The 42-Year-Old May Cry: '5·18 Eve Ceremony' Held at Gwangju Geumnam-ro

Large-Scale Event Held for the First Time in 3 Years Due to COVID-19 Pandemic

Over 5,000 People from All Walks of Life Gather... Mourning in Their Own Ways

The 'Eve Festival' held the day before the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement Commemoration Ceremony was held on the 17th in the Geumnam-ro area of Dong-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City, on a large scale for the first time in three years.

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Yoon Jamin] The 'Eve Festival' held the day before the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement memorial ceremony was held on a large scale for the first time in three years.

The Eve Festival, which had been scaled down or canceled for a while due to the impact of COVID-19, was conducted as a large-scale event to recall the spirit of Gwangju in May 1980 and to wish for the future.

This year's May 18 Eve Festival was held under the slogan "May, with the Power of Truth! As the Light of the Era!" as a festive event.

About 5,000 citizens from all walks of life gathered around Geumnam-ro (according to the organizer's estimate) to recall the Gwangju of that day and reaffirm the spirit of May solidarity.

Previously, in 2020, the event was canceled entirely for the first time due to the spread of COVID-19. Last year, it was also scaled down with attendance restrictions.

This year, citizen-participatory festivals such as the "May Citizen Nanjang" and the "Democratic Peace Grand March" were revived in large numbers, restoring the event to its original scale.

Before the main Eve Festival event, the Citizen Nanjang took place from the daytime. This participatory event, conducted in harmony with citizens, included activities such as mural painting, tasting May rice balls, and booths from many organizations and groups like the Gwangju Trauma Center, May Mothers' House, and Gwangju Cultural Foundation, which approached passersby in tents along the street.

At the booth exhibiting the May 18 Democratic mural sketches, a joint art exhibition with citizens was held. Some citizens stopped on their way to color the artworks and pay tribute.

At the Gwangju branch booth of the Korean Teachers and Education Workers Union, children wrote their thoughts about May 18 with their small hands, recalling what they learned at school. At Gwangju Geungnak Elementary School, all fourth-grade students participated in the Eve Festival with their teachers, experiencing May 18 firsthand.

In this way, citizens commemorated and enjoyed the Eve Festival in their own ways.

The May 18 victims' bereaved families' group and members of the May Mothers' House made rice balls and distributed them to citizens, just like 42 years ago.

An elderly person, upon receiving a rice ball, looked up at the sky for a while as if recalling those times.

Following this, the "Democratic Peace Grand March," which reenacted the street march that began at the main gate of Chonnam National University in opposition to the martial law declaration on May 18, 1980, was held. The march proceeded from Suchang Elementary School to Gwangju Ilgo, Geumnam Park, the May 18 Memorial Hall, and finally to the May 18 Democratic Plaza where the Eve Festival stage was set up.

As the citizens participating in the march arrived at the May 18 Democratic Plaza, the Eve Festival officially began.

The Eve Festival was divided into three parts: Part 1 "Again, May," Part 2 "With the Power of Truth," and Part 3 "As the Light of the Era."

Part 1 featured plays and performances reenacting historical struggles such as the 1980 National Democratic Rally and the Citizens' Uprising Rally.

In Part 2, 15 May Mothers fighting to restore the original form of the old Jeonnam Provincial Office took the stage and sublimated their hardships and sorrows in fighting to uphold the May 18 spirit through song.

Part 3 was conducted with performances by a children's choir, band performances, and the May Pungmuldan's (traditional percussion troupe) grand festival performance.

With the June 1 nationwide local elections approaching, many political figures from both ruling and opposition parties attended this Eve Festival.

People such as Joo Ki-hwan, the People Power Party candidate for Gwangju mayor, Jung Woon-cheon, chairman of the National Integration Committee, Ahn Sang-hoon, senior secretary for social affairs of the Presidential Office, Yang Hye-ryeong, candidate for Dong-gu district mayor, and candidates for basic councilors including Jung Hyun-ro, Park Jin-woo, and Kwak Seung-yong communicated with citizens.

From the Democratic Party of Korea, participants included Lee Jae-myung, the overall election committee chairman, Song Gap-seok, chairman of the Gwangju city party, Han Jun-ho, standing chairman of the election committee, Kim Nam-guk, spokesperson of the election committee, as well as candidates for basic local government heads, metropolitan councilors, and basic councilors.

Also present were Kang Eun-mi, proportional representative of the Justice Party, Kim Young-gwan (Gwangsan-gu), Hwang Kyung-soon (Gwangsan-gu), Park Hyung-min (Seo-gu), Yoo Jong-cheon (Seo-gu), and proportional representative candidates Moon Jeong-eun and Jeong Hyang-gi.

Meanwhile, the May 18 memorial ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. on the 18th at the National May 18 Democratic Cemetery in Unjeong-dong, Buk-gu, Gwangju.