"Teachers' Interest Leads to Change"... Schools Visit Koryoin Village in Gwangju

A Series of Visits by Students and Teachers at the Start of the New Semester
Strengthening On-Site Experiences in Multicultural Understanding Education

With the start of the new semester, teachers and students from elementary, middle, and high schools in Gwangju have been making frequent visits to the Koryoin Village.

This field trip is part of multicultural understanding education promoted by the Gwangju Office of Education. Participants had the opportunity to directly experience the history of forced migration of Koryoin during the Japanese colonial period and their settlement process in Gwangju, while taking time to understand neighbors from diverse cultural backgrounds.

According to Koryoin Village on May 1, a variety of schools, including Wolgok Elementary School, Hanam Joongang Elementary School, Jeonggwang Middle School, Chodaebu Middle School, and Daeseong Girls’ High School, have recently visited Koryoin Village to experience first-hand the migration history and current lives of the Koryoin community.

Teachers accompanying the students listened to explanations from a guide from the Koryoin Village Resident Tourism Office and toured the Koryoin Culture Center, Moon Viktor Art Museum, Koryoin Gwangju Clinic, Youth Culture Center, Hong Beomdo Park, and the Koryoin Village Special Street. Through these visits, they were able to directly gather examples and materials to use in their classes.

One teacher commented, "This was not just a simple field trip, but a meaningful opportunity to truly understand and respect the Koryoin compatriots, who are descendants of independence activists, and their children. It has become a catalyst for providing students with deeper multicultural education."

A representative from Koryoin Village stated, "The small interest shown by teachers is the starting point for changing students’ perceptions. We will continue to work closely with the Office of Education and schools to spread a sustainable model for multicultural sensitivity education."