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Busan Metropolitan City to Hold “Chungnyeolsa Memorial Rite” Marking the 434th Anniversary of the Imjin War

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Busan Metropolitan City, led by Acting Mayor Kim Kyung-duk, announced that today (May 25) at 10:00 a.m., it will hold the “Chungnyeolsa Memorial Rite” at the main shrine and Uiyeolgak Hall within Chungnyeolsa Shrine to commemorate the patriotic spirit and noble sacrifice of those who died defending the nation during the Imjin War, marking the 434th anniversary of the war’s outbreak in 1592.

The event will be attended by Acting Mayor Kim Kyung-duk, members of the National Assembly, heads of various institutions, city and district council members, Confucian scholars, and descendants of patriotic martyrs. Kim Kyung-tae, Director General of the Planning and Coordination Office of Busan Metropolitan City, will serve as the Choheongwan, the chief officiant presiding over the memorial rite.

The memorial rite will take place simultaneously at the main shrine and Uiyeolgak Hall of Chungnyeolsa Shrine. Beginning with the declaration of the opening ceremony at 10:00 a.m., the approximately 50-minute rite will proceed in the following order: ceremonial bows by the officiants, bows by attendees, incense offering and ritual libation by the officiants, proxy floral tribute and incense offering on behalf of the President conducted by Acting Mayor Kim, followed by incense offerings by attendees.

Nine officiants will participate in this year’s memorial ceremony, including Choheongwan Kim Kyung-tae, Director General of the Planning and Coordination Office of Busan Metropolitan City; Aheongwan Song Jeong-hwa, representative descendant of Magistrate Song Sang-hyeon of Dongnae, and Park Yeon-sook, President of the Busan Headquarters of the Women’s Confucian Association; Jongheongwan Park In-ho, the citizen officiant; and ritual readers and masters of ceremony Jeong Gwang-ho and Kim Hong-seop, scholarship trainees of the Chungnyeolsa Anrak Seowon Intangible Cultural Heritage Preservation Society.

In particular, to expand civic participation, the citizen officiant system (Jongheongwan), introduced in 2017, will once again be featured this year. Park In-ho, representative of the Citizens’ Group Loving Busan Port and recipient of the grand prize at the 41st Proud Citizen Award in 2025, has been appointed to participate in honoring the fallen patriots and martyrs.

Meanwhile, Chungnyeolsa Shrine, designated as a municipal tangible cultural heritage site and memorial facility, enshrines 93 patriotic martyrs from civilian, government, and military backgrounds who died fighting Japanese invaders during the Imjin War, including Magistrate Song Sang-hyeon of Dongnae, General Jeong Bal, Naval Commander of Busanjin, and General Yun Heung-sin, Naval Commander of Dadaejin. To honor these patriotic martyrs, Busan Metropolitan City holds the Chungnyeolsa Memorial Rite annually on May 25.

In addition, Chungnyeolsa Shrine is the only surviving shrine in Korea that enshrines women and government servants together, embodying the ideal of equality for all people regardless of gender or social class.

Acting Mayor of Busan Metropolitan City Kim Kyung-duk emphasized, “The cries of those who stood together solely for their country and neighbors, transcending status and gender, continue to serve as a solemn lesson for us today. Building on Busan’s enduring strength, which has always risen first in times of national crisis, the city will steadfastly protect the lives of its citizens and further strengthen Busan’s future.”