From the Editor

December 2022, Issue 250 Published: December 1, 2022

Gwangju FC Courtesy of Gwangju FC

Publisher Dr. Shin Gyonggu Editor-in-Chief Dr. David E. Shaffer Managing Editor William Urbanski Chief Copy Editor Isaiah Winters Layout Editor Karina Prananto Photographer Kim Hillel Yunkyoung Online Editor Karina Prananto

The Gwangju News is the first English monthly magazine for the general public in Korea, first published in 2001. Each monthly issue covers local and regional issues, with a focus on the roles and activities of the international residents and local English-speaking communities.

Copyright ©2022 by the Gwangju International Center. All rights reserved. No part of this publication covered by this copyright may be reproduced in any form or by any means – graphic, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise – without the written consent of the publisher.

The Gwangju News is published by the Gwangju International Center: Jungang-ro 196-beon-gil 5 (Geumnam-ro 3-ga), Dong-gu, Gwangju 61475, South Korea Tel: (+82)-62-226-2733~34 Fax: (+82)-62-226-2731 Website: www.gwangjunewsgic.com Email: gwangjunews@gic.or.kr gwangjunews gwangju_news Registration No. 광주광역시 라. 00145 (ISSN 2093-5315) Registration Date: February 22, 2010 Printed by Jieum 지음 (+82)-62-672-2566

For volunteering and article submission inquiries, please contact the editor at gwangjunews@gic.or.kr. December is upon us – the month whose doors close out the year. And what a year it has been! As 2022 has dug us out from under the tyranny of the Covid virus, we have been able to enjoy more of the in-person events that were once so commonplace.

The impending end of the year invites one to look back over the past year and ponder what has transpired. I would like to take a few moments to enumerate some of the year’s events highlighted in the Gwangju News. The year started off with the death of Bae Eun-sim, known as the “Mother of June” for her activism for democracy after the death of her martyred activist son. In May, Dr. Cynthia Maung was awarded the 2022 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights for her humanitarian work on the Myanmar–Thailand border.

Among the many interviews that the Gwangju News has carried out over the year, I would like to accentuate two of them. In May, we interviewed Song Seon-tae, head of the May 18 Democratization Movement Truth Commission, who has devoted himself to the truth, memory, and heritage of the Movement. In July, we were able to meet with the newly elected mayor of Gwangju, Kang Gi-Jung, for an exclusive interview on his plans to guide Gwangju into the future.

As Covid relented, the city became more active. The World Human Rights Cities Forum, focusing on the climate crisis and human rights, was again held in Gwangju. As was the Chungjang World Festival of Recollection, but this year, the event included the first-ever Buskers World Cup, a truly international event.

October also hosted Gwangju International Community Week, expanded from a one-day to a one-week event, and the Gwangju Fringe Festival. In the area of sports, the Gwangju News interviewed in June Jun Woong-tae, Korea’s winningest pentathlon athlete, sponsored by City Hall. And this month, we feature Ahn Young-kyu, captain of the Gwangju FC, who won their league championship this year and are setting their sights even higher for the next season!

The Gwangju International Center plans to end the year with its annual Adios event, which we are carrying a preview of. There is of course so much more in this December issue which we invite you to read.

We at the Gwangju News wish you a very, very happy holiday season, and look forward to serving you throughout 2023 as January opens its doors to another inviting year!