From the Editor – December 2025

I love walking Gwangju’s Pureun-gil (Green Path) at this particular time of year. There are more leaves on the ground than on the trees – reds and golds, sun-kissed yellows and chestnut browns. The colorful fallen foliage, combined with that distinctive crispness in the air, subtly signals the change of the seasons. The section of the path that I most frequently transverse, includes relatively straight stretches that trail off into the distance, not revealing what is in the section beyond, and striking me as a fitting metaphor for the coming new year. But there is always brightness at the end – sunlight by day, electric light by night – a good omen for 2026.

Before we come to 2026 though, we have a month of December to enjoy with the Gwangju News! Our cover feature is of the Gwangju Dreamers’ trek to the Myanmar border area to add an exclamation mark to the Burmese struggle for human rights through a carefully planned performance. Our second feature is of the Gwangju Kimchi Festival. What better place to relish the kimchi-making season than in the hometown of the vegetable dish’s best fermented flavors.

Our Global Focus is on war-torn Ukraine, in which a former resident of our city gives us a first-hand view of what daily life in her beloved country has become since the invasion. Focus in Korea highlights the other side of “global Korea” – the politics of anti- foreigner rallies.

Ponderings and Contemplations spotlights luminaries from Mokpo. Travel and Discovery takes us to Damyang’s Jungnok-won with its bamboo forests, to the European Christmas market in Seoul, and on a wintery tale to the snow-covered ski slopes of Muju.

Our Community section introduces Jeollanam-do’s tea-brewing culture, Gwangju’s friendship city Leipzig, Germany, and the Gwangju News’s fearless sports news writer Zhang Jiuzhou (Julius). Don’t miss our four stories in Teaching and Learning on language and the expat, Korean vs. expat teaching experiences, an 80% expat kindergarten, and teaching on both sides of the Pacific. We bring you our Drone Park story, reports on Daein Art Market and an art exhibition, and a Coffee Walk that was much more than a walk!

Take in our book review, our Joseon era café review, our sports rundown, and our upcoming events, along with a creative writing piece. All to provide you with happy holidays and a joyous new year!