From the Editor – February 2025

In many ways, we can think of February as a month for preparation. Early on, I thought of Ipchun (입춘), the seasonal term of the Farmers’ Calendar that falls in early February, as meaning “enter spring,” though temperatures were still dropping below zero. I later realized that Ipchun was considered the time to prepare for spring – the time to check on the growth of the winter barley crop, to prepare for its harvest, and to prepare for the spring planting. Spring itself came a month and a half later with Chunbun (춘분), the spring equinox.

Similarly, we can think of the lunar new year, which just fell before the start of February this year, as a time for preparing, for planning out the year ahead and the months and weeks within. As for the Gwangju News, we too are making preparations for the Year of the Snake. In fact, the Gwangju News is constantly preparing. Preparations for our March issue began a month ago, and now with the publication of the February issue completed, we have begun preparations for the April issue. So as you see, we always have preparations underway for two issues at any one time.

So, what do we have prepared for our readers in this issue? We have a feature on a day of love and affection – Valentine’s Day, February 14 – and an intriguing discussion of the varying ways in which the day is celebrated in different parts of the world. This is a day that you too can prepare to celebrate.

Another of our features deals with the recent declaration of a short-lived martial law decree in step-by-step detail. With the president now detained and indicted, what remains is for the court to prepare to make a ruling in the case. Read also about the role that Gwangju citizens played in the protection of democracy in the nation.

Our cover feature is of the recent airliner tragedy at Muan Airport in which many lives were lost. In the face of this runway catastrophe, the response of the local citizenry was exceptional. What remains is for authorities to prepare regulations and inspections that prevent such a disaster from ever happening again.

And of course, we have prepared much more for your February reading enjoyment.