Every year on October 3, South Korea celebrates one of the main public holidays — National Foundation Day (Gaecheonjeol).
This day is — an official day off in the country, a day when the national flag is raised and many ceremonial and festive events take place.
The founding day of the state is one of the 5 national holidays established by the National Public Holidays Act in 1949.
The holiday was established in honor of the formation of the first state of the Korean nation in 2333 BC by the legendary god king Tangun Wanggeom. According to legend, Tangun was the son of a heavenly ruler and, having descended to earth to live with people, he founded the state of Ancient Joseon.
In 1909, this day acquired the status of a national holiday. But initially it was celebrated on the third day of the tenth month according to the lunar calendar, and in 1949 it was decided to celebrate it on October 3 according to the Gregorian calendar.
On the day of the holiday, a ceremony is held on the altar of the top of Mount Many Mountain on Ganghwa-do Island, where a solemn procession takes place. According to legend, this altar was placed there by Tangun himself as a sign of gratitude to his father and grandfather in heaven. Thus, Koreans pay tribute to their history, its great people, founders and successors.