Gwangju

As you probably know, we live in Gwangju, South Korea - it is part of the title of our blog after all! Ever since we moved to Korea last August we have been talking about writing a post about our city, but haven't actually gotten around to it until now. So at long last, let us tell you a little bit about Gwangju.

Gwangju is in the Jeolla Province in the south end of Korea. It is about 3.5 hour bus ride from both Seoul and Busan, and contains about 1.5 million people. This makes it the 6th largest city in Korea. Gwangju is well known for its food (especially it's kimchi - some of the best in Korea!), maple soju, culture, and being the education center of Korea. Most importantly, Gwangju is known as being the birthplace of democracy in South Korea. On May 18, 1980, hundreds of civilians - primarily students - were massacred by the army during a pro-democracy uprising opposing the South Korean dictatorship.

Compared to other parts of Korea, Gwangju has just recently seen a surge of foreigners, so it is not uncommon to walk into a restaurant and have the waitstaff burst into a fit of giggles at serving a foreigner for the first time. However, because of the large foreign population there are multiple bars and restaurants aimed at the foreign community.

We both love living here and would recommend it for anyone moving to Korea to teach English! If you want to know more about Gwangju the Gwangju Guide can tell you almost anything you need to know about everything from how to get around to where to get a haircut. The Gwangju Blog is also a great resource as it is frequently updated with posts about new places to explore, events, Gwangju news, restaurant reviews, and more.

Our neighborhood. The roads are constantly under construction. 

Don't forget your free hug with your beer and soju! 

Fresh fruit (and often fish) for sale a minute walk from our apartment. 

The main road our street is off of. 

Part of the downtown area. A picture can't quite capture the experience of walking down these streets with music blasting, regardless of swears and racial slurs in the songs. 

Some stores just have the strangest names...

There are some tranquil places inside the city, like this reservoir where the cherry trees are starting to bloom. 

And even temples scattered here and there.