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`Soong Eui School, the forerunner of modern education for women in Korea, which has shared the pains and joys of the nation, celebrates the centennial of its founding on Oct. 31, 2003. The centennial history of Soong Eui School dates back to the establishment of Soong Eui Girl`s School on Oct. 31, 1903. The school, founded by the American missionary, Rev. Samuel Austin Moffett, was a pioneering, modern educational institution for women that adopted the concept of respect for justice in its founding ideals. Soong Eui Girl`s School has developed into a major educational institution encompassing kindergarten, elementary school, middle school, high school and college. The educational mission of Soong Eui School is to foster women imbued with Christian values as well as a love for justice and practice of service. Based on Christian principles, the school initiated the modernization of the Korean society, serving as a beacon for enlightenment and independence during the final years of the Joseon period. Its aim was to foster well-rounded women and female leaders. During the Japanese colonial rule, Soong Eui School participated in the resistance movement against the Japanese occupation including the March 1st Independence Movement of 1919. The school voluntarily closed its doors in 1938 after refusing to worship at Shinto shrines. It was re-established at the present location at the foot of Mt. Namsan in 1953. This commemorative stamp is issued in celebration of the centennial of the Soong Eui School, which is poised to achieve a new leap forward toward the vision of fostering modern professionals equipped with creativity and ideals to benefit all society.`