Independence Movement Day, also known as the March 1st Movement, is observed in South Korea every March 1. This day commemorates one of the earliest public resistances against Japanese occupation of the Korean Empire, which began in 1919. The movement was initiated by Korean students in Tokyo who, inspired by Woodrow Wilson's speech at the Paris Peace Conference, demanded freedom from colonial rule. A core group of 33 activists convened at Taehwagwan Restaurant in Seoul to read the Korean Declaration of Independence, which was drafted by historian Choe Nam-seon. The movement led to the establishment of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea in April 1919. Independence Movement Day became a national holiday in 1949, and it is celebrated with a ceremony reading the Korean Declaration of Independence at Tapgol Park.