Gwangju

This article is about Gwangju Metropolitan City. For the smaller city of the same name near Seoul, see Gwangju, Gyeonggi.
"Kwangju" redirects here. For one of its sister cities which has a similar pronunciation, see Guangzhou.

Gwangju
광주광역시
Metropolitan City
Gwangju Metropolitan City
광주광역시
  transcription(s)
 • Hangul광주광역시
 • Hanja光州廣域市
 • Revised RomanizationGwangju-gwangyeoksi
 • McCune–ReischauerKwangju-gwangyŏksi
Above:Badhoe Pojangmacha Street Restaurant, Geumnamo Shopping district Middle:Panorama view of resident area of Gwangsan District Bottom:Gwangju Folk Museum, Democracy Bell in Denman Estate Park (All items are left to right)
Above:Badhoe Pojangmacha Street Restaurant, Geumnamo Shopping district Middle:Panorama view of resident area of Gwangsan District Bottom:Gwangju Folk Museum, Democracy Bell in Denman Estate Park (All items are left to right)
Flag of Gwangju
Flag
Official logo of Gwangju
Logo
Map
Gwangju is located in South Korea
Gwangju
Gwangju
Gwangju is located in Asia
Gwangju
Gwangju
Gwangju is located in Earth
Gwangju
Gwangju
Coordinates: 35°09′55″N 126°50′55″E / 35.16528°N 126.84861°E / 35.16528; 126.84861
Country Republic of Korea
RegionHonam
Districts5
Government
 • TypeMayor–Council
 • MayorKang Gi-jung (Democratic)
 • BodyGwangju Metropolitan Council
Area
 • Total
501.24 km2 (193.53 sq mi)
Population
 (september 2024[1])
 • Total
1,411,357
 • Density2,800/km2 (7,300/sq mi)
 • Dialect
Jeolla
GDP
[2]
 • TotalKR₩ 45 trillion
US$ 36 billion (2022)
Time zoneUTC+9 (Korea Standard Time)
Area code+82-61
ISO 3166 codeKR-29
FlowerRoyal Azalea
TreeGinkgo
BirdDove
WebsiteOfficial website (English)

Gwangju[a] (Korean: 광주; Korean: [kwaŋ.dʑu] ⓘ), formerly romanized as Kwangju, is South Korea's sixth-largest metropolis. It is a designated metropolitan city under the direct control of the central government's Home Minister. The city was also the capital of South Jeolla Province Province until the provincial office moved to the southern village of Namak in Muan County in 2005 because Gwangju was promoted to a metropolitan city and was independent of South Jeolla Province.

Its name is composed of the words gwang (Korean: 광; Hanja: 光) meaning "light" and ju (주; 州) meaning "province". Gwangju was historically recorded as Muju (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 of Goguryeo and the ancient territories of Silla" in the Samguk sagi.[4] In the heart of the agricultural Jeolla region, the city is also famous for its rich and diverse cuisine.

History

[edit]
A memorial to commemorate the lives lost in the 1980 Gwangju uprising.

The city was established in 57 BC. It was one of the administrative centers of Baekje during the Three Kingdoms period.[5]

During the Imperial Japanese rule, the city was known as Kōshū. In 1929, a confrontation between Korean and Japanese students in the city turned into Gwangju Student Independence Movement, a regional demonstration, which culminated in one of the major nationwide uprisings against Imperial Japanese cruelty during the colonial period.

The modern industry was established in Gwangju with the construction of a railway to Seoul. Some of the industries that took hold include cotton textiles, rice mills and breweries. Construction of a designated industrial zone in 1967 encouraged growth in industry, especially in the sectors linked to the automobile industry.

In May 1980, peaceful demonstrations took place in Gwangju against Chun Doo-hwan, leader of the military coup d'état of 12 December 1979. The demonstrations were suppressed by military forces, including elite units of the Special Operations Command. The situation escalated after a violent crackdown, resulting in the Gwangju 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 from South 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 between Baekje and Silla, as well as the biased priority given to the Gyeongsang Province region by political leaders in the 2nd half of the 20th century, Gwangju has a long history of voting for left-leaning politicians and is the main stronghold for the liberal Democratic Party of Korea along with its predecessors, as well as the progressive Justice Party.

