5·18 40th Anniversary Commemorative 'National Democratic Citizens Choir Festival' Held

Under the Theme of 'Closed 40 Years, Opening May'

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Seon-gang] On the 7th, to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the May 18 Democratic Uprising, the National Democratic Citizens Choir Festival was held at the Bitgoeul Citizen Culture Center performance hall.

The National Democratic Citizens Choir Festival began with the first event held in Seoul in June 2017 to mark the 30th anniversary of the June Democratic Uprising, inviting eight democratic citizens choirs from across the country. It was followed by the Busan event in 2019 commemorating the 40th anniversary of the Bu-Ma Uprising, and this year it was held as the Gwangju event to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the May 18 Democratic Uprising.

Sponsored by Gwangju Metropolitan City, Jeollanam-do, Ulsan Metropolitan City, Busan Metropolitan City, Gyeongsangnam-do, and the May 18 People's Uprising Commemoration Committee, this event featured participation from 12 democratic citizens choirs representing 10 cities nationwide.

Due to the COVID-19 situation, the Gwangju 1987 Choir and the Ulsan Deoulrim Choir, which is scheduled to host next year, performed live on stage, while the other teams alternated with pre-recorded video performances.

The 12 teams participating in this choir are composed mainly of individuals who were directly involved in past democratization movements. Through singing and choral performances, they healed the wounds and pain from the trauma experienced during harsh torture and imprisonment throughout the democratization process.

Mayor Lee Yong-seop said in a video message, “It is very meaningful that the National Democratic Citizens Choir Festival is held in a city of human rights, peace, and democracy that has always turned the tide of history by following the spirit of the times and the greater good whenever the country faced difficulties.” He added, “I hope this choir festival served as a time to honor the spirit of May and comfort our citizens.”

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