Gwangju City Invites You to the Grand Festival of Democracy in May

Invitation to All Lawmakers Including Woo Wonsik for the May 18 Commemoration
Free Public Transportation, May Tent Village, Rice Balls and Bread Sharing
Mayor Kang Operates "Weekly Yeouido Office" and Takes Expansive Actions

The "May Gwangju Invitation" sent by Gwangju City to all 300 members of the National Assembly, including Chairman Woo Wonsik. Provided by Gwangju City

"May Gwangju, we invite you to the grand festival of democracy." Gwangju City has invited all members of the National Assembly, including Chairman Woo Wonsik, to the "45th Anniversary Commemoration of the May 18 Democratization Movement."

Gwangju City announced that Mayor Kang Gijung, who is operating the "Weekly Yeouido Office," visited the National Assembly on April 30 and delivered an invitation to Chairman Woo Wonsik for the "45th Anniversary Commemoration of the May 18 Democratization Movement." The city also sent invitations to all 300 members of the National Assembly, including Park Chan-dae, Floor Leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, and Kwon Young-se, Chairman of the Emergency Response Committee of the People Power Party.

Marking the 45th anniversary of the 5·18 Democratization Movement, Gwangju City introduced a variety of commemorative events for May, including free subway and city bus rides (May 17-18), the operation of the "May Tent Village" (night of May 17), the "Boy's Path" tour, the "2025 World Human Rights Cities Forum" held during May Week, the May 18 Eve Festival, the Democratic Peace March, and the May 18 Commemoration Ceremony.

The city emphasized that this year's commemorative events are being prepared with even greater significance, given the recent period of martial law and political turmoil leading to impeachment. With the belief that "Korea was able to protect its democracy because of May 1980 in Gwangju," the city is making more heartfelt efforts than ever to welcome guests from across the country and around the world who support democracy.

On May 17 and 18, the city will offer free public transportation, including city buses and subways, for two days. There will also be the "Boy's Path" tour, inspired by the novel "The Boy Is Coming" by Han Kang, which introduced the May 18 events to the world after winning the Nobel Prize in Literature. In addition, the city will hold events such as sharing rice balls and bread, symbolizing the spirit of sharing in May.

In particular, on the night of May 17, when the Eve Festival takes place, a "May Tent Village" will be set up on the playground of Jungang Elementary School, allowing participants to experience the night of May 1980. Through these commemorative events, the city aims not only to spread the spirit of the 5·18 Democratization Movement nationwide, but also to provide visitors to Gwangju with special memories and inspiration.

Meanwhile, ahead of the 21st presidential election, Mayor Kang is operating the "Weekly Yeouido Office" and actively promoting Gwangju City's presidential campaign pledges to five political parties, including the Democratic Party of Korea and the People Power Party. He is also making extensive efforts to secure budgets to drive Gwangju's leading industries such as artificial intelligence (AI), and to gain preliminary feasibility study exemptions for projects like the Gwangju-Daegu Dalbit Railway, which is expected to open a new era of integration, in order to secure future growth engines.