From the Editor – May 2026

It’s May! The warmth of the weather that heralds in this month generates a sense of jubilance not duplicated elsewhere in the calendar. Hearing “May,” reminds us of the approaching Children’s Day and the coming of Buddha’s Birthday. It also reminds us of Gwangju’s largest international event of the year: the World Human Rights Cities Forum (WHRCF). And for Gwangju residents especially, it fortifies the Spirit of May – that courage, that passion, that enthusiasm, born of the May 18 (1980) Gwangju Uprising that has been in the vanguard of the struggle for democratization, human rights, and truth.

At the WHRCF (May 13–15), Gwangju is honored to welcome UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk, who will be presenting the keynote address at the Forum. Prior to the event, the Gwangju News had the privilege of interviewing High Commissioner Türk and provide that interview as our cover feature (p. 8).

The “Spirit of May” is mentioned above, but in this issue, we more than just mention this spirit: we have an entire article on it, pointing out how Gwangju’s “May 18” still shapes Korea’s democracy (p. 13). We also focus on a newly launched association, Yeolmae, originating as a self-help group of women victimized by the Gwangju Uprising who now play an increasing role in the fight for justice and human rights (p. 17).

We bring you an additional article, “Half the Story,” that focuses on women, memory, and the unfinished history of May 18: “The truth is that, without women, much of what we ‘know’ about May 18 would not exist. It was through women’s testimonies that we came to understand the everyday practices that sustained the uprising” (p. 23). In commemorating May 18, the first CNU 5.18 Marathon was recently held. Read one first-time marathoner’s takeaways from the experience (p. 27).

The war with Iran moved us to get a first-hand view from the region. An expat Dubai resident relates their experience in “Living on the Edge of Conflict (p. 21). Also, very much under siege from military conflict is our environment. Read how serious this is in “Nature Under Attack” (p. 31).

This issue contains so much more: AI and the world order, allying anger, Buddha’s Birthday, café and book and art exhibition reviews, sports news, upcoming events calendar…

We hope you enjoy the pages of this May issue of the Gwangju News. Happy reading!