Gwangju

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Coordinates: 35 ° 9 '  N , 126 ° 54'  E

Big city of Gwangju
Hangul : 광주 광역시
Hanja : 光州 廣域 市
Revised Romanization : Gwangju Gwangyeoksi
McCune-Reischauer : Kwangju Kwangyŏksi
Basic data
Surface: 501.36 km²
Residents: 1,416,937
Population density : 2,826 inhabitants per km²
Structure : 5 districts ( Gu )
Postal code : 500-010 (Buk-gu) - 506-901 (Gwangsan-gu)
Administrative headquarters : Gwangju
Japan Nordkorea de-facto Japan - von Südkorea beansprucht Gyeongsangbuk-do Seoul Daejeon Busan Ulsan Daegu Gwangju Incheon Jeju-do Gangwon-do Gyeonggi-do Chungcheongnam-do Chungcheongbuk-do Jeollanam-do Jeollabuk-do Gyeongsangnam-doLocation of Gwangju in South Korea
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Gwangju

Gwangju , IPA Kwaŋdʑu, is a city in Jeollanam-do Province in southwestern South Korea . Gwangju is the capital of the province, but is politically an independent entity. It is located about 330 km south of Seoul . The city has 1,416,937 inhabitants, making it the sixth largest in the country.

history

The city was founded in 57 BC. Founded in BC and has been a center of trade in the region ever since. During the Three Kingdoms Period , Gwangju was also an administrative center of the Baekje Empire.

From 1910 to 1945 the city, like all of Korea, was incorporated into the Japanese Empire . At that time, the city was given the Japanese name Kōshū ( Jap. 光州 ) that the Sino Japanese name of Hanja is on behalf of the city. When the railroad connected Kōshū with Keijō in 1914 , modern industry also grew there. Cotton textile factories, rice mills and breweries in particular were able to establish themselves.

In 1929, as the culmination of some class boycotts, Korean students took to the streets to demonstrate for the reintroduction of the teaching of Korean history and the reintroduction of the Korean language as the language of instruction. The protest was provincial cause for other students to demonstrate as well. The Japanese language had become after the inclusion National language and in 1915 for the sole language of instruction. The protests and class boycotts were initiated by student organizations. Without accomplishing any goals, the student protests collapsed mainly because of internal disputes.

In 1967 a designated industrial zone was established and Gwangju grew significantly, especially the automotive industry that settled in the city.

In May 1980 demonstrations against the new military government of Chun Doo-hwan took place in Gwangju. These demonstrations were suppressed by military forces , including elite Special Operations Command units . Most reporters agree that the operation was brutal, including several incidents where soldiers with automatic weapons fired at the unarmed demonstrators. Official sources assume 140 civilians were killed, other sources speak of 2000 deaths. Because of this incident, now called the Gwangju Massacre , Gwangju is also called the Shrine of Korean Democracy . The victims were buried in Gwangju National Cemetery on May 18 .

The Choson University was opened in 1946th Some ancient temples can be found in and around the city. The Gwangju subway was opened in 2004 after an 8-year construction period.

City structure

The city has two city centers that are connected by a subway: the modern center in the west, south of the town hall, and the second center, in which the retail trade is located in the west.

The urban area is divided into five districts (Gu):

Culture and sights

In 1995 the Gwangju Biennale , a major exhibition of contemporary art, took place in Gwangju for the first time . It is now held regularly every two to three years.

5.18 Memorial Park

To the east of the city center is 5.18 Memorial Park . The entrance is formed by a staircase that leads to a memorial commemorating the Gwangju massacre. Behind the memorial, a ramp leads into an underground room in which various names are posted and there is another memorial (a woman with a child in her arms). There is also a wall relief.

The Street of Art

In the western city center is the so-called Street of Art, a street with many galleries and shops with traditional Korean shops.

Twin cities

Climate table

Average monthly temperatures and rainfall for Gwangju
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Max. Temperature ( ° C ) 5.1 7.0 12.4 19.3 23.9 27.2 29.7 30.5 26.6 21.5 14.3 8.0 O 18.8
Min. Temperature (° C) −3.3 −2.3 1.6 7.3 12.4 17.8 22.4 22.6 17.2 10.3 4.2 −1.2 O 9.1
Precipitation ( mm ) 38.0 43.9 64.5 95.3 97.3 190.3 281.9 276.0 137.7 55.3 55.4 32.4 Σ 1,368
Rainy days ( d ) 10.7 9.7 9.0 9.3 9.2 11.4 14.0 13.9 9.6 6.8 9.6 9.7 Σ 122.9
T
e
m
p
e
r
a
t
u
r
5.1
−3.3
7.0
−2.3
12.4
1.6
19.3
7.3
23.9
12.4
27.2
17.8
29.7
22.4
30.5
22.6
26.6
17.2
21.5
10.3
14.3
4.2
8.0
−1.2
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
N
i
e
d
e
r
s
c
h
l
a
g 		38.0
43.9
64.5
95.3
97.3
190.3
281.9
276.0
137.7
55.3
55.4
32.4
  Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Source: KMA, data: 1971–2000

sons and daughters of the town

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b Yonhap: Today in Korean History, published November 3, 2009
  2. ↑ THE KOREA HERALD: Gwangju anniversary, published May 18, 2010
  3. ↑ James H. Grayson : Christianity and State Shinto in Colonial Korea: A Clash of Nationalism and Religious Beliefs . In: Internet Journal of Religion . Philipps University of Marburg , 1997, archived from the original on June 14, 2007 ; accessed on April 13, 2018 (English, DISKUS Vol. 1 No. 2, Diskus-Verlag, 1997, p. 11. (Link to the original website no longer available)).
  4. ↑ States News Service: 82nd Anniversary of Shinganhoe's Foundation, published February 12, 2009, reproducing a press release issued by the Minister's Office for Patriots and Veterans.
  5. ↑ www.wenzhou.gov.cn: City friendships . Retrieved July 11, 2019.
  6. ↑ KMA: Climate information Gwangju. World Meteorological Organization, accessed July 17, 2012 .

Web links

Commons : Gwangju  - collection of images, videos and audio files