving 100 years.
Every evening at 10:10 PM, we return to that day a century ago.
Evening Reflection:
As you wind down your day in 2025, reflect on those who lived through their challenging days in 1925. The evening hour invites contemplation—perfect for historical reflection and connecting past to present.
Tomorrow, Our First Story Begins
A story from somewhere, that day in 1925
It might be Seoul, Pyongyang, Busan, or Jiandao.
We follow the most significant story of that day.
A tale unfolds from wherever Koreans lived 100 years ago.
Every Evening at 10:10 PM KST
Meet us at The Korean Today
30% More Context for International Readers:
Each English edition provides additional historical background about Japanese colonialism, Korean independence movements, and connections to other colonial experiences worldwide. We explain cultural contexts that Korean readers already know, making these century-old stories accessible and meaningful to everyone.
History Is Not the Past
100 years ago today, our ancestors walked these same paths.
Even in despair, they never abandoned hope.
Their daily resilience created today’s possibilities.
“100 Years Ago Today, the dialogue with history begins”
From Colonial Oppression to Global Cultural Power
Understanding how Korea transformed from a colonized nation to a cultural phenomenon
begins with remembering the people who preserved their identity against all odds.
Every Evening at 10:10 PM KST
100 Years Ago Today begins
The Korean Today
global@thekoreantoday.com
Published daily at 10:10 PM KST
15-20 web searches • Nationwide rotation • Fact-based reporting
The Korean Today “100 Years Ago Today” Series
Published every evening at 10:10 PM KST
© 2025 The Korean Today. All rights reserved.
This content is based on verified historical facts.
<저작권자 ⓒ 코리안투데이(The Korean Today) 무단전재 및 재배포 금지>