Gwangju is located in the center of South Jeolla Province in the southwest of South Korea and has long been known as the city of light. With a population of about 147 million, it is considered the center of the Honam region and is home to government offices that oversee the Gwangju-Jeolla region, as well as the headquarters and branches of many companies.
It is famous as a "city symbolizing democracy and human rights" symbolized by the Gwangju Uprising, which occupies a major position in modern Korean history. It has also long been known as a city of learning and the arts, having produced many writers, scholars, and artists, and many people visit the art festival "Gwangju Biennale (an international art exhibition held every two years)."
With Gwangju Airport, railways, the KTX, and express buses, the city is easily accessible from both Seoul and Busan, and many tourists use Gwangju as a base to travel around the southwestern region of Jeolla Province.
