National flags stand in front of the main building of the Independence Hall in Mokcheon, South Chungcheong Province. Koreans celebrate their 68th Independence Day on Thursday, which also marks the establishment of the first modern republic in 1948. On the same day in 1953, The Korea Herald, then under the name of The Korean Republic, was created with a mission of bridging Korea and the world. Celebrating its 60th anniversary, The Korea Herald is committed to achieving its mission as the leading English-language newspaper in the country. (Ahn Hoon/The Korea Herald)