Above: Badhoe Pojangmacha Street Restaurant, Geumnamo Shopping districtMiddle: Panorama view of resident area of Gwangsan DistrictBottom: Gwangju Folk Museum, Democracy Bell in Denman Estate Park (All items are left to right)
Gwangju (Korean: 광주;Korean:[kwaŋ.dʑu]ⓘ), formerly romanized asKwangju, is South Korea'ssixth-largest metropolis. It is a designatedmetropolitan city under the direct control of the central government's Home Minister. The city was also the capital ofSouth Jeolla Province until the provincial office moved to the southern village ofNamak inMuan County in 2005 because Gwangju was promoted to ametropolitan city and was independent of South Jeolla Province.
Its name is composed of the wordsgwang (Korean: 광;Hanja: 光) meaning "light" andju (주;州) meaning "province". Gwangju was historically recorded asMuju (무주;武州), in which "Silla merged all of the land to establish the provinces of Gwangju, Ungju, Jeonju, Muju and various counties, plus the southern boundary ofGoguryeo and the ancient territories of Silla" in theSamguk sagi.[4] In the heart of the agriculturalJeolla region, the city is also famous for its rich and diversecuisine.
During theImperial Japanese rule, the city was known as Kōshū. In 1929, a confrontation between Korean and Japanese students in the city turned into the Gwangju Student Independence Movement, a regional demonstration that culminated in one of the major nationwide uprisings against Imperial Japanese cruelty during the colonial period.[citation needed]
Modern industry was established in Gwangju, and a railway toSeoul was constructed. Some industries that took hold include cotton textiles, rice mills, andbreweries. The construction of a designated industrial zone in 1967 encouraged growth in industry, especially in the sectors linked to the automobile industry.[citation needed]
In May 1980, peaceful demonstrations took place in Gwangju againstChun Doo-hwan, leader of the militarycoup d'état of 12 December 1979. The demonstrations were suppressed by military forces, including elite units of theSpecial Operations Command. The situation escalated after a violent crackdown, resulting in theGwangju Uprising, where civilians raided armories and armed themselves. By the time the uprising was suppressed 9 days later, many hundreds of civilians and several police forces/soldiers were dead. After civilian rule was reinstated in 1987, a national cemetery was established to honor the victims of the incident.[6]
In 1986, Gwangju separated fromSouth Jeolla Province to become a Directly Governed City (Jikhalsi), and then became a Metropolitan City (Gwangyeoksi) in 1995.[5]
Due to a variety of factors, including the ancient rivalry betweenBaekje andSilla, as well as the biased priority given to theGyeongsang Province region by political leaders in the 2nd half of the 20th century, Gwangju has a long history of voting for left-leaning politicians[citation needed] and is the main stronghold for the liberalDemocratic Party of Korea along with its predecessors, as well as the progressiveJustice Party.[citation needed]
Gwangju has a cooler version of thehumid subtropical climate (Köppen:Cfa/Cwa) with four distinct seasons and rainfall year-round but particularly during the East Asian Monsoon Season in the summer months.
Winters, while still somewhat cold, are milder than in Seoul and cities further north due to the city's southwesterly position in the Korean peninsula.Summers are hot and humid with abundant precipitation, particularly in the form of thunderstorms. Gwangju is one of the warmest cities in Korea in the summer due to its geographic location.[citation needed]
Climate data for Gwangju (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1939–present)
Gwangju Health University is a private community college offering associate degrees in humanities and social sciences and healthcare sciences, and a bachelor's degree in nursing.
Gwangju has 593 schools, consisting of 234 kindergartens, 145 elementary schools, 84 middle schools, 65 high schools, 1 science high school,[18] 7 junior colleges, 9 universities, 38 graduate schools, and 11 others (as of 1 May 2009) with a total of 406,669 students, or 28.5% of the total city population. The average number of students per household is 0.8.
The city is served by theGwangju Subway. An extension was completed in April 2008, with the remainder being completed in 2012. The first phase of a second line, which, when completed, will be an orbital loop line, will open in 2026.[19] There are twoKTX stations in the city:Gwangju station andGwangju Songjeong Station. Gwangju Songjeong Station connects to the Gwangju Subway and the local bus system. Now, the Songjeong station is mainly used.
Gwangju has an extensive system of public buses that traverse the city.[20] Bus stops and buses themselves contain stop information in Korean and English. Local buses, but not the subway or KTX, connect to the intercity Gwangju Bus Terminal known as U-Square.[21]
This article needs to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(June 2015)
Asia Culture Center – The Asia Culture Center (also known as the ACC) is a facility in downtown Gwangju designed to celebrate and explore Gwangju's artistic and democratic culture and history, as well as provide space to host exhibits, experiences, and events from international artists. It is built primarily below street level, though its design incorporates large amounts of natural lighting. There are five facilities: ACC Exchange, ACC Theater, ACC Creation, ACC Archive & Research, and ACC Children[22]
Gwangju Biennale – This is a modern art festival that is held every two years. It was first launched in 1995. The Gwangju Biennale Exhibition Hall is at the Jung-oe Park Culture Center and the Science Center.
Gwangju Hyanggyo (Confucian School) – Gwangju Hyanggyo is in the Gwangju Park in Sa-dong. There are traditional houses here estimated as having been built during the 1st year of the Joseon period in 1392. This school continues to hold memorial ceremonies for Confucius twice a year. Admission is free.More about Gwangju Hyanggyo
Gwangju National Museum – The museum houses a permanent collection of historical art and cultural relics that date back to the old Joseon and Goryeo periods of Korean history. The museum also organizes exhibitions and cultural learning activities that are open to the public.
Food streets – Gwangju has numerous designated Food Streets where multiple restaurants serving dishes renowned to Gwangju can be found. These include Mudeungsan Boribap Street (a meal of barley with a variety of side dishes),[23] Duck Cook Street (oritang, a duck stew, and grilled duck),[24] Folk Tteokgalbi Street[25] (a meal of grilled minced pork or beef patties eaten wrapped in lettuce and served with ox bone soup and a variety of side dishes) and Kotgejang Baekban Street[26] (a meal of crabs preserved in soy sauce served with a variety of side dishes).
Gwangju World Cup Stadium – It is a historical place for Korean soccer history. Because at this stadium in2002 FIFA World Cup,South Korea national football team beat Spain soccer team in 3:5 at the quarter-Final, and advanced to the Semi-Final match with Germany in that World Cup, for the first time in the Asian soccer history.
2014 Gwangju ACE Fair (Asia Content & Entertainment Fair)[29]
The Ministry of SMEs said Gwangju was selected as the site for the creation of the"Green-Startup-Town." It is said that it will benchmarkKing's Cross Station, a successful case of urban regeneration in theUK, to establish a start-up hub (private research institute, research and development company, start-up company, etc.) at Gwangju Station.[30]
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