Gwangju Travel Guide at WikiVoyage
Gwangju Metropolitan City (광주광역시), located in South Jeolla province (Jeollanam-do), is Korea's sixth-largest city. There are many direct buses to Gwangju from Incheon International Airport; the bus ride is about 4 hours long and costs 40,000-60,000 KRW depending on class of service (but be warned that the return trip from Gwangju to ICN tends to sell out and takes 4.5-5 hours, so plan accordingly!). Gwangju is famous for its food, its hiking trails, and its role in the Korean democratization movement. In May 1980, the Korean dictator, Chun Doo-Hwan, fresh from a military coup d'etat, sent the Korean army to brutally crack down on pro-democracy protesters in Gwangju. Sobering memorials of the May 18th Democratic Uprising and the resultant massacre can be found around the city today, from the 5.18 Memorial Park to the Jeonill Building, still riddled with bullet holes from a helicopter's strafing attack.
The Downtown Area
Gwangju is also a cultural—and multicultural!—city, with an impressive number of galleries, museums, and performance venues (learn more here). A nice 35-minute walk (or ~10-minute, ~6,000-won taxi ride) from the conference venue is Gwangju Art Street (예슬의 거리), perfect for browsing art galleries, out-of-the-way museums, and a few souvenir and stationery shops (don't miss Modern!) before relaxing with a latte next to some of the public art that lines the cobblestone street. Nearby is the Jeonil Building, which offers a spectacular view of the city from its roof, a coffee shop with reasonable prices and amazing views, a three-floor museum dedicated to the May 18 Democratic Uprising, and more. Across from the Jeonil Building is the 5.18 Democracy Square, where many of the demonstrations took place in 1980; abutting that is the Asia Cultural Center (ACC), which boasts an outdoor play space, indoor museums and exhibits, and a vast variety of performances. Immediately across the street is Gwangju's downtown area, which has many wonderful restaurants and cafes, an underground shopping center with bargains aplenty, and a plethora of trendy stores. (Note: KOTESOL members get a 10% discount at the Italian-inspired First Recipe restaurant downtown!) Intrepid wanderers might decide to walk over to the Gwangju River and meander along its shores; peruse the stalls at the Daein Market (대인 시장); or even walk a bit further (or hop on a bus) to visit the Yangdong Traditional Market (양동 시장). Just north of the downtown and a bit south of the conference venue, meanwhile, is Dongmyeong-dong, a neighborhood famous for hidden-gem restaurants and cafes.
Also Near the Conference Venue
Also within a ~30-minute walk of the conference venue are the Malbau Traditional Market (말바우 시장), two different Home Plus stores (great for reasonably priced groceries, home goods, toiletries, and more), several Daiso stores (similar to a "dollar store" or a 100-yen shop), and the Chonnam University back gate area (a good alternative to the downtown for restaurants, cafes, and shops).
Don't Miss...
The 15th Gwangju Biennale will be held September 7-December 1. If you enjoy art and art installations, it's definitely worth a visit while you're in town! The Biennale venue is about 40 minutes by bus or 20 minutes by taxi (~8,000 KRW) from Gwangju National University of Education. Near the Biennale, you'll also find an amazing green space for exploring, the Gwangju Museum of Art, the Gwangju History & Folk Museum, and the Gwangju Arts Center (광주예술의전당).
Learn more about Gwangju and its many cultural and sightseeing opportunities here.
