Gwangju Songjeong Station Plaza to Be Designated as a May 18 Historical Site

Historic Site Where Citizens Gathered for Protests in May 1980
Application for Designation Submitted to Gwangju City with Consent from Korea Railroad Corporation

Gwangsan-gu in Gwangju has taken steps to remember another site related to the May 18 Democratization Movement.

On May 9, Gwangsan-gu announced that it had recently submitted an application to the Gwangju city government to have the Gwangju Songjeong Station plaza designated as a May 18 historical site.

Gwangju Songjeong Station exterior. Provided by Gwangsan-gu

The application was made with the consent of the plaza's owner, Korea Railroad Corporation. Since 2021, Gwangsan-gu has conducted forums and discussions, collected materials, and coordinated with related organizations to pursue the designation of the site as a historical landmark.

The Gwangju Songjeong Station plaza is a historic location where, on May 22, 1980, citizens gathered to demand democracy in defiance of the military's violent crackdown. To date, there are 15 May 18 historical sites in Dong-gu, 6 in Seo-gu, 3 in Nam-gu, and 5 in Buk-gu, but none have been designated in Gwangsan-gu. The final designation of a May 18 historical site is determined after consultation with relevant experts and deliberation by the May 18 Democratization Movement Spirit Succession Committee.

Park Byungkyu, head of Gwangsan-gu, stated, "The designation of the Gwangju Songjeong Station plaza as a historical site will enhance the historical pride of local residents and serve as an opportunity to pass on the spirit of May 18 to the next generation."

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