The 40th Anniversary 5·18 Commemoration Event to be Held with 14 Projects and 81 Activities

Nationwide Implementation Until October... Memorial Services and Resurrection Festivals to Maintain Social Distancing with Minimal Scale Planned

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Yoon Jamin] The 40th anniversary commemorative events of the May 18 People's Uprising will be held through 14 projects and 81 events.

The 40th Anniversary May 18 People's Uprising Commemorative Event Committee (Standing Event Chairman Lee Cheol-woo) announced on the 4th that it will promote 81 commemorative events nationwide until October for the 40th anniversary of the May 18 People's Uprising.

The tentatively confirmed projects include 10 commemorative projects, 7 alternative projects, 7 sector projects, 8 nationwide network projects, 2 historical exploration projects, 3 citizen participation projects, 20 project contest projects, 4 national idea contest projects, 10 planning projects, 1 hosted project, 6 publicity projects, 2 education office support projects, and 1 Seo-gu Office support project.

For the commemorative projects, the 40th anniversary memorial service and resurrection ceremony of May 18 will be conducted with maximum social distancing and reduced scale.

The Democratic Article Day event will proceed on a minimal scale with vehicles displaying the Taegeukgi and the 40th anniversary May 18 commemorative flags, marching from Mudeung Stadium via Gwangju Station and Geumnam-ro.

The May Citizen March "May, That Day WHO" will feature large dolls representing the victims of the May 18 Uprising, marching around Geumnam-ro and the National May 18 Democratic Cemetery area.

May Action, recruitment of national event committee members, and the Youth Square will mostly be conducted online.

The alternative events were prepared to compensate for the full cancellation of mass gatherings such as the 40th anniversary May 18 commemorative event eve and the national rally.

These include the Gyeonggi-do Ansan to Gwangju bicycle pilgrimage, the May Bicycle Democratic Peace March, the May 18 English Speech Contest, and the production of May 18 People's Uprising TV content projects.

Sector projects include the fist rice ball sharing by the Labor and Unemployment Gwangju Center, the "May Literature Festival" banner poetry exhibition by the Gwangju-Jeonnam Writers' Association, the special exhibition "May is Coming" by the Gwangju branch of the National Artists Association, the "May of that Year, 40 Years After" dark tour by Siloam People, the "May 18 Women's Organization Activity (Movement) History Project" by the Gwangju-Jeonnam Women's Federation, the play "May, Song for You" by the Tobaki Theater Company, and the May guide project for the National Democratic Martyrs' Cemetery by the Gwangju-Jeonnam Solidarity of National Democratic Martyrs' Memorial Organizations, totaling seven projects.

Nationwide network projects will be promoted by regional May 18 People's Uprising Commemorative Event Committees in Busan, Incheon, Daejeon, Daegu, Ulsan, Sejong, Chungbuk, and Chungnam, while Seoul, Jeonnam, and Jeonbuk will hold their own events.

Historical exploration projects will provide guided tours and support at May 18 historic sites throughout Gwangju Metropolitan City until June, along with a stamp tour event. Citizen participation events will include a May national discussion forum and monitoring and evaluation of the 40th anniversary commemorative events.

Among the 25 projects selected through the 40th anniversary commemorative event project contest, 20 will be promoted through a combination of online and offline methods.

Four national idea projects will also be executed as part of the 40th anniversary commemorative events.

Planning projects include fist rice ball sharing by the three May 18 organizations, the May Mothers' House, the Life Sharing Practice Headquarters, and the Labor and Unemployment Gwangju Center; video production and commemorative poetry book publication by the Korean Residents' Village, May Democratic Women's Association, and Gwangju Writers' Association, respectively; the creation of a photo zone in front of the old Jeonnam Provincial Office; and the production of a May creative song USB collection.

Publicity projects include the production and distribution of May 18 symbolic badges, operation of the May 18 independent film theater, and a cover contest for the "March for the Beloved." The hosted project will feature the screening of an online declaration reading video.

Education office support projects include the Student May Road, a May 18 historic site exploration project, and the May Youth Square held at youth facilities in the Gwangju area.

Neighborhood events will be promoted as Seo-gu Office support projects under the theme "May, Connecting Villages and Hearts" as local resident events.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.