Gwangju
Site Of The May 18 Democratic Uprising (1980); The Uprising'S Archives Are On UNESCO'S Memory Of The World Register · Gwangju, Gwangju
Gwangju is the largest city in the south-west of South Korea, the heart of the Honam region, and the place most associated with the country's struggle for democracy. In May 1980, after a military coup and the extension of martial law, students and citizens protested; special forces units sent to the city met them with lethal force, the citizens took up arms and held the centre for several days, and troops retook it on 27 May. Hundreds were killed, wounded or went missing, and the uprising is now honoured as a founding moment of Korean democracy, with its archives on UNESCO's Memory of the World register. Visitors come to the May 18th National Cemetery and its memorial hall, the 5.18 Archives, and the former South Jeolla Provincial Office beside the Asia Culture Center. The city also hosts the Gwangju Biennale, the old missionary houses of Yangnim-dong and Penguin Village, and Mudeungsan, a national park and geopark. Its food, tteokgalbi and oritang, has a big reputation. KTX takes about two hours from Seoul; do not confuse it with Gwangju in Gyeonggi.
May 18th National Cemetery, 200 Minju-ro, Buk-gu, Gwangju, Gwangju, 61111, South Korea
NO OPENING TIME HERE WAS CHECKED. The typical pattern: the May 18th National Cemetery grounds are open daily, with the memorial hall open roughly 9 am to 6 pm and shorter winter hours, last entry about 30 to 60 minutes before closing, and closed on some holidays. The 5.18 Archives and the Asia Culture Center's exhibitions have usually closed on Mondays. Biennale venues open only in a Biennale year, usually from about September into winter, and close one day a week. The traps that ruin a day are booking the wrong Gwangju, arriving on a Monday for the Archives and exhibitions, the long trip out to the cemetery, and the 18 May ceremony closing areas. Confirm current times before relying on them.