From the Editor – June 2025

June is in the air, inviting all to begin thinking about summer vacation plans and pet projects that have been in waiting. Here at the Gwangju News, however, the staff hasn’t had much time to consider rest and relaxation with the previous month being an especially “event-full” period for the city of the Spirit of May.

Our cover feature this issue concerns the Gwangju Prize for Human Rights, awarded each May to a group or individual with outstanding efforts in this field. This year’s award went to AJAR, an Indonesia- based NGO. We bring you an interview with its co-founder Patrick Burgess.

Our second feature is an article by John Feffer, who recently spoke on Gwangju stepping up to fill the human rights vacuum at the Gwangju Democracy Forum sponsored by the May 18 Foundation.

What happened in June thirty-eight years ago? The 1987 June Democratic Struggle. Our third feature describes this uprising, how it was pivotal in bringing genuine democracy to South Korea, and how it was the inspiration of the May 18 Gwangju Uprising that allowed it to occur.

Moving on to more tranquil topics, we offer a soulful journey to Daeheung Temple in Haenam County’s Duryun Mountain and suggest bike rentals for weekend outings. We also provide one expat’s “journey” through Korea’s healthcare system, as well as another expat’s “journey” from quiet seat-warmer to confident speaker as president of Toastmasters.

Learn of the challenges facing international undergraduate students in our article on “Breaking Cultural Barriers.” Learn how fragrance is polluting our planet in our Environment column for this issue. And learn about the celebrated temples in the Jeonnam region in this month’s Ponderings and Contemplations column.

We have for you a book review. This month it is of the novel Stoner. Our coffee shop review is of the Azure Cafe in rural Damyang, and our restaurant review is of Nana Bangkok for Thai dining in Gwangju’s Dongmyeong-dong.

In addition to our Area Sports Round-Up, we have an article on volleyballer Taylor Fricano. And we bring you a suggestion in our Opinion piece on benefits for large expat families. As usual, we round out the issue with the Upcoming Events for this month. Enjoy!