The most profound change that liberation brought was the freedom to speak our own language once again. Korean voices returned to newspapers and radio broadcasts, children filled classrooms with the sound of learning Hangul (Korean Language) and people wrote their names in Korean—some for the first time—rediscovering themselves through the act of writing. In these everyday scenes, people felt life transforming around them. Restoring our language became the essential first step in washing away the traces of colonial rule and rebuilding our identity and agency as a nation.

In the years immediately following liberation, Korean society undertook a collective effort to rebuild a truthful understanding of its own history—an urgent task after decades of distortion and suppression. Newly compiled textbooks and republished works clarified national awareness of history and territory, while the restoration of damaged cultural heritage and the founding of new national museums served as vital bridges connecting the past to the present. The revival of traditional culture long suppressed under colonial rule helped restore bonds within the community. Efforts to reconnect a past severed under colonial rule and to restore the continuity of our history continued.

Historical figures and events once concealed or forbidden under Japanese rule came back into focus through books, theater, commemorative ceremonies, and other public media. Honoring independence patriots and establishing national commemorative days helped restore collective memory and strengthen unity among communities once scattered. Sharing these memories became a vital source of spiritual strength, guiding Koreans toward the building of a new nation.