Gwangju City News – May 2026

The Spirit of May 18 at a Constitutional Crossroads Constitutional Amendment Public Notice approved by the National Assembly, April 6, 2026. (The Blue House) A narrow window has opened for … Read More

UN Rights High Commissioner Comes to Gwangju: Speaking at WHRCF 2026

Volker Türk of Austria is the current United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. He is the keynote speaker at the 2026 World Human Rights Cities Forum – the first … Read More

The Spirit of May: How Gwangju’s 5.18 Still Shapes Korea’s Democracy

By Vibhanshu Maurya || Walk through the streets of Gwangju and one number appears again and again: “5.18.” It appears on memorial parks, museum walls, street banners, and civic events … Read More

Remembering to Resist: Yeolmae and the Fight for Justice Ahead of WHRCF

By Luis Andrés || In the middle of this May, from May 13 to 15, Gwangju will once again host the World Human Rights Cities Forum (WHRCF). This year’s theme, … Read More

Living at the Edge of Conflict: A Resident’s Account from Dubai During the US-Iran War

The brunch reservation was for one o’clock. The news alert arrived at half past twelve. Another escalation, another set of coordinates neither of us could place on a map without … Read More

Half the Story: Women, Memory, and the Unfinished History of May 18

By Luis Andrés || May returns to Gwangju each year not as a simple commemoration but as a confrontation. It reminds us of the May 18 Democratic Uprising of 1980, … Read More

From Gilgit-Baltistan to South Korea: A Nostalgic Sense of Home in Mountains and Seasons

By Arifa Batool || Moving to a new country brings both excitement and moments of reflection on home. Coming from the mountainous region of Gilgit-Baltistan in northern Pakistan, I was … Read More

1st CNU 5.18 Marathon: A Morning Run That Taught Me Consistency

By Dhivyaa S. P. || No plan. No practice. No expectations. It started like any usual workday morning. I woke up, got ready, and followed my routine. But instead of … Read More