Gwangju Office of Education 5·18 Promotion Team 'Pureunsae' Leads Over 3,000 Citizens
Establishing a Platform to Realize, Remember, and Share the Values of the 'Gwangju Spirit' from May 1980
A grand festival of democracy enjoyed by youth nationwide unfolded in Gwangju.
According to the Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education on the 21st, the day before, a 5·18 Youth Culture Festival titled "Come Back Geumnam-ro, Talk About May Again!" was held on Geumnam-ro in Dong-gu, Gwangju, with about 3,000 citizens and others participating.
The event was led and operated mainly by youth, centered on the ‘Pureunsae’ youth 5·18 promotion group of the Gwangju Office of Education. It was planned as a shared space to remember and talk about May 1980 by practicing the values of the May 18 Democratic Uprising based on students’ cultural content at the historical site of 5·18, Geumnam-ro.
The event was designed to encourage active participation from many youths and citizens. The ‘Forest of May’ featured a themed exhibition containing materials about the impact of the May 18 Democratic Movement on the history of democracy and the practical activities of youths who remember the May 18 Democratic Movement.
Along with this, 32 schools and youth organizations operated a participation booth called the ‘Issue Playground’ under two themes: ‘Remembering May 1980 in Gwangju’ and ‘Our Participation Stories in May 2023,’ presenting the spirit and values of 5·18 from the perspective of youth.
Also, on a special stage set up in the middle of Geumnam-ro street, the ‘Geumnam-ro Busking’ featured youth clubs expressing freedom, peace, and democracy through various forms and contents such as music, dance, and instrument performances.
A grand festival where everyone, regardless of age or gender, came together to remember the spirit of May was held.
The highlight of the day’s event was the ‘5·18 Spirit Succession Promise Flash Mob’ held at 5:18 PM, in which all participating youths and citizens joined together with the spirit of inheriting the 5·18 spirit. Everyone participated in the rhythmic performance while singing along to the songs “March for the Beloved” and “I Am a Butterfly” (by Yoon Do-hyun), reflecting on the 5·18 spirit.
Not only youths from Gwangju but also youths from all over the country participated. About 80 youths from various regions including Seoul, Busan, Seongnam in Gyeonggi Province, and Gangneung in Gangwon Province actively participated and took the lead in operating 5·18 experience booths.
They spent time properly understanding and experiencing 5·18 by viewing related exhibits, solving quizzes, assembling puzzles, and participating in street performances and experiential activities related to 5·18.
Superintendent of Education Lee Jeong-seon said, “The May 18 Democratic Movement is a noble value of democracy that our youth must remember and inherit,” adding, “I am proud of the youth 5·18 promotion group ‘Pureunsae’ who directly planned and operated this event, and I sincerely welcome the youths who visited from all over the country to properly understand and learn about 5·18.”
He continued, “Going forward, we will actively strive to widely promote the spirit of May?democracy, human rights, peace, sharing, and community?not only nationwide but globally, so that generations who did not experience 5·18 can remember, experience, and practice these values.”
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