Welcome to 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. Not to be confused with Gwangju (Gyeonggi).
Gwangju is South Korea's sixth-largest metropolis. It is a designated metropolitan city under the direct control of the central government's Home Minister. The city was also the capital of South Jeolla Province until the provincial office moved to the southern village of Namak in Muan County in 2005 because Gwangju was promoted to a metropolitan city and was independent of South Jeolla province.
Its name is composed of the words Gwang (Korean: 광, Hanja: 光) meaning "light" and Ju (주, 州) meaning "province". Gwangju was historically recorded as Muju (무주, 武州), in which "Silla merged all of the lands to establish the provinces of Gwangju, Ungju, Jeonju, Muju, and various counties, plus the southern boundary of Goguryeo and the ancient territories of Silla" in the Samguk Sagi. In the heart of the agricultural Jeolla region, the city is also famous for its rich and diverse cuisine.