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S. Korea marks 80th anniv. of independence

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung (front row, C) waves during a ceremony in Seoul on Aug. 15, 2025, to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of Japanese colonial rule in 1945. (Pool photo)

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S. Korea marks 80th anniv. of independence

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung delivers a speech in a ceremony in Seoul on Aug. 15, 2025, to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of Japanese colonial rule in 1945. (Pool photo)

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S. Korea marks 79th anniv. of independence

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol delivers a speech in a ceremony in Seoul on Aug. 15, 2024, to mark the 79th anniversary of the end of Japanese colonial rule in 1945.

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S. Korea marks 79th anniv. of independence

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol delivers a speech in a ceremony in Seoul on Aug. 15, 2024, to mark the 79th anniversary of the end of Japanese colonial rule in 1945.

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S. Korea marks 79th anniv. of independence

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol (front, 2nd from L) attends a ceremony in Seoul on Aug. 15, 2024, to mark the 79th anniversary of the end of Japanese colonial rule in 1945.

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S. Korea President Yoon

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol delivers a speech in Seoul on Aug. 15, 2023, during a ceremony to mark the 78th anniversary of his country's liberation from Japanese colonial rule in 1945. (Pool photo)

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S. Korea President Yoon

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol delivers a speech in Seoul on Aug. 15, 2023, during a ceremony to mark the 78th anniversary of his country's liberation from Japanese colonial rule in 1945. (Pool photo)

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N. Korea marks 65th anniversary of liberation from Japan rule

PYONGYANG, North Korea - Citizens are seen cleaning a sidewalk in Pyongyang on the 65th anniversary of the liberation of the Korean Peninsula from Japan's 1910-1945 colonial rule on Aug. 15, 2010.

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N. Korea marks 65th anniversary of liberation from Japan rule

PYONGYANG, North Korea - Citizens visit Revolutionary Martyrs' Cemetery on Mt. Taesong in Pyongyang on the 65th anniversary of the liberation of the Korean Peninsula from Japan's 1910-1945 colonial rule on Aug. 15, 2010.

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S. Korea's Lee proposes 3-stage reunification with N. Korea

SEOUL, South Korea - South Korean President Lee Myung Bak makes a three-stage proposal for peaceful reunification with North Korea during a speech in Seoul on Aug. 15, 2010. Lee delivered the speech at a ceremony to mark the 65th anniversary of Korea's independence from Japan's 1910-1945 colonial rule.

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'Picture Letters of 1945' to be revived

TOKYO, Japan - Cartoonist Eiko Hanamura narrates her memories of the end of World War II in Tokyo on Nov. 20, 2014, for inclusion in a revived version of "My Aug. 15, Picture Letters of 1945" with voice recordings attached, set for publication next summer.

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A-bomb survivor to visit NY for nuke-free appeal

OSAKA, Japan - Masakazu Saito, a 90-year-old survivor of the U.S. atomic bombing of Hiroshima, stands at his home in Hanamaki, Iwate Prefecture, northeastern Japan, in October 2014, speaking of his decision to visit New York next spring during the U.N. Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference to call for the abolition of nuclear weapons. In the background is his collection of antique clocks, all with their handles stopped at 8:15, the time when the bomb was dropped on the western Japan city on Aug. 6, 1945.

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Story of bombing on Japan's last day in WWII

AKITA, Japan - Photo shows cover and several inside pages from "Hamanasu ha mita," a story based on the U.S. bombing of the Tsuchizaki region of Akita City in northeastern Japan on the night of Aug. 14 and early Aug. 15, 1945. Japan's unconditional surrender in WWII was announced on Aug. 15, 1945.

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Story of bombing on Japan's last day in WWII

AKITA, Japan - Hisaharu Sasaki, professor emeritus at Akita University, in August 2014 holds "Hamanasu ha mita," a cartoon story based on the U.S. bombing of the Tsuchizaki region of Akita City, northeastern Japan, on the night of Aug. 14 and early Aug. 15, 1945, in the city. Japan's unconditional surrender in WWII was announced on Aug. 15, 1945.

