wangju is Korea ’ s fifth largest metropolitan city , with a population of 1.5 million and its main industrial sectors are car manufacturing , optical electronics and healthcare .

The home of the 18 May Democratic Uprising , which is listed as a UNESCO Memory of the World , Gwangju is also listed as a UNESCO Media Art Creative City , and houses the UNESCO World Geopark in the Mudeung Mountain area .

The city is regarded as Korea ’ s cultural capital and the 2015 International Design Congress ( IDC ) was held in Gwangju , with 2,000 design experts from 30 countries in attendance .

The 2016 ASEM Culture Ministers ’ Meeting drew delegates from 43 countries , and the 2019 International Symposium on Electronic Art was attended by 2,000 participants from 17 countries .

It is not just culture that attracts major international events to the city . In 2014 the World Hydrogen Energy Conference brought 2,500 delegates to Gwangju , while the 2015 Gwangju Summer Universiade was a festival involving 12,000 young people from 143 countries .

In 2019 , the Gwangju FINA World Swimming Championships , and the World Masters Swimming Championships made a splash , involving 7,000 elite and amateur swimmers .

Looking ahead past the current pandemic which has halted large in person conventions , 2021 promises the Congress of the International Society of Limnology , with 2,000 participants ; the 2022 World Council of the International Federation of Landscape Architects , ( 2,000 pax ), and the 2024 World Congress of the International Federation of Associations of Anatomists , ( 1,000 pax ) - all confirmed in Gwangju .

Key to hosting international events in Gwangju is the Kimdaejung Convention Center . The venue has a 9,072sqm exhibition hall and a multi-purpose hall ( 3,000 seats ), as well as a convention hall ( 1,518sqm ) and numerous smaller meeting rooms . A second , new exhibition hall is on schedule for 2021 .

In addition , the Asia Culture Center , located in the old city centre , is a unique venue . Built with four floors underground , it has been nicknamed The Forest of Light . Sunlight naturally permeates into the building , and at nighttime , the building illuminates the dark streets around it . The venue is primarily a cultural space , but is also equipped with convention facilities . The 2019 International Symposium on Electronic Art was held there .

Directly in front of the Asian Culture Center is the Jeonil Building 245 , a symbolic reference point for Gwangju ’ s identity because of its significance to the 18 May Democratic Movement . The building was the place where the martial law army shot at protesters from a helicopter . The building was recently remodelled , and is now reborn

Above : The Asia Culture Center in Gwangju

as a cultural complex . The number ‘ 245 ’ in the building ’ s name refers to the number of bullet holes left in the building , which is now listed .

Gwangju is in the centre of the Jeolla-do region in the south of Korea and known as Korea ’ s garden . It is rich in agriculture and seafood thanks to the adjacent sea and rivers .

Other attractions include a nearby bamboo forest and Suncheon Bay National Garden , as well as Yeosu with its famous night sea view . There is also the Joseon dynasty era thatched-roof village of Nakan-eupseong located in Suncheon , as well as the Jeonju Hanok Village , where visitors can try on traditional Korean clothing .

Gwangju has not been immune , of course , to the threat of Covid-19 and 80 % of the MICE events that were confirmed by the city have either been cancelled or postponed . The Congress of the International Society of Limnology , which was supposed to welcome 2,000 delegates , was one of the postponements until next year because of the high proportion of international participants ( 1,000 ).

In response to the issues around coronavirus , the Gwangju Tourism Organisation has drawn up a support plan encompassing a full health and safety service protocol , which includes disinfecting the entire area and installing sanitising points around all venues .

Gwangju was the first city in Korea to utilise level 2 and level 2.5 ( with 3 being the highest level ) social distancing measures , and also currently has limits for numbers attending indoor events of a maximum of 50 participants , while outdoor events have a maximum of 100 people .

Korea has been acclaimed around the world for its vigorous track and trace ‘ K-Response ’ in preventing the spread of the virus , and Gwangju is considered one of the safest cities in the country .