Gwangju held many sports events such as 2002 FIFA World Cup, 2015 Summer Universiade, 2019 World Aquatics Championships.

Administrative divisions

[edit]
Main article: List of districts of Gwangju

Gwangju is divided into 5 districts ("Gu").

Map Name Korean Hanja

Districts
Buk District 북구 北區
Dong District 동구 東區
Gwangsan District 광산구 光山區
Nam District 남구 南區
Seo District 서구 西區

Religion

[edit]

Religion in Gwangju (2015)[7]

  Not religious (61%)
  Protestantism (20%)
  Buddhism (9.5%)
  Catholicism (8.7%)
  Other (0.8%)

According to the census of 2015, 9.5% of the population followed Buddhism and 28.7% followed Christianity (20% Protestantism and 8.7% Catholicism) 61% of the population are irreligious.[7]

Population

[edit]

The estimated population of Gwangju is as follows:[8]

Year Population
1960   409,283
1966   532,235
1970   622,755
1975   737,283
1980   856,545
1985 1,042,508
1990 1,139,003
1995 1,257,636
2000 1,352,797
2005 1,417,716
2010 1,475,745
2016 1,500,621

One of the largest ethnic enclaves of Koryo-saram (ethnic Koreans of the former Soviet Union) in South Korea is located in Gwangju: the Gwangju Koryoin Village.[9][10] Schools in the vicinity of the village, such as Ha-nam Jung-ang Elementary School [ko], have significant proportions of Russian speakers as a result.[11]

Climate

[edit]

Gwangju has a cooler version of the humid 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)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 18.8
(65.8) 		22.6
(72.7) 		26.8
(80.2) 		30.4
(86.7) 		33.9
(93.0) 		37.2
(99.0) 		38.5
(101.3) 		38.5
(101.3) 		35.9
(96.6) 		31.1
(88.0) 		27.1
(80.8) 		19.9
(67.8) 		38.5
(101.3)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 5.7
(42.3) 		8.3
(46.9) 		13.6
(56.5) 		19.9
(67.8) 		24.8
(76.6) 		27.9
(82.2) 		30.0
(86.0) 		30.9
(87.6) 		27.1
(80.8) 		21.9
(71.4) 		15.0
(59.0) 		8.0
(46.4) 		19.4
(66.9)
Daily mean °C (°F) 1.0
(33.8) 		2.9
(37.2) 		7.5
(45.5) 		13.4
(56.1) 		18.7
(65.7) 		22.7
(72.9) 		25.9
(78.6) 		26.5
(79.7) 		22.2
(72.0) 		16.1
(61.0) 		9.6
(49.3) 		3.2
(37.8) 		14.1
(57.4)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −2.7
(27.1) 		−1.5
(29.3) 		2.4
(36.3) 		7.8
(46.0) 		13.4
(56.1) 		18.7
(65.7) 		22.8
(73.0) 		23.2
(73.8) 		18.2
(64.8) 		11.2
(52.2) 		5.0
(41.0) 		−0.8
(30.6) 		9.8
(49.6)
Record low °C (°F) −19.4
(−2.9) 		−17.7
(0.1) 		−10.7
(12.7) 		−4.5
(23.9) 		1.4
(34.5) 		7.2
(45.0) 		14.9
(58.8) 		12.6
(54.7) 		5.6
(42.1) 		−2.7
(27.1) 		−7.2
(19.0) 		−13.7
(7.3) 		−19.4
(−2.9)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 32.6
(1.28) 		43.6
(1.72) 		61.9
(2.44) 		86.6
(3.41) 		91.4
(3.60) 		152.6
(6.01) 		294.2
(11.58) 		326.4
(12.85) 		145.0
(5.71) 		59.0
(2.32) 		50.2
(1.98) 		37.1
(1.46) 		1,380.6
(54.35)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) 10.1 8.2 8.8 8.9 9.0 10.2 15.1 15.0 9.6 6.8 8.8 10.2 120.7
Average snowy days 9.9 6.3 2.4 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1.1 8.4 28.4
Average relative humidity (%) 65.7 61.6 60.3 60.2 64.5 72.0 79.8 78.0 73.6 67.6 66.9 66.9 68.1
Mean monthly sunshine hours 161.4 170.5 201.0 214.1 227.9 169.9 143.1 169.0 174.4 208.5 167.4 156.9 2,164.1
Percent possible sunshine 51.1 53.4 51.8 54.3 51.3 39.0 32.9 41.4 46.3 58.5 52.7 51.1 48.0
Average ultraviolet index 2 2 3 4 5 5 7 6 5 3 3 2 4
Source 1: Korea Meteorological Administration (percent sunshine 1981–2010)[12][13][14]
Source 2: Weather Atlas (UV)[15]

