Gwangju Nam-gu to Hold 'Youth Peace Festival' Commemorating Comfort Women

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Jin-hyung] Nam-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City, will hold a youth peace festival in the Yangnim-dong area to reflect on the history of the Japanese colonial period ahead of the day commemorating the victims of Japanese military sexual slavery on the 14th.

They also plan to operate a historical and cultural tour where families can explore the footsteps of the independence movement together.

On the 10th, Nam-gu announced, "To mourn the victims of sexual slavery and to spread awareness about women's rights and peace issues, we have designated the week until the 14th as the Week of Commemoration for the Victims of Sexual Slavery," adding, "Various cultural events will be held in the Yangnim-dong area on the 12th and 13th."

First, on the 12th, the 'Youth Peace Festival' will be held at the Peace Statue of the Girl and the lawn square within the craft-specialized street in Yangnim-dong.

Organized by the Commemoration Day Nam-gu Event Committee, this event will run for about four hours from 4:30 PM to 8:30 PM, with approximately 800 local youths and citizens expected to participate to remember the Commemoration Day and inherit the spirit of peace.

In particular, many local youth organizations and village education communities, including the Nam-gu Youth Center, Bongseon Youth Culture House, and Gonghana Cooperative, will participate, providing a time of solidarity through street performances such as free speeches conveying messages of peace, songs, and dances.

On the 13th, from 7 PM to 9 PM, a two-hour historical and cultural tour of Yangnim-dong will take place.

About 40 participants from 10 families who submitted applications through prior registration will join, touring historical and cultural sites within Yangnim-dong, including the Yangnim-dong 3.1 Movement Manse-gil, with Seobu-won Salesio High School Korean history teachers to reflect on the significance of the Commemoration Day.

Families interested in the Yangnim-dong historical and cultural tour can inquire at the Nam-gu Office Audit Department or the Secretariat of the Commemoration Day Nam-gu Event Committee at the Bongseon Youth Culture House.

A Nam-gu official stated, "We hope that youths and residents of Nam-gu will participate together to honor the spirits of those victims through a time of empathy and solidarity," and added, "We ask for the interest and active participation of those who are interested."