Gwangju

Gwangju (광주, 光州) (means city of light), (formerly Romanized as Kwangju) is a metropolitan city in the center of South Jeolla province, South Korea. Gwangju has a thriving youth and arts culture and even a glance down the streets of 'Geumnam-ro' will note a generally more fashion-conscious populace. Further to this, the city has numerous art galleries and hosts a biennial Bienalle.

It is the only city in the world with a mountain more than 1,000 m difference from the average altitude of the city in the administrative district of the city where more than 1 million people live. It is common for a city to be located in a km-class highland, such as Tehran, Iran, and Mexico City, but Gwangju Metropolitan City is the only city with such a large altitude difference within the city's administrative district. Geographically, the fact that there is a 1,000-m mountain in the city is an absolute disadvantage for the city itself to grow and does not exist elsewhere. However, Gwangju Metropolitan City is in the volcanic basin plain, which is possible because the topography of this plain is vast.

Understand
The city has an interesting claim to fame as having the largest and most modern bus terminal (called U-Square) and possibly the largest single pedestrian drinking, dining and clubbing district in the country. This is reflective of the city in general, which holds a much more modern and cleaner appearance than anywhere else in the country, save perhaps Busan.

In Korea, Gwangju is famous for its cuisine as is the province of Jeolla. The entire area had been considered the breadbasket of Korea historically. On the practical side, food is generally tastier and easier on the wallet throughout this province.

"What? Those Gwangju citizens aren't afraid of airborne troops? They must be rioters!"

- South Korean military dictator Chun Doo-hwan

Gwangju is well known in South Korea for the Gwangju Massacre (aka the Gwangju Uprising, the May 18 Democratic Uprising or the Gwangju Democratization Movement) of May 18, 1980, in which at least 207 (or far higher depending on whom you ask) demonstrators were killed by the army in the course of suppressing a pro-democracy demonstration. Gwangju was seen as the forefront of the democracy movement in South Korea. The people of the city are proud of the uprising and tend to be at the forefront of any political upheaval in the country.

Climate
Gwangju lies between a subtropical and humid continental climate zones. November to April tend to be more continental, while warmer months are more subtropical with hot, humid summers. There are monsoon conditions in June and July and an average of nonheavy snow during winter.

As of mid-November 2022, Gwangju Metropolitan City and Jeollanam-do have been confirmed to have fallen below 30% due to the worst drought since 1973, and some parts of Jeollanam-do have not been able to supply normal water for more than six months, so they are living with limited water supply or transportation. As a result, all 12 cities and counties across Gwangju and Jeollanam-do are complaining of water conservation by reaching the "warning" stage, which is the fourth of the five stages of drought for living water, and Gwangju is likely to receive limited water in 30 years around January to March 2023.

Orientation
Gwangju sits roughly 267 km (165 miles) the south of Seoul and about 202 km (125 miles) the west of Busan.

Chungjang-ro and Geumnam-ro streets to the center are Gwangju's conventional shopping and entertainment downtown and the main office building area. U-Square (Gwangju Bus Terminal) area, Chonnam National University Back Gate Area, and Cheomdan & Suwan & Pungam Districts are transportation nodes, comparatively new shopping areas and entertainment downtowns, while Sangmu district is the new office building area.

Mudeungsan National Park lies to the east, and Daechon-dong Countryside is in the south of Gwangju. To the west is Songjeong town where the Gwangju International Airport and Gwangju Songjeong Station are.

The district of Chungjang-ro and Geumnam-ro streets, which is the old urban core, is the most accessible area for foreigners, and many of Gwangju's attractions can be found here, making it a good base to start exploring the city.

Tourist information
To pick up a map you can visit the information desk in stations or landmarks. Information is provided by interpreters in English, Japanese, and Chinese. For tourist information dial (with no prefix number) from within Gwangju. For district tourism offices please see



By plane


Muan Int’l Airport is located in the west Jeolla province area and it is near Gwangju. There is the only one flight from Jeju per day. Its average price ranges between ₩64,100 and ₩76,200 (May 2017) As the international airport, Muan Airport operates some direct international routes from Shanghai and Beijing, China.

