May 18 Memorial Cemetery

A few weeks ago I did a six-hour ride, in the course of which I visited the May 18 Memorial Cemetary outside Gwangju. It is a monument to those who gave their lives resisting the military dictatorship that was in power at that time. One of the Korean teachers I work with was a little boy when it happened (May 18, 1980). He remembers walking through the streets of Gwangju and seeing dead bodies and armed soldiers everywhere. Pretty intense stuff. It's a reminder that South Korea is still very much a new democracy, and a testament as to how far they've come in only 26 years (let alone since the Korean War, which absolutely devastated the country). South Korea is now an important player in the world economy, with peaceful, democratic elections instead of military coups.

Anyway, here are some pictures of the cemetery. This is the main monument. It's about 100 ft. tall and represents two hands holding an egg, the egg being a symbol of brand-new democracy:

These sculptures are to the left and right of the main monument:

This inscription tells you all you need to know about the following bronze sculptures:

I hope you are all doing well. I'm fine. I have a four-day vacation coming up, and I'm planning to do a little traveling. I will, of course, take many pictures. Stay tuned!