Gwangju Cultural Foundation Unveils Commemorative Stone for 'March for the Beloved' Creative Center

5·18 40th Anniversary Commemoration: Key Creators Including Hwang Sok-yong and Kim Jong-ryul Gathered Together

Composer Kim Jong-ryul of "March for the Beloved" and novelist Hwang Sok-yong are smiling brightly in front of the commemorative stone.

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Seon-gang] A commemorative marker has been erected at the site where the May memorial song embodying the spirit of the 1980s and the symbolic anthem of South Korea’s democratization movement, ‘Nimeul Wihan Haengjingok’ (March for the Beloved), was created.

To mark the 40th anniversary of the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement, the Gwangju Cultural Foundation installed the marker next to the Gugak Hall of the Gwangju Culture and Arts Center, the birthplace of ‘Nimeul Wihan Haengjingok,’ and held an unveiling ceremony on the 13th.

‘Nimeul Wihan Haengjingok’ was composed in April 1982 as the theme song for the musical play ‘Neokpuri’ (Soul Release), prepared by local cultural activists led by Hwang Seok-young, in tribute to citizen army spokesperson Yoon Sang-won and labor activist Park Ki-soon.

The unveiling ceremony was made even more meaningful as novelist Hwang Seok-young, composers Kim Jong-ryul, Jeon Yong-ho, Oh Chang-gyu, Lim Young-hee, Yoon Man-sik, Kim Eun-kyung, Kim Seon-chul, Lim Hee-sook, and others who participated in the album production at Hwang Seok-young’s home in Unam-dong (now the site of the Gwangju Culture and Arts Center) gathered together for the first time in 38 years.

Mr. Hwang Seok-young, who served as the producer of the ‘Neokpuri’ album, said in his remarks, “‘Nimeul Wihan Haengjingok’ belongs not to any individual but to the citizens of Gwangju. It began as a funeral march to soothe the sorrow and devastation of the souls who died in Gwangju in 1980, became the starting point for the democratic society we have today, and has further evolved into a song sung by all of Asia yearning for democratization.”

Kim Yoon-gi, CEO of the Gwangju Cultural Foundation, also said, “After 38 years since the creation of ‘Nimeul Wihan Haengjingok’ and on the 40th anniversary of the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement, we prepared the unveiling of this marker to highlight the historical value of this song and honor the spirit of ‘May Gwangju.’ We ask for continued interest in efforts to remember and commemorate May 1980 through culture and the arts.”

Meanwhile, the Gwangju Cultural Foundation, which is promoting the popularization and globalization of ‘Nimeul Wihan Haengjingok’ through the production of cultural content symbolizing democracy, plans to hold nationwide concerts this year to promote newly composed orchestral works such as Hwang Ho-jun’s ‘Nimeul Wihan Seogok - Bichi Itneun Maeul’ (Overture for the Beloved - Village with Light) and Kim Shin’s ‘Symphonic Fantasy on Nimeul Wihan Haengjingok.’

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