From the Editor – April 2025

“April showers bring May flowers,” as the saying goes. The Gwangju News hopes that this April issue will “shower” you with a gentle drizzle of well-written articles for your reading enjoyment. Of course we also hope to do this for the May issue and throughout the year. In fact, with the World Human Rights Cities Forum taking place in Gwangju this May, we hope to bring you an expanded May issue and also provide it in a print version.

Ah, April! Inviting spring weather, rising temperatures, a freshness in the air, clear skies. Joy they bring. However, these same climatic shifts have at times throughout history witnessed protest and violence. In this issue, we bring you two such events. The first is our cover feature of the April 19 (1960) Revolution. It focuses on the role of Gwangju High School but also reveals that the first violence related to the uprising occurred in Gwangju even before April 19.

Our second feature is on the so-called Jeju 4.3 Incident. This label is a misnomer in that it occurred over more than one day in April – it lasted for years – and it was much more than a brief “incident”: It was a massacre of thousands! Taking place on Jeju Island in the early days of the republic, this historical event of enormous magnitude is still not widely known today. Read about it here and about two books related to the bloodshed. An additional short feature discusses present-day student activism, its traditions, and how it has changed over the years.

On amuch lighter and brighter note, we offer you an article on April Fools’ Day – its origins and how it is observed in different parts of the world. We also offer “Springtime Splendor” – a look at April’s Yeongam Wang In Cherry Blossom Culture Festival, honoring both the cherry blossoms and Wang In’s accomplishments during the early Baekje period.

April 22 is Earth Day; read about our planet’s precarious situation. See our book review of Franci’s War. Take a look at our café review of Coffee Roadview. And you won’t want to miss our Area Sports Round-Up and April Upcoming Events. Enjoy!