20 High School Students from Taiwan to Learn About the May 18 Democratization Movement in Gwangju

Inviting Tainan Students to Gwangju for the May 18 Democratization Movement Program
Exploring Historical Sites and Sharing Cultural Experiences
Expanding the Spirit of Democracy and Human Rights through International Exchange

The Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education announced on August 22 that it will invite 20 high school students from Tainan City, Taiwan, to participate in the "Visiting May 18 Democratization Movement Globalization Program" from August 24 to 27.

In August last year, high school students from Tainan City, Taiwan, visited Gwangju and participated in the "Visiting May 18 Democratization Movement Globalization Program," taking a commemorative photo afterward. Provided by Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education.

This program, now in its second year, will include students from four schools, including Tainan Girls' Senior High School. Over the course of four days and three nights, the students will visit historical sites in Gwangju to learn about the significance of the May 18 Democratization Movement.

On August 25, the students will begin by paying respects at the National May 18 Democratic Cemetery, then tour Jeonil Building 245, the May 18 Democratization Movement Archives, and the former South Jeolla Provincial Office. They will also meet the mother of Moon Jae-hak, the real-life figure behind the novel "The Boy Is Coming," to hear stories about the May 18 movement.

The program also includes experiences with Korean culture. The students will enjoy a K-pop performance in the Jeonnam Girls' High School auditorium and participate in an Asian ceramics workshop at the National Gwangju Museum. They will share a school meal with Jeonnam Girls' High School students and join classes such as "Mathematics," "Ethics and Thought," and "Sports and Life." In the evening, they will discuss democracy and human rights with members of the "Pureunse" May 18 student promotion group. On the final day, before returning home, they will experience wearing hanbok and a traditional wedding ceremony at Gwangju Hyanggyo.

The Office of Education expressed hope that this exchange will expand the historical significance of the May 18 Democratization Movement into the universal values of democracy, human rights, and peace, and serve as an opportunity for students to grow as global citizens.

From October 28 to November 1, Gwangju students will visit Taiwan for the "Outbound May 18 Democratization Movement Globalization Program," traveling to Taipei, Tainan, and Kaohsiung. Twenty-one members of the "Pureunse" youth promotion group will participate in human rights exchange activities with Taiwanese students and visit the site of the February 28 Incident in Taiwan.