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Nagaoka fireworks for war remembrance at Pearl Harbor

HONOLULU, United States - Photo taken Aug. 11, 2014, shows a plate at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, explaining Japan's attack on the harbor in 1941 bringing the United States' direct participation in World War II. Sister cities Honolulu and Nagaoka in Niigata Prefecture have announced a plan to hold a firework display using fireworks from the Japanese city, which has a century-old fireworks tradition, at Pearl Harbor on Aug. 15, 2015, to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the end of the Pacific War. Aug. 15 is the day Japan surrendered in 1945.

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Nagaoka fireworks for war remembrance at Pearl Harbor

HONOLULU, United States - Tourists view Pearl Harbor in Hawaii on Aug. 11, 2014. Sister cities Honolulu and Nagaoka in Niigata Prefecture have announced a plan to hold a firework display using fireworks from the Japanese city, which has a century-old fireworks tradition, at Pearl Harbor on Aug. 15, 2015, to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the end of the Pacific War. Aug. 15 is the day Japan surrendered in 1945.

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Pyongyang on war anniversary

PYONGYANG, North Korea - Photo shows a floral tribute standing before the bronze statues of North Korea's founder Kim Il Sung and its late leader Kim Jong Il on Mansu Hill in Pyongyang on Aug. 15, 2013, the 68th anniversary of the liberation of the Korean Peninsula from Japan's 1910-1945 colonial rule.

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Pyongyang on war anniversary

PYONGYANG, North Korea - Men fix a trolley bus in Pyongyang, North Korea on Aug. 15, 2013, the 68th anniversary of the liberation of the Korean Peninsula from Japan's 1910-1945 colonial rule.

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Pyongyang on war anniversary

PYONGYANG, North Korea - North Koreans salute or bow in front of the bronze statues of North Korea's founder Kim Il Sung and its late leader Kim Jong Il on Mansu Hill in Pyongyang on Aug. 15, 2013, the 68th anniversary of the liberation of the Korean Peninsula from Japan's 1910-1945 colonial rule.

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Pyongyang on war anniversary

PYONGYANG, North Korea - North Korean military personnel carry flowers for placement near the bronze statues of the country's founder Kim Il Sung and its late leader Kim Jong Il on Mansu Hill in Pyongyang on Aug. 15, 2013, the 68th anniversary of the liberation of the Korean Peninsula from Japan's 1910-1945 colonial rule.

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S. Korean President Park on Liberation Day

SEOUL, South Korea - South Korean President Park Geun Hye delivers a speech during a ceremony in Seoul on Aug. 15, 2013, to celebrate Liberation Day, which marks Korea's independence from Japan's 1910-1945 colonial rule with Japan's defeat in World War II.

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Hiroshima stone monument in Britain

ALREWAS, Britain - Japanese Ambassador to Britain Keiichi Hayashi (L) takes part in a ceremony on Aug. 15, 2012, marking the completion of a monument at the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas, northwestern England, with a stone from the ruins of the 1945 U.S. atomic bombing of Hiroshima.

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S. Korean President Lee on Liberation Day

SEOUL, South Korea - South Korean President Lee Myung Bak delivers a speech during a ceremony in Seoul on Aug. 15, 2012, to celebrate Liberation Day, which marks Korea's independence from Japan's 1910-1945 colonial rule with Japan's defeat in World War II.

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Liberation Day in S. Korea

SEOUL, South Korea - Members of a South Korean civic group dance while waving national flags at a square in front of the Seoul city office to commemorate Liberation Day on Aug. 15, 2012. Aug. 15 is the anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War II and is celebrated as Liberation Day in South Korea to mark Korea's independence from Japan's 1910 to 1945 colonial rule.

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Liberation Day in S. Korea

SEOUL, South Korea - Photo shows participants of a ceremony in Seoul on Aug. 15, 2012, to celebrate Liberation Day, which marks Korea's independence from Japan's 1910 to 1945 colonial rule with Japan's defeat in World War II.

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Liberation Day in S. Korea

SEOUL, South Korea - South Korean President Lee Myung Bak delivers a speech during a ceremony in Seoul on Aug. 15, 2012, to celebrate Liberation Day, which marks Korea's independence from Japan's 1910 to 1945 colonial rule with Japan's defeat in World War II.

