Gwangju City Opens '120 Years of Democratic Journey Exhibition' at DJ Center on the 14th

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Seon-gang] An exhibition showcasing 120 years of South Korea's democracy history will be held in Gwangju.

Gwangju Metropolitan City announced on the 12th that the "120 Years of Korea's Democratic Journey Exhibition," aimed at spreading the meaning and value of democracy in modern and contemporary Korean history from the Donghak Peasant Revolution to the Candlelight Revolution, will be held from the 14th to November 8th at the Kim Dae-jung Convention Center Open Hall.

This exhibition is organized into nine themes highlighting major democratization movements that marked modern and contemporary Korean history, featuring photos, videos, sculptures, and interactive experience zones.

The thematic exhibits include the Donghak Peasant Revolution, where people suffering under imperialist powers and feudal tyranny rose up; the March 1st Movement, which shouted for independence through nonviolent resistance despite harsh Japanese oppression and massacres; and the Gwangju Student Independence Movement of 1929, where student-led anti-Japanese movements spread nationwide, boosting the independence movement.

Also featured are the Jeju April 3 Incident, where the aspirations of Jeju residents to prevent the establishment of a divided government in 1948 led to a massacre; the April 19 Revolution of 1960, a resistance against rigged elections that toppled a dictatorship; and the Bu-Ma Democratic Uprising, which began as a sit-in protest by YH Trade female workers against unfair closure in 1979 and escalated into a large-scale uprising.

The exhibition covers the May 18 Democratic Movement of 1980, which erupted like wildfire resisting the military coup's expanded martial law and state violence massacres; the June Democratic Uprising of 1987, which inherited the spirit of May 18 and ended military dictatorship through citizen struggle; and the Candlelight Revolution, where citizens' candlelight protests in public squares led to the impeachment of a sitting president who had abused state power, encompassing the full scope of Korea's modern democratic history.

In particular, the "May 18 Democratic Movement" section with an experience zone vividly conveys the story of Park Young-soon, who broadcasted early morning on May 27, 1980, when the Jeonnam Provincial Government Office was suppressed by martial law troops, through the virtual reality (VR) content "The Candlelight Does Not Go Out."

The VR content was developed jointly by the exhibition organizer Kim Dae-jung Convention Center and local VR specialist company Witches to realistically convey the atmosphere of the Jeonnam Provincial Government Office, where citizen soldiers made their last stand during the May 18 Democratic Movement.

The storyline background, including the corridors and offices of the Jeonnam Provincial Government Office at that time, is vividly recreated through graphic design based on photographic evidence, and the appearance, clothing, desks, furnishings, and broadcasting equipment of characters appearing in the mission are implemented based on testimonies from Park Young-soon and related persons.

Participants in the content experience undertake a mission to pass a script to Park Young-soon, who is preparing for a broadcast in the office with the broadcasting room, passing through the dark corridors of the Jeonnam Provincial Government Office.

Additionally, through newspaper articles framed on the wall, participants understand the significance of the May 18 Democratic Movement, light a candle in the dark office to write and deliver the script, and upon successful completion of the mission, the broadcast content is displayed with subtitles and an interview with Park Young-soon is played.

Yoon Mok-hyun, Director of the Democracy, Human Rights, and Peace Bureau of the city, said, "Through the 120 Years of Democratic Journey Exhibition, we hope that the spirit of resistance, human rights, and peace from the Donghak Revolution to the Candlelight Revolution, especially the May 18 Democratic Movement, will be engraved not only in the hearts of our descendants but also in the hearts of people worldwide, becoming a heritage of humanity."

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