Some travelers find it easier and cheaper to take a direct bus from Incheon International Airport instead (about 4 hours), Gimhae International Airport in Busan (under 3 hours), and Muan Int’l Airport (about 35 min) as well.

Gwangju Airport is located in the suburbs of Gwangju. But in the front of the airport, there are many mass transits to reach downtown simply, such as subway, intra-city bus, taxi, and so forth.

By train
Korail's KTX trains or SR, Inc.'s SRT run from Seoul 20~23 times a day and are the quickest option for travelers wanting to go to Gwangju from Seoul. The trip takes 1½-3 hours and the cost is ₩46,800-65,500. In the case of SRT, it takes 1½ hours, the cost is ₩40,400-58,800.

There are several stations to go to Gwangju from Seoul metropolitan city areas, such as Incheon Int’l Airport Station, Yongsan Station, Seoul station, Suseo Station, and Gwangmyeong Station. Incheon Int’l Airport operates Airport Railroad and Airport Limousine Bus from Incheon Int’l Airport to these stations.

The homepage of SRT (SR, Inc) is not supported for other languages yet (May 2017) For foreigners, the tickets can be purchased on site or use Korail trains.

Trains mainly depart from Yongsan or Suseo Station in Seoul, not the main Seoul Station.

The KTX Honam line takes you from Seoul to Gwangju in 90 minutes.

For more details about SRT, check Koject's article out.

By bus
Gwangju has a highly developed bus network because of Kumho Express, which is headquartered in Gwangju. Express buses between Seoul and Gwangju depart every 5 to 15 minutes all day long.

Buses from major cities throughout the country arrive and depart from “U-Square” (Gwangju Bus Terminal), a large, fancy bus terminal near the geographic center of the city. The largest and fanciest in the country to be precise: this place looks like an airport. Every taxi driver in Gwangju knows the bus terminal as 버스 터미널, "Beosuh Teo-mee-nal", or “U-Square”. Seoul Gangnam to Gwangju prices are ₩17,600 or ₩37,200 (May 2017) for the standard bus and premium limousine buses, respectively, and the trip takes about 3 or 4 hours. Prices to other cities are comparable; late night buses tend to be a little more expensive.

Get around
Getting around in Gwangju is really quite easy, though rush hour significantly adds to travel time. There are two basic options: buses and taxis. Taxis are generally cheap but buses are frequent and more or less comfortable. Gwangju Subway line stretches from the southeast near downtown to the west-southwest, forming an arc with the northernmost point being near the bus terminal at Nongseong Station (농성역 - Nongseong Yeok). The subway line is not spread over the city, but the trains go through some busy streets. Moreover, Gwangju subway is never overcrowded as much as Seoul.

By subway
The subway is also cheap - ₩1400 in cash and ₩1250 in transportation card to any location (March 2017). The four main stops on the subway (though there are 20 in total) are the Culture Center (Munhwajeondang, former Provincial Office), Geumnamno-4 & 5 (pedestrian downtown), and Sangmu (the unofficial commercial center and western-style downtown area). To get to the bus terminal, exit at Nongseong Station (농성역 - Nongseong Yeok) and walk straight north (10 minutes) past E-Mart and Shinsegae department store. The bus terminal is juxtaposed to those two buildings. To take a train, take the subway to Songjeong-ni station and follow the signs for the train station. The second subway line that will eventually form a circle around the city will break ground towards the end of 2025. Eventually, there will be three lines in Gwangju.

