Opening of the Kim Dae-jung Democratic Human Rights and Peace Forum and 120 Years of Democratic Journey Exhibition

Opening Ceremony Live Online Talk with Michael Sandel, Author of 'What Is Justice?'

Mayor Lee Yong-seop: "Hope this becomes an opportunity to reflect on democracy, human rights, and peace in difficult times"

On the morning of the 17th, Lee Yong-seop, Mayor of Gwangju Metropolitan City, attended the opening ceremony of the "120 Years of Democratic Journey in Korea Exhibition" and the KDJ Democracy, Human Rights, and Peace Forum held at the Kim Dae-jung Convention Center Multipurpose Hall in Seo-gu, where he took a commemorative photo with key guests. Photo by Gwangju Metropolitan City

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Seon-gang] On the 40th anniversary of the May 18 Democratic Uprising and the 20th anniversary of the June 15 North-South Joint Declaration, a meaningful forum reflecting on the Gwangju Spirit and the legacy of former President Kim Dae-jung, along with an exhibition showcasing the history of democracy in the Republic of Korea at a glance, were held simultaneously.

On the morning of the 17th, Gwangju Metropolitan City held the opening ceremony of the ‘2020 Kim Dae-jung Democracy, Human Rights, and Peace Forum’ and the ‘120 Years of Democratic Journey in Korea Exhibition’ at the Kim Dae-jung Convention Center.

The opening ceremony was attended by Mayor Lee Yong-seop, Gwangju City Council Chairman Kim Yong-jip, National Assembly members Seol Hoon and Kim Doo-kwan, among others, and proceeded with a ribbon-cutting, exhibition tour, Mayor Lee Yong-seop’s opening remarks, and a commemorative dialogue with Michael Sandel.

At the event, Mayor Lee Yong-seop and attendees visited the 120 Years of Democratic Journey exhibition, which is organized into nine themes highlighting major democratization movements that marked modern and contemporary Korean history, from the Donghak Peasant Revolution, the March 1st Movement, the Gwangju Student Independence Movement, to the Candlelight Revolution, exploring the sites of democracy’s history.

In particular, at the May 18 Democratic Uprising exhibition, visitors experienced the virtual reality content ‘The Candlelight Does Not Go Out,’ which tells 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, reflecting once again on the significance of that day.

As part of the opening event, an online commemorative dialogue was held between Michael Sandel, professor of political science at Harvard University and author of the book “Justice: What’s the Right Thing to Do?”, and Park Myung-rim, director of the Kim Dae-jung Library at Yonsei University.

In the dialogue, Professor Michael Sandel explained that “to resolve today’s crisis of democracy, two forces are important: ‘leadership’ and ‘citizen participation.’”

He emphasized that the leadership demonstrated by former President Kim Dae-jung, along with the dedication and efforts of citizens for democratic ideals as seen in the May 18 Democratic Uprising, serve as a model for democracies worldwide.

In the afternoon, an academic conference and roundtable were held in three sessions under the theme ‘May 18 and Kim Dae-jung Seen Through the Eyes of Universality and the World.’ At the roundtable, National Assembly members Kim Hong-gul, Song Gap-seok, and Kim Doo-kwan discussed the topic ‘Korean Democratization and Peace on the Korean Peninsula.’

Mayor Lee Yong-seop stated, “Whenever the country faced difficulties, Gwangju followed the spirit of the times and the greater cause, turning the tide of history through self-revival, and especially sowed the seeds of democracy, human rights, and peace in modern Korean history. I hope that this exhibition and forum during these challenging times for the nation will serve as an opportunity for our citizens, especially the political community, to reflect on the true meaning and value of democracy, human rights, and peace.”

Meanwhile, the ‘120 Years of Democratic Journey in Korea Exhibition’ will be held at the Open Hall of the Kim Dae-jung Convention Center until November 8, featuring nine themes with photographs, videos, sculptures, and various interactive experience zones.

On the 16th, a talk concert titled ‘Talking about Democracy,’ featuring broadcaster Kim Je-dong and lecturer Choi Tae-sung, was held, providing an opportunity for Gwangju citizens to discuss ‘Democracy and the Gwangju Spirit.’

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