Gwangju Guide, Meaning , Facts, Information and Description
| Gwangju Metropolitan City | |
|---|---|
| Korean Name | |
| Revised Romanization | Gwangju Gwangyeoksi |
| McCune-Reischauer | Kwangju Kwangyŏkshi |
| Hangul | 광주 광역시 |
| Hanja | 光州廣域市 |
| Short Name | Gwangju (Kwangju; 광주; 光州) |
| Statistics | |
| Population | 1,400,000 (2003, estimate) |
| Area | ? km² |
| Government | Metropolitan City; Capital of South Jeolla |
| Administrative Divisions | 5 wards ("Gu") |
| Region | Honam |
| Dialect | Jeolla |
| Location Map | |
- 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).
| Table of contents |
|
2 Amenities 3 Administrative Divisions 4 See also 5 External Links |
The city was established a long time ago (c. 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 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; the number of civilian casualties that have been confirmed by official investigation is 207. Some commentators assert 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 authorization of troop mobilization. Gwangju is sometimes called the shrine of the Korean democracy because of this incident.
After the civil rule was reinstated, a national cemetery was established honoring the victims of the incident.
Chonnam National University and Chosun University are two of the major educational institutions in the city, with several other universities and colleges. Places with exquisite scenery along the outskirts of the city became the birthplace of gasa, a form of Korean classical poetry. Located in the heart of the agricultural Jeolla region, the city is also famous for rich and diverse cuisine.
Main article: Administrative divisions in Gwangju
Gwangju is divided into 5 wards ("Gu").
History
Amenities
Administrative Divisions
| 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 |
This is an Article on Gwangju. Page Contains Information, Facts Details or Explanation Guide About Gwangju See also
External Links