28/05/2021 Kwangju -- Britannica Online Encyclopedia

Kwangju
Kwangju, also spelled Gwangju, metropolitan city, southwestern South Korea. It has the
status of a metropolitan city under the direct control of the central government, with
administrative status equal to that of a province. An old city bordering the mountainous area of
South Chŏlla province, Kwangju is located at the foot of Mount Mudŭng (Mudeung), which
rises to 3,894 feet (1,187 metres).

The city has been a centre of trade and of local

administration since the Three Kingdoms period (c. 57
BCE–668 CE). Modern industries, including cotton
textiles, breweries, and rice mills, began with the
building of a railway from Seoul in 1914. During the
zoom_in
Kwangju Korean War (1950–53) Kwangju’s suburbs became a
Kwangju, S.Kor. major military training centre. From 1967, with the
Nesnad
construction of an industrial zone centring on an
automobile factory, the city grew rapidly. Developments included storage and processing
facilities for agricultural products. Kwangju was the site of an armed uprising against the
newly installed military government of Chun Doo Hwan in May 1980. More than 140 civilians
were killed during the suppression of the protest; it is now commemorated with an annual
festival held on May 18.

The city is now a consumer and manufacturing centre for the southwestern region, and
industrial complexes have been established within the city and in the near vicinity. Emerging
high-technology industries include information technology and telecommunications.

Kwangju is a transportation junction of southwestern Korea. It connects with Seoul to the

north and Pusan (Busan) to the east by air, rail, and road. It has a subway and is served by a
domestic airport to the west of downtown and an international airport at Muan, some 20 miles
(30 km) to the southwest.

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28/05/2021 Kwangju -- Britannica Online Encyclopedia

Kwangju is also a centre for culture and art. Chosun University (1946), Chonnam National
University (1952), and several other institutions of higher education are located there. The city
has many historical remains, and there are old temples and tombs in the surrounding hills.
Begun in 1995, the Gwangju Biennale has emerged as a venue for the exhibition of
contemporary art and for musical and dance performances. Among the city’s other tourist
attractions are the Gwangju National Museum, a folk museum, and a kimchi (pickled-
vegetable) festival held each October. Guus Hiddink Stadium was the venue for some of the
2002 football (soccer) World Cup championship matches; originally called World Cup
Stadium, it was renamed for the national football team’s Dutch coach, who led South Korea to
the cup semifinals that year. Area 193 square miles (501 square km). Pop. (2015) 1,502,881.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Michael Ray, Editor.

Citation Information
Article Title:
Kwangju
Website Name:
Encyclopaedia Britannica
Publisher:
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
Date Published:
07 June 2017
URL:
https://www.britannica.com/place/Kwangju
Access Date:
May 28, 2021

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