Emphasizing Key Points in Five-Minute Speech:
'Youth Bus' Stop and Pilgrimage Route Highlighted
Im Seonghwa, a member of the Gwangju Seo-gu Council, announced on December 22 that during the third plenary session of the 336th 2nd regular meeting held on December 19, she called for a "concentration of efforts to designate the Gwangcheon-dong Citizens' Apartment as a May 18 Historical Site" through a five-minute free speech.
Im Seonghwa expressed her gratitude to everyone who paved the way for coexistence through the forward-looking decision to partially preserve the Gwangcheon-dong Citizens' Apartment, stating, "I thank all those who opened the path to coexistence through this progressive decision." However, she emphasized, "The decision to preserve it does not automatically mean that it has become history."
She continued, "In order to permanently expand and preserve its value as an important May 18 historical site in Seo-gu, it is essential to designate it as a historical site." She requested, "I hope that all capabilities of Seo-gu will be devoted to designating the Gwangcheon-dong Citizens' Apartment as May 18 Historical Site No. 31."
She highlighted three key tasks in this regard: ▲ Immediate initiation of the designation and review process for the Citizens' Apartment as a May 18 Historical Site; ▲ Inclusion of the Citizens' Apartment as a western hub of the 'Path of Youth,' such as by establishing a 'Youth Bus' stop and pilgrimage route; ▲ Establishment of sustainable coexistence guidelines to ensure the public management of the site and flexible application of maintenance plans.
In conclusion, Im stated, "Protecting the true history imbued with the spirit of May is the greatest legacy and welfare we can offer to future generations," and added, "Seo-gu will exercise policy imagination and work together to ensure that the preservation of historical assets becomes a proud identity and dignity for the city and its communities."
Previously, during the first plenary session of the 331st 1st regular meeting, Im Seonghwa had urged the development of concrete and systematic plans for the active preservation and utilization of the Gwangcheon-dong Citizens' Apartment following the decision to preserve it.
Meanwhile, the Gwangcheon-dong Citizens' Apartment, the first apartment complex in Gwangju and a symbolic site of May 18, served as a home for activists who ran the 'Deulbul Night School' for workers in Gwangju during the 1970s. Despite its significance, it once faced the threat of demolition due to the 'Gwangcheon-dong Housing Redevelopment' project.
In response, a proactive four-party agreement (among Gwangju City, Gwangju Seo-gu, the Gwangcheon-dong Housing Redevelopment Maintenance Association, and the Catholic Archdiocese of Gwangju), along with joint statements and follow-up actions by the May 18 Memorial Foundation and the Deulbul Martyrs Memorial Association, led to a forward-looking decision to preserve and utilize the 'Building B' of the Citizens' Apartment as a historical museum.
As of now, a total of 30 sites have been designated as May 18 Historical Sites, of which six are located in Seo-gu. May 18 Historical Sites are designated through an application and review process in accordance with the 'Gwangju Metropolitan City Ordinance on the Succession of the Spirit of the May 18 Democratization Movement.'
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