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Liberation Day in S. Korea

SEOUL, South Korea - South Korean President Lee Myung Bak delivers a speech during a ceremony in Seoul on Aug. 15, 2012, to celebrate Liberation Day, which marks Korea's independence from Japan's 1910 to 1945 colonial rule with Japan's defeat in World War II.

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Liberation Day in S. Korea

SEOUL, South Korea - South Korean President Lee Myung Bak delivers a speech during a ceremony in Seoul on Aug. 15, 2012, to celebrate Liberation Day, which marks Korea's independence from Japan's 1910 to 1945 colonial rule with Japan's defeat in World War II.

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Liberation Day in S. Korea

SEOUL, South Korea - South Korean President Lee Myung Bak (C) attends a ceremony in Seoul on Aug. 15, 2012, to celebrate Liberation Day, which marks Korea's independence from Japan's 1910 to 1945 colonial rule with Japan's defeat in World War II.

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N. Korea marks 66th anniversary of liberation

PYONGYANG, North Korea - People offer flowers at a statue of former North Korean leader Kim Il Sung in Pyongyang on Aug. 15, 2011, as the North marked the 66th anniversary of the liberation of the Korean Peninsula from Japan's 1910-1945 colonial rule.

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N. Korea marks 66th anniversary of liberation

PYONGYANG, North Korea - People visit a statue of former North Korean leader Kim Il Sung in Pyongyang on Aug. 15, 2011, as the North marked the 66th anniversary of the liberation of the Korean Peninsula from Japan's 1910-1945 colonial rule.

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Lawmakers visit Yasukuni Shrine

TOKYO, Japan - A group of Japanese lawmakers visit war-related Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo on Aug. 15, 2011, the 66th anniversary of the end of Japan's 1941-1945 war. Prime Minister Naoto Kan and all of his Cabinet members did not go to the shrine.

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N. Korea marks 66th anniversary of liberation

PYONGYANG, North Korea - Soldiers offer flowers at a statue of former North Korean leader Kim Il Sung in Pyongyang on Aug. 15, 2011, as the North marked the 66th anniversary of the liberation of the Korean Peninsula from Japan's 1910-1945 colonial rule.

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N. Korea marks 66th anniversary of liberation

PYONGYANG, North Korea - Photo shows an area of Pyongyang on Aug. 15, 2011, as the North marked the 66th anniversary of the liberation of the Korean Peninsula from Japan's 1910-1945 colonial rule.

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Indonesian translation of book on Japanese hero

JAKARTA, Indonesia - Photo taken Feb. 27, 2009, shows Sakari Ono who stayed behind in Indonesia and fought alongside Indonesian independence troops against Dutch troops after the Japanese surrendered to the Allied forces on Aug. 15, 1945. The Indonesian-language version of a Japanese book about Ono is expected to be published in September 2011.

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Hiroshima marks 66th anniv. of atomic bombing

HIROSHIMA, Japan - A woman participating in a ceremony in Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park to commemorate the victims of the 1945 U.S. atomic bombing of the western Japan city, offers a prayer at 8:15 a.m. on Aug. 6, 2011, the exact moment of the attack 66 years ago.

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Hiroshima marks 66th anniv. of atomic bombing

HIROSHIMA, Japan - Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan (R, front) and other people participating in a ceremony in Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park to commemorate the victims of the 1945 U.S. atomic bombing of the western Japan city, offer prayers at 8:15 a.m. on Aug. 6, 2011, the exact moment of the attack 66 years ago.

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Hiroshima marks 63rd anniversary of atomic bombing

HIROSHIMA, Japan - People participating in a ceremony Aug. 6 marking the 63rd anniversary of the 1945 U.S. atomic bombing offer a moment of silence at 8:15 a.m., the time the atomic bomb detonated over Hiroshima. Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda and some 45,000 others, including diplomats from 55 countries, attended the ceremony in the western Japanese city.

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S. Korea blasts Koizumi's shrine visit, says ties damaged

SEOUL, South Korea - South Korean President Roh Moo Hyun delivers a speech during a ceremony marking the 61st anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japan's 1910-1945 colonial rule in Seoul on Aug. 15. Roh urged Japan to show through actions, not words, that it is determined not to repeat its wartime wrongdoings.

