Seo-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City (Mayor Kim Ikang) will hold various commemorative events, including a rice ball making event, to mark the 43rd anniversary of the May 18 Democratic Movement.
According to Seo-gu on the 8th, this event was promoted to honor the May 18 democratic martyrs and to elevate the meaning of May 18, which shared pain and solidarity amid hardship.
The Yangdong Residents' Autonomy Committee in Seo-gu will hold a rice ball making experience and sharing event on the 16th at Yangdong Traditional Market, Historic Site No. 19 of May 18.
Prior to this, on the 13th, a cooking contest themed on rice balls will be held, hosted by the Yangdong Dried Seafood Market Cultural Tourism Market Development Project Group.
During the May 18 uprising in 1980, merchants of Yangdong Traditional Market personally practiced the spirit of unity by providing rice balls and daily necessities to the citizen army.
Since then, every May, Yangdong has been reflecting on the spirit of May through rice ball experience events, and a rice ball sculpture has been installed in front of Yangdong Traditional Market to inform visitors of its historical significance.
From the 9th to the 19th, Seo-gu will also exhibit photos, artworks related to May 18, and oral testimonies of witnesses on the first floor of the Seo-gu Office under the theme "The Spirit of May, Justice of Today!"
Especially this year, a space called "May Bookshelf," inspired by Nokdu Bookstore, a major base of the May 18 uprising leadership, will be set up to display books, materials, and souvenirs related to May 18.
Mayor Kim Ikang and senior officials of Seo-gu will pay tribute at the National May 18 Democratic Cemetery on the morning of the 10th to honor the spirits of May.
Mayor Kim said, "We will create an opportunity to correctly remember the history of May and to inherit and develop the spirit of May as today's justice."
Shin Dongho, Honam Reporting Headquarters, Asia Economy baekok@asiae.co.kr
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