Seongnam Cultural Center to Hold
Commemorative Ceremony for the
8.10 Gwangju Daedanjee Uprising
at Seongnam City Hall
The Seongnam Cultural Center (Director Kim Daejin, President of the Korean Cultural Centers Association) announced on the 4th that it will hold a commemorative ceremony for the 54th anniversary of the '8·10 Gwangju Daedanjee Uprising' at 10 a.m. on August 8 at Nuri Hall (1st floor lobby) of Seongnam City Hall.
Gwangju Daedanji, where shantytown residents in Seoul were forcibly relocated in the 1970s. All they were given were military tents. Provided by Seongnam Cultural Center
This event will feature a pre-ceremony performance by the Seongnam Municipal Gugak Orchestra and a dance performance titled "Ugly Face of Mine from August Tomato" by the Chumjai Art Troupe. The program also includes a commemorative address, congratulatory remarks, recitation of a dedicatory poem, and a calligraphy performance, blending various cultural and artistic elements. In particular, the recitation of the dedicatory poem "Seongnam, Land of Happiness!" by Lee Juhee, President of the Seongnam Theater Association, and a calligraphy performance by renowned calligrapher Yoo Myunghun from the Geulkkot Calligraphy Association, will add depth to the event.
Additionally, a photo exhibition related to the Gwangju Daedanjee Incident will be held, allowing citizens to share in the historical moments of that time. The exhibition will continue in the lobby of the Seongnam Cultural Center, located in Sinheung 1-dong, until August 14 after the day of the event.
On August 10, 1971, approximately 50,000 residents who had been forcibly relocated to Jungbu-myeon, Gwangju-gun (now Sujeong and Jungwon Districts of Seongnam City), staged a large-scale protest demanding livelihood measures and tax reductions. This event became known as the '8·10 Gwangju Daedanjee Uprising.' It served as a catalyst for the creation of Seongnam Industrial Complexes 1 to 3 and the formation of the city's urban infrastructure, eventually leading to Seongnam's elevation to city status on July 1, 1973.
The Seongnam Cultural Center has made various efforts to shed light on the historical significance of this incident. Beginning with the 9th academic conference in 2004, "Historical Re-examination of the Gwangju Daedanjee Incident," the center collected related testimonies for the 40th anniversary in 2011, and published the "Gwangju Daedanjee Incident Data Book" in 2013.
Furthermore, at the 25th academic conference in 2020, the theme was "Living Spaces of Gwangju Daedanjee Residents and Urban Formation," and at the 26th academic conference in 2021, the focus was "The Status and Utilization of Gwangju Daedanjee (Seongnam) Cultural Assets." Recently, the center has continued to honor the significance of the "Seongnam Uprising" by holding the 8.10 commemorative event consecutively in 2023 and 2024.
In his commemorative address, Director Kim Daejin stated, "The Gwangju Daedanjee Incident led to the birth of Seongnam City, and this year marks the 52nd anniversary of its elevation to city status. The residents' struggle for their right to survive exposed the limitations of the 'move-in first, develop later' approach, and subsequently led to the development of new towns like Bundang and Ilsan using the 'develop first, move-in later' method. As a result, Seongnam has grown into an advanced 4th industrial city encompassing Wirye and Pangyo."
Scene at the sentencing court of the Gwangju Grand Complex Incident. Provided by Seongnam Cultural Center
This commemorative event is expected to serve as a meaningful occasion to reflect on the history and identity of Seongnam City and to contemplate the journey that has led to the Seongnam of today.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