By bus
Intra-city bus fare is the same as the subway: ₩1400 in cash and ₩1250 in transportation card. Buses are arranged by colors. Red buses are express buses, running often, making very few stops, and covering large parts of the city. Bus number 순환01 (Sunhwan01) connects Sangmu area to the train station to Chosun University. Buses 풍암06 (Pungam06), 진월07 (Jinwol07), and 첨단09 (Cheomdan09) cover the rest of the city making large squares that intersect in important locations. 좌석02 (Jwaseok02) connects Jeungsimsa Temple to Asia Culture Center to Gwangju & Jeonnam Joint Innovation City and passes through Gwangju's main commercial areas, such as Geumnamno street, Songjeong Station, and Sangmu district. 좌석02 is a little bit expensive than the other buses: ₩1800 in cash and ₩1700 in transportation card. Yellow buses are standard buses that run every 10 – 20 minutes. Green buses are village buses that connect smaller communities and rural areas to transfer points. Purple buses are district circulator buses, generally going to the outskirts of the city. Every neighborhood (동 - dong) to main locations around the city.

By taxi
Taxis are incredibly cheap (by western standards). A general and regular taxi ride will cost ₩2800 for the first two kilometers then ₩100 per 145m or 35s after that. 모범택시(Deluxe taxi, Mobeom-taeksi) ride will cost ₩3200 for the first two kilometers then ₩200 per 172 m or 41 seconds after that. From 00:00-04:00, you will pay 20% extra as late hour premium.

On a traffic-free night, you can get across the city for around ₩10,000. Black taxis have a higher surcharge than white or silver taxis but due to the fact they charge on distances only, tend to drive more unpredictably.

By car
Driving and parking in Gwangju are easier than other big cities in Korea. The roads are wide and drivers tend to be pretty inoffensive. The parking chaos seldom emerges except for busy streets. If you are willing to pay for commercial lots in the downtown, parking problem would be no trouble at all.

The reason why Gwangju has been prospered in modern times is, the city was constructed as a central part of South Jeolla. Thereby, if you are coming to explore the area around Gwangju (such as going down to Boseong) then the flexibility of driving yourself will help you enjoy it more.

By bicycle
The topography of Gwangju is flat widely, so moving somewhere in the city by bike is quite agreeable. However, South Korean do not tend to have a bicycle culture commonly, the bikeways in the city are not well-kept except for some areas. There are two places that have fine bike lanes in the urban area; one is Gwangju stream embankment and the other one is Pu-reun-gil park.

Gwangju City established a system of renting bikes for free. All you have to do is go to any metro station with your passport (and a valid phone number). They will hand you a key and a bike that you can use throughout the day. You will have to leave your passport or ID at the station and you will get it back when you bring back the bike.

If you are looking for the bike rental shop, there are two stores in Gwangju.



You may, however, need a Korean-speaking friend to help you with registration or troubleshooting. Once you want to borrow a bike, the rental shop may ask you to leave your passport or something precious thing as a guaranty.

On foot
When it comes to Gwangju's district, there are major areas suitable for pedestrians such as the downtown (Geumnam-ro and Chungjang-ro Streets), the neighborhood of Chonnam National Univ. (mostly around the back gate), Sangmu district, U-square, and so forth. These districts are the commercial and public transit hub of the city and clustered together in a way that makes walking around them possible.

Wherever you are in the city, you can see a huge mountain, Mt. Mudeungsan, on the east side. Choose the direction depends on the mountain's location.

There's usually a bus stop within a five- to ten-minute walk in any direction.

Gwangju is mostly flatlands, walking around the city is quite easy.

Numerous mountains and parks with hiking trails can be found in the city.

Talk
English in Gwangju is not quite as widely understood as it is in Seoul, although people would still know enough to help you out. Taxi drivers are unlikely to have much English knowledge, although there is a translation service the taxi driver can call up if needed. Gwangju also has a distinct dialect different to Seoul. Even if you are pretty good at Korean, understanding conversation between natives would be difficult. They will use standard Korean dialect with foreigners.

