Gwangju City Unveils Monument Marking the Historical Significance of Minju Bell and Bell Pavilion Site

Mayor Lee Yong-seop: "It Will Be a Milestone to Correctly Inform and Remember History"

On the morning of the 26th, Lee Yong-seop, Mayor of Gwangju Metropolitan City, attended the unveiling ceremony of the Democracy Bell Guide Marker held in front of the Democracy Bell Tower in Geumnam-ro, Dong-gu, and took a commemorative photo with guests in front of the marker. Photo by Gwangju Metropolitan City

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Seon-gang] Gwangju Metropolitan City announced that it held the “Democracy Bell Guide Marker Unveiling Ceremony” at 11:30 a.m. on the 26th in front of the Democracy Bell Pavilion to widely publicize the meaning of ringing the bell related to the Democracy Bell and the history of the bell pavilion site.

The location of the Democracy Bell Pavilion, 41 Geumnam-ro 1-ga, Dong-gu, was the site of the former Jeollanam-do Police Bureau Intelligence Division Anti-Communist Office, where numerous democracy activists suffered hardships related to political incidents.

When Gwangju promoted the construction of the Democracy Bell in 2003, it proposed this site as the location for the “Democracy Bell Pavilion” based on the research results of the “Comprehensive Plan for Fostering Gwangju as a City of Democracy, Human Rights, and Peace.”

At that time, the “Gwangju Democracy Bell Construction Promotion Committee” decided that this place was historically symbolic and meaningful, and suitable as the site for the “Democracy Bell Pavilion” because it is adjacent to the May 18 Democracy Square. The “Democracy Bell Pavilion” was completed in November 2005.

Later, in 2015, to establish the historical significance of the Democracy Bell and build consensus with citizens, the “Democracy Bell Citizens’ Committee,” composed of democratization elders, representatives of local civic groups, and city council members, was launched. After continuous discussions, the committee decided in April last year to produce a guide marker explaining the meaning of the Democracy Bell and the history related to the bell pavilion site, finalizing the wording, installation location, and design.

The Democracy Bell weighs 8,150 kwan (30.5 tons) and embodies the significance of August 15 Liberation Day and the May 18 Democratization Movement Memorial Day. The inscription “Democracy Bell” on the bell’s body is handwritten by the late former President Kim Dae-jung.

The ringing of the bell is officially conducted on March 1st, May 18th Democratization Movement Memorial Day, Liberation Day, and New Year’s Eve events according to the “Gwangju Metropolitan City Democracy Bell Management and Operation Ordinance.” The 33 rings symbolize the ideology of Hongik Ingan (benefiting all mankind) and the wish for the health and peace of all citizens.

The unveiled guide marker is 2.35 meters tall and displays the historical significance of the Democracy Bell Pavilion site, the meaning of the Democracy Bell’s creation and ringing, in four languages: Korean, English, Chinese, and Japanese.

Mayor Lee Yong-seop said, “The guide marker carefully engraved today will serve as a milestone to correctly inform and remember Gwangju’s history,” and added, “I hope this place becomes a popular spot where our citizens revisit and remember their proud history, and a tourist attraction that visitors to Gwangju must stop by to experience the ‘Gwangju spirit.’”

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