February 25, 2010

At the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver during the Winter Olympics, with the eyes of the world watching, South Korea's Yuna Kim secured the gold medal in women's singles figure skating, setting a new world record. This day, which marked Korea's first-ever Olympic gold medal in figure skating, was actually a day of miracles co-created with Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In preparation for the Olympics, Kim had lived in Toronto for nearly four years starting in 2006. The Toronto Cricket Skating and Curling Club near North York was the training ground steeped in her sweat. Canadian broadcasters spared no praise, calling it the "coronation of a queen," and her victory instilled immense pride within the Korean-Canadian community. It is considered one of the most brilliant success stories of cultural exchange between Korea and Canada.

February 25, 2018

The closing ceremony of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics took place. This day also served as an opportunity to reaffirm the deep friendship Korea and Canada had built through the common denominator of "winter sports." During the Olympics, "Canada House" was one of the most popular destinations for Koreans, while at Nathan Phillips Square in front of Toronto City Hall, Korean expats and Canadian citizens gathered to celebrate Korea's successful hosting of the Games. Although it was the final day of the sports festival, it became a new starting point for the two countries' exchanges to advance beyond a historical alliance forged in blood into a partnership for culture and peace.

March 1, 1919

March 1st is one of the most sacred days for Koreans, known as the March 1st Independence Movement Day (Samiljeol). The shouts of "Long Live Korean Independence!" that began at Tapgol Park in Seoul on March 1, 1919, share a deep and inseparable connection with Canada. At the heart of this connection is Dr. Frank W. Schofield (1889–1970), a missionary from Ontario, Canada. Having majored in veterinary medicine at the University of Toronto, he arrived in Korea in 1916 as a professor at Severance Medical College. In 1919, he documented the March 1st Movement in photographs. Most notably, he personally visited the site of the "Jeam-ri Massacre" perpetrated by the Japanese imperialists, wrote a report on the gruesome reality, and exposed their atrocities to the world. Because he fought for Koreans despite surveillance and assassination threats from the Japanese police, Koreans highly respect him, often calling him the "34th National Representative" (adding to the original 33 signers of the Declaration of Independence). Near the Toronto Zoo, there is a park and a memorial statue named in his honor, and he is the only foreigner buried in the Patriot Area of the Seoul National Cemetery.

March 1, 2019

March 1st is a significant day for reaffirming the identity of the Korean community in Toronto. Every year on this day, a commemorative ceremony for the March 1st Independence Movement is held at the Toronto Korean Community Centre or Mel Lastman Square in North York. The event is attended by many—not just Korean expats—who gather to honor Korea's spirit of independence and deliver messages of celebration. The sight of Korean-Canadian children waving the Taegeukgi (Korean flag) while singing the Korean national anthem, and then waving the Maple Leaf while singing "O Canada," is a symbolic scene demonstrating how the immigrant community has taken root and integrated. Notably, during the 100th anniversary of the March 1st Movement in 2019, the Taegeukgi was raised at Toronto City Hall, and a spectacular scene unfolded as Niagara Falls was illuminated in the colors of the Korean flag.