Gwangju City, Jeonil Building 245, Chungjang-ro, Penguin Village, and Guitar Street, South Korea
Gwangju is where the 5.18 uprising happened. It was a pro-democratic movement in modern Korean history where the martial law Korean military killed 130 civilians. Jeonil Building 245 has evidence of a military helicopter shooting at the building.
Chungjang-ro, Gwangju: 102-12 Chungjang-ro, Chungjang-dong, Dong-gu, Gwangju, South Korea
Penquin Village: 201-64 Yangnim-dong, Nam-gu, Gwangju, South Korea
Guitar Street: 187 Sa-dong, Nam-gu, Gwangju, South Korea
One of the main streets in Gwangju
The old city hall where the 5.18 uprising’s final struggle was staged here. The cause of the uprising was to protest against the military taking over the Korean government by force without approval from the people.
Gunshots hit this building from a military helicopter during the 5.18 uprising.
Inside is a little museum on the 5.18 uprising. Display of a child’s diary on that day.
The US military telegrams to the US government on the situation in Korea during the uprising.
The evidence of gunshots from a helicopter is kept for history.
It shows a short animation movie on what probably had happened. It has a model helicopter.
In front of the building is the area where young people would come to shop and eat.
I took a bus to another area of the city to visit the Penguin Village. The village is a small neighborhood decorated with arty figures, including a Penguin.
Entering the Penguin Village
Next to the village is a neighborhood with well-maintained traditional houses that were usually open for visitors, but it is closed because of Covid 19.
Another such a house, but also closed.
Nearby the village is a street with about a dozen live guitar pubs lines up which the owner sings 1970s and 80s Korean songs.
Names of the guitar pubs on the street.
Looking back at the streets.