See
Travelers coming to Gwangju can experience a slower paced experience than Seoul, despite still feeling the Ppalli Ppalli (빨리 빨리 - hurry hurry) lifestyle of Korea. Gwangju also serves well as a good hub for touring the surrounding province of South Jeolla.

Dong-Gu (동구, East District)

 * Asia culture center Gwangju metropolitan city 20190521 083502.jpg
 * On every Saturday from April to October, an art party is held in Art Street. The festival features a variety of programs for citizens and children to enjoy, such as puppet show, magic show, bubble show, and more. Over 40 participatory events with free admission include 3D printing, flower art, plaster hand printing, leather crafts, art therapy, music therapy, etc.
 * On every Saturday from April to October, an art party is held in Art Street. The festival features a variety of programs for citizens and children to enjoy, such as puppet show, magic show, bubble show, and more. Over 40 participatory events with free admission include 3D printing, flower art, plaster hand printing, leather crafts, art therapy, music therapy, etc.

Seo-Gu (서구, West District)




Nam-Gu (남구, South District)

 * Observatory in the Sajik Park.jpg
 * Observatory in the Sajik Park.jpg

Gwangsan-Gu (광산구, Gwangsan District)
For more details, check Gwangju Tourism Info Center out.
 * After passing the Gwangsan-gu district office, turn right. On days ending with a 3 or 8 (03, 08, 13, 18, etc.) there is a five-day interval traditional market (송정 시장 - Songjeong shijang) where produce prices are roughly 1/3 of the supermarket prices. Additionally, there is Tteokgalbi street, famous for its Tteokgalbi. In case you're wondering what Tteokgalbi is, it's minced beef ribs made into patties and served in the typical meat and leaves barbecue that embodies much of Korean cuisine. It's a bit on the pricey side for Korean restaurants, ₩11,000-16,000.
 * After passing the Gwangsan-gu district office, turn right. On days ending with a 3 or 8 (03, 08, 13, 18, etc.) there is a five-day interval traditional market (송정 시장 - Songjeong shijang) where produce prices are roughly 1/3 of the supermarket prices. Additionally, there is Tteokgalbi street, famous for its Tteokgalbi. In case you're wondering what Tteokgalbi is, it's minced beef ribs made into patties and served in the typical meat and leaves barbecue that embodies much of Korean cuisine. It's a bit on the pricey side for Korean restaurants, ₩11,000-16,000.
 * After passing the Gwangsan-gu district office, turn right. On days ending with a 3 or 8 (03, 08, 13, 18, etc.) there is a five-day interval traditional market (송정 시장 - Songjeong shijang) where produce prices are roughly 1/3 of the supermarket prices. Additionally, there is Tteokgalbi street, famous for its Tteokgalbi. In case you're wondering what Tteokgalbi is, it's minced beef ribs made into patties and served in the typical meat and leaves barbecue that embodies much of Korean cuisine. It's a bit on the pricey side for Korean restaurants, ₩11,000-16,000.
 * After passing the Gwangsan-gu district office, turn right. On days ending with a 3 or 8 (03, 08, 13, 18, etc.) there is a five-day interval traditional market (송정 시장 - Songjeong shijang) where produce prices are roughly 1/3 of the supermarket prices. Additionally, there is Tteokgalbi street, famous for its Tteokgalbi. In case you're wondering what Tteokgalbi is, it's minced beef ribs made into patties and served in the typical meat and leaves barbecue that embodies much of Korean cuisine. It's a bit on the pricey side for Korean restaurants, ₩11,000-16,000.

Hike

 * Wonhyosa Temple.jpg get to mount Mt. Mudeungsan, take the subway east to Hakdong and follow the signs. Additionally, cleverly labeled bus 1187 (the height of meters of Mudeungsan) goes straight there. Catch 1187 from the bus terminal, among other places and hold on tight: the road may be twisty and thin but that doesn't mean it'll be a slow ride.
 * Wonhyosa Temple.jpg get to mount Mt. Mudeungsan, take the subway east to Hakdong and follow the signs. Additionally, cleverly labeled bus 1187 (the height of meters of Mudeungsan) goes straight there. Catch 1187 from the bus terminal, among other places and hold on tight: the road may be twisty and thin but that doesn't mean it'll be a slow ride.