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S. Korea's KBS records amateur singing contest in Japan

TOKYO, Japan - South Korea's Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) records an amateur singing contest at the Hibiya Public Hall in Tokyo on Aug. 15 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the end of Japan's 1910-1945 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula and the S. Korea-Japan friendship year. S. Korean and Japanese company employees, housewives and students participated in the contest, which will be aired in S. Korea on Sept. 18.

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Delegations to issue statement against Japan

SEOUL, South Korea - North and South Korean civilians read out a joint statement on Aug. 15 accusing Japan of distorting historical facts, at a hall in western Seoul where Japan imprisoned Koreans during its 1910-1945 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula. They are among hundreds of North and South Koreans participating in a four-day joint festival to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the liberation of the peninsula from Japanese rule.

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Roh calls for 'national unity' by ending discord

SEOUL, South Korea - South Korean President Roh Moo Hyun delivers a speech during a ceremony in Seoul on Aug. 15 to mark the 60th anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japan's 1910-1945 colonial rule.

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Political group calls Koizumi to visit Yasukuni Shrine on Aug. 15

TOKYO, Japan - Members of a group asking for the prime minister to pay an official visit to the war-related Yasukuni Shrine shout their slogans at a rally in Tokyo on July 7. They adopted a resolution calling on Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to visit the shrine on the sensitive day of Aug. 15, the anniversary of Japan's 1945 surrender to Allied forces in World War II.

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(12)Hiroshima marks 59th anniversary of U.S. atomic bombing

HIROSHIMA, Japan - People protesting the atomic bombing of Hiroshima perform a ''die-in'' at Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima at 8:15 a.m. on Aug. 6, the time the U.S. atomic bomb was dropped in the city in 1945. The same day, a ceremony marking the 59th anniversary of the bombing was held at the park.

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Court orders gov't to compensate Koreans over 1945 ship loss

KYOTO, Japan - Survivors and relatives of those who died in an explosion on the South Korean transport vessel Ukishimamaru on Aug. 24, 1945 speak at a press conference in Kyoto on Aug. 23. after the Kyoto District Court ordered the Japanese government to pay 45 million yen in compensation to 15 South Koreans over the explosion. The 4,730-ton ship carrying 524 Koreans on their way home from Japan exploded and capsized when the ship was nearing entry to Maizuru port in Kyoto Prefecture.

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Antinuclear torch relay begins in Hiroshima

HIROSHIMA, Japan - An antinuclear torch relay begins in Hiroshima Prefecture on June 19 to underscore the hope that the world will be free of war and nuclear attacks during the 21st century. A 12-member leadoff group of runners started the 20th relay from Hiroshima Peace Park at 8:15 a.m., the time the U.S. dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945. The relay will cover about 1,816 kilometers in the prefecture, ending on July 26.

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New Zealand's Premier Clark visits Hiroshima

HIROSHIMA, Japan - New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark puts her name in the visitors' book after touring the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum on April 15. Clark said she was moved by the items placed there to convey the trauma that civilians suffered during and after the Aug. 6, 1945 U.S. atomic bombing of the western Japan city.

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'Witness' to Japan's defeat in World War II

TOKYO, Japan - A weather chart preserved at the National Archives for 54 years shows fine weather in Tokyo with a temperature of 32 degrees Celsius on Aug. 15, 1945, the day Japan surrendered to end World War II.

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S. Korea blasts Koizumi's shrine visit, says ties damaged

SEOUL, South Korea - South Korean President Roh Moo Hyun delivers a speech during a ceremony marking the 61st anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japan's 1910-1945 colonial rule in Seoul on Aug. 15. Roh urged Japan to show through actions, not words, that it is determined not to repeat its wartime wrongdoings. (Kyodo)

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Political group calls Koizumi to visit Yasukuni Shrine on Aug. 1

TOKYO, Japan - Members of a group asking for the prime minister to pay an official visit to the war-related Yasukuni Shrine shout their slogans at a rally in Tokyo on July 7. They adopted a resolution calling on Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to visit the shrine on the sensitive day of Aug. 15, the anniversary of Japan's 1945 surrender to Allied forces in World War II. (Kyodo)