Education

[edit]

Chonnam National University, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, and Gwangju Education University are public universities in Gwangju.

Honam University, Gwangju University, Gwangshin University, Gwangju Women's University, Nambu University, Chosun University, and Honam Christian University are private universities.

Gwangju Health University is a private community college offering associate degrees in humanities and social sciences, 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,[16] 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.

Transportation

[edit]

The city is served by the Gwangju Subway. An extension was completed in April 2008 with the remainder being completed in 2012. There are two KTX stations in the city: Gwangju station and Gwangju Songjeong Station. Gwangju Songjeong Station connects to the Gwangju Subway and local bus system. Now the Songjeong station is mainly used.

Gwangju has an extensive system of public buses that traverse the city.[17] Bus stops and buses themselves contain stop information in Korean and in English. Local buses, but not the subway or KTX, connect to the intercity Gwangju Bus Terminal known as U-Square.[18]

Gwangju is also served by the Gwangju Airport.

Tourism

[edit]
  • 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.[19]
  • 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 Culture & Art Center – The center regularly hosts events.Gwangju Culture & Art Center Official Website
  • Gwangju Hyanggyo (Confucian School) – Gwangju Hyanggyo is in the Gwangju Park in Sa-dong. There are traditional houses here estimated as 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 Institute of Science and Technology - Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology(GIST) is one of the greatest research institutes in Korea. Laser research equipment with 4PW output is located within GIST.
  • 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.
  • Gwangju 5.18 Road is the course about the Democracy Movement of 1980. The courses include the historical places. More about 5.18Road
  • May 18th National Cemetery
  • 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),[20] Duck Cook Street (oritang, a duck stew, and grilled duck),[21] Folk Tteokgalbi Street[22] (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[23] (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 in 2002 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.

Sport and culture

[edit]
Gwangju World Cup Stadium.
Gwangju-Kia Champions Field, home field of Kia Tigers.

Cityscape

[edit]
Picture taken from a hill overlooking Gwangju in April 2017.
Dong-gu

International relations

[edit]
See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in South Korea

Sister cities

[edit]

Gwangju is twinned with:[29]

Partnerships and cooperations

[edit]

Notable people

[edit]

Art

[edit]

Literature

[edit]

Entertainers

[edit]

Sports

[edit]
  • Ki Sung-yueng – International footballer.
  • An San – Olympic gold medalist in women's team, mixed team, and individual archery at the 2021 Tokyo Summer Games.
  • An Se-young - Badminton Player.
  • Kim Byunghyun (born 1979) - South Korean former baseball player.

Politics

[edit]

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ In the 19th century, Gwangju was also known in English sources as Tsien-tsiou.[3]

References

[edit]

