Geumnam-ro Street

This wide avenue through central Gwangju was the main stage of the May 1980 Democratization Movement, when citizens gathered to stand up to martial-law troops. Today it looks like any downtown boulevard lined with banks and offices, but walk to its eastern end, past the Jeonil Building with its 245 bullet marks to the old provincial government office and May 18th Democracy Plaza, and those ten days of May become very concrete.

Name and route

Geumnam-ro runs from the Balsangyo junction in Im-dong, Buk-gu, to the area around Culture Complex Station in Geumnamno 1-ga, Dong-gu. It is named after Jeong Chung-sin, a Joseon general from Gwangju whose noble title was Geumnam-gun. Born the son of a slave mother, he joined General Gwon Yul's army at 17 during the Imjin War and rose to deputy commander-in-chief, which makes him a local hero. The downtown stretch follows Gwangju Metro Line 1 past Culture Complex, Geumnamno 4-ga and Geumnamno 5-ga stations.

Geumnam-ro in May 1980

After 18 May 1980, Gwangju citizens massed on Geumnam-ro to protest the troops' violence, and the old South Jeolla Provincial Office at the end of the street became the citizen militia's last stronghold. The fountain in front of it, where rallies were held, is now part of May 18th Democracy Plaza. Until troops retook the building in the early hours of 27 May, many of the uprising's key moments played out on this street.

Every May the eve-of-anniversary ceremony and memorial march fill Geumnam-ro, and the road that normally carries traffic belongs to the crowds for a night.

What to see along the way

• Jeonil Building 245: a ten-storey block at 245 Geumnam-ro, the tallest building in Gwangju in 1980. A 2017 forensic survey found 245 bullet marks in and around it, confirming testimony that troops had fired from helicopters. Renovated and reopened in 2020, it has public space on floors 1–4 and the May 18 memorial space "19800518" on the 9th and 10th floors. The building stood at the centre of events both during the helicopter fire of 21 May 1980 and the dawn assault of 27 May.
• Old Provincial Office and May 18th Democracy Plaza: the white 1930s main building and the fountain sit at the eastern end of the street. The fountain where citizens held rallies during the uprising still stands in the middle of the plaza, and the old office complex now joins the Asia Culture Center as a place that keeps the memory of May 18 alive.
• Geumnam-ro Underground Shopping Center: a long underground arcade beneath the street, useful on rainy days.
• Chungjang-ro: Gwangju's old shopping street runs parallel and pairs well with a walk here.

Tripto tips

• Suggested route: get off at Geumnamno 4-ga, visit Jeonil Building 245, then walk east to the Democracy Plaza and the old Provincial Office: 1–2 hours, or half a day with the Asia Culture Center.
• Getting there: Gwangju Metro Line 1 to Culture Complex or Geumnamno 4-ga station; the same line runs directly from Gwangju Songjeong Station (KTX).
• When to go: around 18 May the memorial events give the street a special atmosphere, but expect road closures. The rest of the year the street is open to walk at any time.
• Good to know: the National May 18th Democratic Cemetery lies well outside the centre in Buk-gu, so allow extra travel time if you plan to visit it too.