A vibrant city where art and history meet
Contemporary creativity, traditional culture and poignant history come together in a fascinating destination for travellers looking beyond Korea’s better-known cities.
Gwangju doesn't fit the usual postcard image of South Korea, and that's exactly its appeal. This is a city that has turned a painful chapter of its own history into a defining sense of civic pride, while building one of Asia's leading contemporary art scenes on top of it.
That history remains deeply woven into the city's identity today. In May 1980, citizens rose up against martial law in what became known as the Gwangju Uprising, and the documents recording those ten days were added to UNESCO's Memory of the World Register in 2011 – a rare instance of a modern democratic movement being preserved at that level.
The National May 18 Democratic Cemetery at Mangwol-dong, where many of those killed are buried, is a genuinely moving place to visit, and May 18 itself has been marked as an official day of commemoration since 1997.
From there, Gwangju's story turns forward rather than back. The Gwangju Biennale, founded in 1995, is held every two years and now sits among the most respected contemporary art events in Asia, drawing curators and artists from around the world to a city that clearly isn't finished reinventing itself.
And when you need a change of pace, Mudeungsan National Park rises to 1,187 metres right on the city's edge, having been upgraded from provincial to national park status in 2012 – proper hiking country within easy reach of the centre.
Gwangju is easy to reach too, with KTX services from Seoul taking as little as one hour and 42 minutes.
Get in touch with our South Korea team today to start planning your perfect Gwangju itinerary.
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Sophie
South Korea Expert