Gwangju

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This article is about Gwangju Metropolitan City in South Korea. For the smaller city of the same name near Seoul, South Korea, see Gwangju City (Gyeonggi).

Gwangju Metropolitan City is the sixth largest city in South Korea. Gwangju is a designated metropolitan city under the direct control of the central government's Home Minister. The city was also the capital of South Jeolla Province until the provincial office moved to the southern village of Namak, Muan in 2005. Its geographical location is .

History

The city was established in 57 BC, and has been a centre of trade ever since. It was one of the administrative centres of Baekje during the Three-Kingdom Period.

With the construction of a railway to Seoul in 1914 modern industry was established. This includes cotton textiles, rice mills and breweries. Construction of a designated industrial zone in 1967 ensued marked growth in industry, especially in the sectors linked to the automobile industry.

In 1929, during the period of Japanese occupation, a confrontation between Korean and Japanese students in the city turned into a regional demonstration, which culminated in one of the major nationwide uprisings against Japanese rule in the colonial period.

In May 1980 civil demonstrations took place in Gwangju against the newly installed military government of Chun Doo-hwan. The demonstrations were suppressed by military forces, including elite units of the Special Operations Command. Most commentators agree that the suppression was characterized by its egregious brutality, including several incidents where military forces fired automatic weapons into crowds of unarmed demonstrators. Some commentators assert the United States is partly responsible for the mass killing in the city, because of its tacit endorsement of the Chun Doo-hwan regime and the mobilization of some units which normally required approval from the U.S. military command. Gwangju is sometimes called "the shrine of Korean democracy" because of this incident, which is known today as the Gwangju Massacre. After civilian rule was reinstated, a national cemetery was established honoring the victims of the incident.

Amenities

Chonnam National University and Chosun University are two of the major educational institutions in the city, with several other universities and colleges also located in the region. Areas of exquisite scenery along the outskirts of the city gave birth to gasa, a form of Korean classical poetry. Located in the heart of the agricultural Jeolla region, the city is also famous for its rich and diverse cuisine.

Transportation

Gwangju has one subway line. An extension to the line is under construction.

Administrative divisions

Main article: Administrative divisions in Gwangju

Gwangju is divided into 5 districts ("Gu").

Name	Hangul	Hanja
Buk-gu	북구	北區
Dong-gu	동구	東區
Gwangsan-gu	광산구	光山區
Nam-gu	남구	南區
Seo-gu	서구	西區

People

Actress Moon Geun Young is one of the notable contemporaries from Gwangju. The city boasts three Major League Baseball players: Choi Hee Seop, Kim Byung Hyun and Seo Jae Weong, who also came from the same high school. Although former president Kim Dae-jung is not a native of the city, he is so widely honoured throughout the city that a convention center was named after him.

Sister cities

External links

Cities in South Korea | Gwangju | 57 BC establishments

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