5.18 Freedom Park Gwangju: A Powerful Journey Through Modern Korean History

5.18 Freedom Park

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Address: 13 Sangmupyeonghwa-ro, Seo-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City

Opening Hours: Daily 09:00 - 18:00 (Spring~Autumn)

Daily 09:00 - 17:00 (Winter)

Phone Number: 062-376-5183

Admission: Free entry and viewing available

Parking Information: On-site parking available

(If full, you can use the nearby 5.18 Education Center parking lot and walk over)

As we commemorate May 18th today,

we want to introduce you to a place of immense historical significance

in Korea's modern and contemporary history.

Located in Gwangju's Sangmu District, 5.18 Freedom Park is

a modern historical experience space that faithfully preserves and recreates

the pain and history of May 1980.

This is also a deeply meaningful place, as the Sangmu Garrison,

a former military training facility, was relocated in 1996.

Its guardhouse and military court were moved approximately 100 meters

from their original site and restored to form this park.

As a frequent destination for school history field trips,

it's also a highly recommended Gwangju travel course

for families.

5.18 Freedom Park: Outdoor Exhibits and Visitor Tips

After parking, as you walk towards the park,

you'll see tanks and helicopters used at the time,

displayed outdoors.

Throughout the park's outdoor areas, sculptures recreating the appearance

of citizens from that period are installed,

inspiring a sense of solemnity even before you enter.

Conveniently located just across the main road from the Holiday Inn Gwangju

in Sangmu District, it's easily accessible on foot

for travelers staying at the hotel.

Must-See Highlights at 5.18 Freedom Park

1. Military Police Headquarters Office and Historical Records

After martial law was declared nationwide at midnight on May 17, 1980,

paratroopers of the martial law forces entered Gwangju

and brutally suppressed citizens.

Nearly 3,000 citizens, including about 250 who fought to the very end

at the former Jeonnam Provincial Office, were brought to this Sangmu Garrison

and suffered greatly.

The Military Police Headquarters Office was where the Special Investigation Team

of the Martial Law Command's Joint Investigation Headquarters was stationed,

perpetrating heinous torture on citizens.

Today, it is divided into various spaces

displaying photos, videos, and historical documents

that reveal the horrors of that time.

By viewing the heartbreaking records of that time, including the indiscriminate firing of weapons

even into hospital buildings, visitors can indirectly experience

the tragedy of history.

2. Important Viewing Information: The Room of Wailing

Among the exhibition spaces, 9. The Room of Wailing

displays graphic photographs of actual injured and deceased individuals.

For this reason, viewing is not permitted for teenagers and children under 18,

pregnant women, and the elderly/infirm.

Parents visiting for a history field trip with children

are advised to ensure that children do not view

this particular section.

Must-Do Experiences

Recommended Historical Experience Order at the Preserved Facilities

The official historical experience course recommended by the park is as follows:

Military Police Company Barracks ➡️ Office

➡️ Dining Hall ➡️ Guardhouse ➡️ Courtroom

Experience the Military Police Dining Hall and Guardhouse

Once you pass the restaurant that faithfully recreates the scene from that time,

you'll reach the military prison

where participants of the May 18th Democratic Uprising were detained.

This military prison has a unique and cruel structure,

with six rooms arranged in a fan shape,

designed so that a single guard

could monitor all prisoners at a glance.

It's said that nearly 150 people were confined to one room at the time,

making it impossible for them to even lie down

and sleep properly.

Models recreate the punishments inflicted,

such as forcing them to remain motionless or hanging them from iron bars to endure.

The fear and pain that ordinary citizens must have endured are palpable,

making my heart heavy.

Military Police Company Barracks

If you go to the Military Police Company Barracks building,

you can see the military barracks as they were back then,

along with various historical documents.

Stories and film materials about the taxi drivers who provided transportation

for Gwangju citizens at the time,

as well as detailed records of vehicle operation permits, passes,

and Red Cross hospital documents from that era,

are meticulously preserved, making them highly valuable.

Military Court of August 1980

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The military court, which is the final stop,

was a hastily constructed courtroom

where the new military regime sentenced those involved in the May 18th Democratic Uprising

to severe penalties, including death sentences and life imprisonment.

The solemn appearance of the court interior from that time

is faithfully recreated, and recordings of the actual death sentences

and severe punishments being handed down play,

making visitors feel a sense of tension and solemnity.

Mellow Trip's Overall Review

Gwangju May 18th Freedom Park is a precious space that vividly preserves

and carries on the memory of May, which became the biggest turning point

in modern and contemporary Korean history.

I believe it's the best place for experiential history education,

allowing you to directly see, feel, and learn history firsthand,

rather than just reading about it in textbooks.

Especially painful history must be remembered accurately and without distortion

so that we can move forward into the future.

This weekend, why not visit 5.18 Freedom Park

as part of your Gwangju travel itinerary,

holding your children's hands or with a loved one?

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