Eat
As the nickname, ‘The City of Gourmets’, Gwangju features numerous special cuisines for visitors. The reason why there are no 'King' restaurants in Gwangju is all of them are well known in the country and placed higher than standard quality basically.

Local specialties
There are dishes you should try in Gwangju that is not typically available in other parts of Korea.


 * You can find occasionally restaurants dealing in Tteok-galbi in downtown, but mainly located in the front of Songjeoung Station. It is quite close to the stores from the station but can be a little bit hard to find to a first-time visitor. The phrase “Tteok-galbi-jip eodie is-seoyo? (떡갈비집 어디에 있어요?)”, means “Where is the Tteok-galbi store?”, or alternatively 'Tteok-galbi-jip chat-go-is-seoyo. (떡갈비집 찾고 있어요.)' has the same meaning. The pedestrian will help you gladly.
 * You can find occasionally restaurants dealing in Tteok-galbi in downtown, but mainly located in the front of Songjeoung Station. It is quite close to the stores from the station but can be a little bit hard to find to a first-time visitor. The phrase “Tteok-galbi-jip eodie is-seoyo? (떡갈비집 어디에 있어요?)”, means “Where is the Tteok-galbi store?”, or alternatively 'Tteok-galbi-jip chat-go-is-seoyo. (떡갈비집 찾고 있어요.)' has the same meaning. The pedestrian will help you gladly.

Han-jeongsik (한정식; Korean Table d'hote)

Han-jeongsik is derived from Joseon dynasty's royal table. Gwagnju-Jeolla province has been regarded as the top-flight of it. The Gwangju table d’hote features all sorts of seafood, selected ingredients and, plentiful side dishes.

The restaurant offers two main choices of 임금님 수라상 (Imgeumnim sura-sang) and the 떡갈비 수라상 (Tteokgalbi sura-sang). Along with the main course, more than 18 side dishes are served together with restaurant's signature red yeast steamed rice. Guests can order add-ons such as a steamed pork dish served with kimchi, spicy seafood, and steamed pork, or smoked duck. Meals from ₩12,000
 * Mid-range - Haengbok-han-Imgeumnim (행복한 임금님; Happy King restaurant)

The course comes with 30 dishes or so, including Gulbi-gui (grilled corvina), Hongeo-hoe (raw skewed skate), Galchi-jorim (braised cutlassfish), Bossam-kimchi (wrapped kimchi with steamed pork), Jeotgal (salted seafood), and so forth. A kilometer to the right from the main entrance of Mudeung Park Hotel (무등파크호텔).
 * Splurge - Myeongseon-heon About (명선헌)

International food
The international food in Gwangju is somewhat expensive than the other cities. You can choose only mid-range option or more.

Drink
There are several major "Good-to-Carouse" areas in Gwangju.

In Gu-sicheong (구시청; next to ACC and Chungjang district) you can hang out with young people, mostly early to mid-twenties. However, the place is regarded as a meat-market. You should not expect to speak in English in that area. Some pubs or bars are “clean”, but it will take some pains to find out.

Sangmu district is also considered as a meat-market, but Friday night and weekend only. Late 20s to early 30s office workers are the main users.

Chonnam National University's back gate is a bendering & amusement place. The users consist of students mainly. The back gate of Chosun Univ. is almost the same, but the scale of the former one is bigger.

Suwan, Cheomdan, and Yongbong district are entertainment districts as well, but that are somewhat far from the downtown.

The following are several popular foreigner-friendly bars (though all will cater to foreign customers) in Gwangju.



