Other cultural sites

Jeonil Building 245

Jeonil Building 245 in Gwangju looks just like many other buildings. It has several floors and a communal entrance that details the different occupants. Looking at this list, it becomes clear that there is a definite focus on culture and tourism. Look a little further and it becomes clear that the building has some direct relevance to recent historical events. Today, those events are known by different names - the Gwangju Uprising, the May 18 Democratization Movement, the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement, the Gwangju Democratization Struggle, or simply 5.18. The Jeonil Building 245 is central to that struggle. A military helicopter opened fire on the building on 18 May, 1980, but this event was denied for many years, until in 2018, an investigation of documents and interviews with military personnel led a Ministry of National Defense committee to confirm that these events did take place. Today, physical evidence of these events can clearly still be see in the Jeonil Building 245 in the form of concrete building supports and other internal fittings riddled with hundreds of bullet holes.

The centre focusing on these events is split over different floors, with sections focusing on various aspects. Personal diaries are displayed, allowing visitors an understanding of the thoughts and feelings of individuals, including children, and four of those diaries have been inscribed into the UNESCO Memory of the World Archives. As you walk through the centre you can see bullet holes in various locations, each one given a number and yellow ID sticker. There is also military personnel testimony, pictures of concurrent events at various locations in Gwangju, a city model with audio and spotlight interpretation, details of censorship and comments from journalists, and information relating to the Fighters Bulletin, which was written by teachers and school children. There are also other locations around the city that commemore the May 18 events, such as the May 18 Memorial Centre, the Bell of Democracy (right across the road from Jeonil Building 245) and 5.18 Memorial Park, which commemorates the many people who lost their lives. There you will find various artworks dedicated to the memory of the uprising, pictures of events, and a long and solemn list of names commemorating the dead.