From the Editor – May 2025

Last month, this space began with “April showers bring May flowers.” This month, blossoms and flowers are everywhere, bringing the joy of spring out of the drabness of winter. Beautiful as they may be, May flowers in Gwangju do not always bring joy. Numerous May blooms are intended as memorial flowers – in remembrance of those who were lost in the Gwangju Uprising of May 1980.

The mere utterance of “May” brings back haunting memories to those who resided in Gwangju during the uprising, those who witnessed the unrest, those who were wounded and traumatized, those who were family, friends, and relatives of those who lost their lives during those ten bloody days of the Gwangju Uprising. Many of the memorial flowers will be placed on the graves of the 764 victims of “May” who are interred in the May 18th National Cemetery on the outskirts of Gwangju.

Accordingly, this May issue of the Gwangju News brings to our readers articles related to the Gwangju Uprising, more formally known as the May 18 Democratization Movement. Our first feature is on “5·18” (oh-il-pal), as the uprising is commonly referred to. This is followed by an article on the recent martial law crisis and how its outcome has been influenced by 5.18 and the democratization that has followed.

On this 45th anniversary of 5.18, we bring you an article on the “May Mothers” of Gwangju, an organization of women related to the Gwangju Uprising, who have been unrelentingly fighting for the truth about the uprising and for democracy in Korea. We also bring you a walk down Democracy Road, a network of paths on the campus of Chonnam National University commemorating 5.18 and the university’s involvement.

This May, Gwangju hosts the World Human Rights Cities Forum, which was founded in 2011 “to carry forward the legacy of the May 18 Democratization Movement.” Our Forum article introduces the institution and this year’s three-day Forum events. One of the main speakers at the May 15–17 Forum is Prof. Suh Sung, once imprisoned for his pro-democracy activism and a lifetime advocate for human rights. Our publisher was fortunate to conduct an interview with Prof. Suh, which we also present in this issue.

We have much more to bring you: Teachers Day, Dano Day, Together Day. Rock-face carvings to commemorate Buddha’s Birthday, Gokseong flowers, Mokpo jjimjil-bang, a book review, area sports, and upcoming events. Enjoy!