Budget
The cheapest place to sleep anywhere in Korea is at the local Jjimjil-bang (찜질방; Korean dry sauna). This is a kind of public bathhouse that has a communal room for sleeping on the heated floor. Expect sauna access, cotton pyjamas, a locker to put your stuff in and a price under ₩10,000. There's a bare possibility that is robbed by the thief when you're sleeping but, Be Vigilant at least.

Mid-range
Gaudy motels abound in Korea, and this is no less true in Gwangju. The main concentration of motels is in and around Sangmu district, between the Sangmu and Uncheon subway stops, or at the front of Gwangju station, and Cheomdan district, near the Lotte Mart. Motels can range from ₩30,000-50,000 and tend to be very seedy. One can judge the quality of a "love" motel by the movie selection usually proudly displayed near the cashier and the vending machines located throughout the motel.

If you want ‘Not-bad-Motel’, check 'Goodstay' accommodation lists out that is endorsed by the Korea Tourism Organization.



Splurge
There are two quite reputable hotels in Gwangju. One is the Ramada Plaza Gwangju in Sangmu where a room can generally cost around ₩100,000 a night. The other, near Mount Mudeungsan, is the Shinyang Park Hotel . The Sangmu Ramada is more conveniently located for business, whereas the Shinyang Park Hotel offers a more peaceful and quiet stay.

Holiday Inn in Gwangju is located in Sangmu district. The hotel is regarded as the most luxurious accommodation in the city. It has a good view and is known for nice breakfast. From about ₩130,000 a night.

ACC Design Hotel is a hotel in the downtown. It is located in the middle of downtown, right next to Wooribank (우리은행). Rooms from ₩77,800

Learn
Some universities in Gwangju provide Korean language programs for foreigners.



Connect
Emergency numbers:

Stay safe
Generally speaking, Gwangju is as safe as most places in South Korea, which is to say very safe.

Gwangju is especially very safe to roam around freely at night and all day long. There isn't a single dangerous area in town.

There is no any gang activity in Gwangju. Sometimes, you can see delinquent pre-high school-aged boys in dim alleys or parks. However, they couldn't care less about you. The boys are just interested in smoking or drinking surreptitiously and chit-chat with themselves. If you are a well-built man or woman, they will just gaze in awe at you. Just ignore them – they wouldn't actually want to have a conversation with you because they do not speak English well.

Unlike in some other cities, Gwangju's stations and metro areas are not dangerous. Just keep away from extremely intoxicated people.

Rush hour and traffic congestion are of short duration and not as severe as in other cities. Drivers in Gwangju are somewhat gentle. Just watch out when you cross the road.

You don't have to worry about natural disasters. Sometimes storms or torrential rains come, but they are not severe.

Gwangju's tap water is "drinkable" however residents tend to boil their water or purchase affordable bottled water, or fill their own bottles at local parks or at the mountain springs that surround the town. Korean are just unfamiliar to the flavor of tap water because finding mineral water has been accessible in the land before.

There are occasionally sand storms and fine dust from China covering Gwangju. You should avoid going outside if one passes through, or wear a mask.

Consulate
For quick responses, you should get your country's Embassy contact details in Seoul.


 * 🇨🇳 China

Government websites
The Gwangju government websites often provide useful tourist information in English, Chinese, and Japanese. You can get the information about the city, tourism, living, and so forth.

Cultural center


Cleaning services will exist at high-end hotels, otherwise, find a local dry-cleaner by looking for the sign Setak (세탁).

Go next
Head north, to Jeonju, the birthplace of bibimbap, to see it's well-preserved Hanok village, or perhaps take a train or bus south to the coastal towns of Mokpo and Yeosu respectively.

If in the season, the iconic world famous green tea plantations of Boseong are also a very short hop away to the west. You've likely seen this place on someone's computer desktop.

Unjusa, about 40 km south of Gwangju, is one of the most famous temples in Korea.