Citations

[edit]
  1. ^ "Population statistics". Korea Ministry of the Interior and Safety. 2024.
  2. ^ 2022년 지역소득(잠정). www.kostat.go.kr.
  3. ^ EB (1878), p. 390.
  4. ^ "Origin and History of Gwangju". www.gwangju.go.kr (in Korean). Archived from the original on 18 April 2018. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
  5. ^ a b "The History of Gwangju". Archived from the original on 30 June 2017. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
  6. ^ "May 18th Democratic Uprising". Archived from the original on 30 June 2017. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
  7. ^ a b "2015 Census – Religion Results" (in Korean). KOSIS KOrean Statistical Information Service. Archived from the original on 26 February 2021. Retrieved 6 April 2021.
  8. ^ National Statistical Office of South Korea
  9. ^ Jung-youn, Lee (24 February 2023). "[Weekender] Koryoin from Ukraine find new home in ancestors' land". The Korea Herald. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
  10. ^ "The long journey of Korejskij". Korea JoongAng Daily. 13 October 2020. Retrieved 8 October 2023.
  11. ^ "As multicultural students surge, Korea's classrooms change". Korea JoongAng Daily. 7 November 2023. Retrieved 1 January 2024.
  12. ^ "Climatological Normals of Korea (1991 ~ 2020)" (PDF) (in Korean). Korea Meteorological Administration. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 January 2022. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  13. ^ 순위값 - 구역별조회 (in Korean). Korea Meteorological Administration. Archived from the original on 7 October 2021. Retrieved 4 April 2022.
  14. ^ "Climatological Normals of Korea" (PDF). Korea Meteorological Administration. 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 December 2016. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
  15. ^ "Gwangju, South Korea - Detailed climate information and monthly weather forecast". Weather Atlas. Yu Media Group. Archived from the original on 18 September 2020. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
  16. ^ Gwangju science academy
  17. ^ 광주광역시 버스정보. bus.gjcity.net. Archived from the original on 8 September 2016. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  18. ^ U-Square (Gwangju Bus Terminal) (유스퀘어(광주종합버스터미널)). VisitKorea.or.kr. Archived from the original on 16 September 2016. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  19. ^ "Asia Culture Center". www.acc.go.kr. Archived from the original on 3 November 2019. Retrieved 29 July 2016.
  20. ^ "Mudeungsan Boribap Street | Food Street | Things to Eat :: Tourism Portals(영문포털)". utour.gwangju.go.kr. Archived from the original on 10 September 2016. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
  21. ^ "Duck Cook Street | Food Street | Things to Eat :: Tourism Portals(영문포털)". utour.gwangju.go.kr. Archived from the original on 7 August 2016. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
  22. ^ "Folk Tteokgalbi Street | Food Street | Things to Eat :: Tourism Portals(영문포털)". utour.gwangju.go.kr. Archived from the original on 7 August 2016. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
  23. ^ "Kotgejang Baekban Street | Food Street | Things to Eat :: Tourism Portals(영문포털)". utour.gwangju.go.kr. Archived from the original on 7 August 2016. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
  24. ^ (in Korean) K-League news 4강 역사를 쓴 그곳, 광주 월드컵 경기장 Dream stadium of K-League Archived 16 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  25. ^ KOFICE 3rd Asia Song Festival Archived 29 August 2011 at the Wayback Machine 22 September 2006. Retrieved 2011-10-12
  26. ^ 2016 광주 ACE Fair. www.acefair.or.kr. Archived from the original on 3 November 2014. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
  27. ^ 이, 태수 (13 May 2021). 광주역 일대에 창업거점 '그린 스타트업 타운' 만든다. Yonhap News Agency (in Korean). Archived from the original on 13 May 2021. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  28. ^ "Korea National Park". english.knps.or.kr. Archived from the original on 2 July 2010. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
  29. ^ "Sister Cities". gwangju.go.kr. Gwangju. Archived from the original on 2 February 2023. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
  30. ^ Pessotto, Lorenzo. "International Affairs – Twinnings and Agreements". International Affairs Service in cooperation with Servizio Telematico Pubblico. City of Torino. Archived from the original on 18 June 2013. Retrieved 6 August 2013.
  31. ^ "MPSP sets sights on city status". The Star. 1 August 2016. Archived from the original on 5 July 2018. Retrieved 4 July 2018.

Bibliography

[edit]
  • "Corea" , Encyclopædia Britannica, 9th ed., Vol. VI, New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1878, pp. 390–394.
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Gwangju.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Gwangju.
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