Citizens Enjoy Leisure and Experience Events on the Lawn Square Like a Picnic
Festival-Style Programs Abound, Including Water Slides and Policy Expos
As Gwangju celebrated its 59th birthday, citizens enjoyed a leisurely 'Citizen's Day' around the lawn plaza in front of Gwangju City Hall. In particular, the recently created 'Open Government Building Where Citizens Want to Stay' became a new resting place for the citizens.
On this day, citizens gathered in small groups, bringing food and tents, spending a joyful time as if on a picnic.
On the 25th, a Gwangju Citizen's Day event themed 'Long Live Gwangju' was held around Gwangju Metropolitan City Hall to celebrate Gwangju's 59th birthday.
This Citizen's Day was organized as a 'citizen festival' where citizens could gather, enjoy, and experience various activities.
The most popular attraction of the day was 'Welcome to Water World.' A water slide, a children's play facility, was installed in front of City Hall, transforming the area into a surprise 'Water World.' Joyful music, cooling water sprays, and the protection of safety personnel filled the area with children's cheers.
The lawn plaza in front of City Hall was packed with citizens who looked like they were on a picnic. In addition to rest areas prepared by Gwangju City, such as tents and chairs, citizens who brought their own food and tents spent a leisurely time on the lawn plaza, creating memories.
Recently, Gwangju City removed fences and other barriers to improve accessibility so that anyone can comfortably visit City Hall, and created an 'Open Government Building' that revitalizes the function of the plaza for citizens' convenience.
The outdoor space was opened by removing 11 existing plant boxes, and pedestrian convenience was enhanced by eliminating grid-patterned sidewalks and obstacles. The aging rest facilities in the pine forest were refurbished to create a resting area, and inside, facilities with low citizen usage were boldly cleared out and reborn as citizen rest and community spaces.
The flea market held in the citizen hall on the first floor of the government building, the policy evaluation expo, and the food trucks at the outdoor music hall also attracted popularity.
Various performances such as cheerleading by 'Amadas,' traditional Korean music performances by 'Bidam,' as well as events like Tekken tournaments and quizzes were held in abundance. In particular, the policy evaluation expo was a citizen communication program where citizens evaluated 30 major policies in five areas of Gwangju City, drawing significant participation from citizens that day.
At the 12th Beautiful Jeollado Dialect Contest, 10 teams (participants) showcased their storytelling skills with flavorful and hearty Jeollado dialects.
Additionally, promotional and campaign booths were held, including ▲the 17th World Citizens' Day experience booth ▲mobile youth policy promotion (coffee truck) ▲Gwangju Kimchi Promotion Team operation (kimchi tasting, prizes) ▲Gwangju Human Rights Charter proclamation (roulette quiz, prizes) ▲recruitment of safety prevention campaign citizen practice team ▲recruitment of Gwangju On citizen policy participation team.
A citizen who participated in the event said, "This is my first time coming to City Hall not for work but with my family, and it became a fun memory. Especially, being able to participate in the policy evaluation expo where we directly evaluate Gwangju's policies was meaningful," adding, "I hope Citizen's Day, which is not just a formal event but a real festival that citizens can enjoy, continues in the future."
In the afternoon, the commemorative ceremony began with the screening of the 'Gwangju Cheer Commemorative Video' featuring 59 Gwangju citizens at the City Hall Plaza (main stage outdoor music hall). An unusual stage that transcended generations and regions was presented, including the Yeonghonam Harmony Performance 'Daegu-Gwangju Moonlight Railroad Celebration Ceremony.'
Earlier that morning, the 17th World Citizens' Day commemorative event was held in the City Hall's large conference room. World Citizens' Day was established as a national holiday (May 20) with the purpose of creating a multicultural society where people of various ethnicities and cultures understand and coexist with each other. About 400 people attended, including Mayor Kang Gi-jung, Superintendent of Education Lee Jeong-seon, CEO of Gwangju International Exchange Center Shin Kyung-gu, foreign residents, and multicultural families.
Mayor Kang awarded commendations to those who contributed to communication, exchange, network building, and job creation among foreign residents, multicultural families, and marriage immigrant women.
Meanwhile, May 21, Gwangju Citizen's Day, marks the day in May 1980 when martial law troops retreated from the citizens' resistance in Gwangju. To commemorate this, Gwangju City changed Citizen's Day from November 1 to May 21 starting in 2010, and this year held the event on the weekend of the 25th to allow more citizens to participate.
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