E2024-G065

Magazine Culture of Gwangju and Jeolla-do: Chronicles of Regional Literature and Arts

Narrative

Magazines published in Gwangju and the Jeolla-do region have long served as vital records sustaining the pulse of local culture and literature. Si munhak (Poetic Literature), founded in 1930 under the leadership of Bak Yong-cheol (1904-1938), was launched by poets advocating for pure literature. Although it ceased publication the following year, it holds a significant place in the history of 1930s Korean poetry. Geumho munhwa (Kumho Culture), published from 1983 to 2001 by the Kumho Cultural Foundation, was a comprehensive cultural magazine that featured a variety of serialized works, including “Biographies of Honam Figures” and “The Confucian Spirit of Honam”. Bak Seon-hong’s Gwangju ilbaengnyeon (Gwangju Centennial) was later published as a book based on his serialized writings in this magazine. Founded in 1984, Yehyang (Art Village), a monthly magazine published by the Gwangju Ilbo newspaper, covered the activities of artists from Gwangju and Jeollanam-do as well as global cultural trends, and was selected as an Excellent Content Magazine by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Daedong munhwa (Daedong Culture), first issued in 1995 and published bimonthly by the Daedong Culture Foundation, highlights the history, heritage, and traditional arts of Jeolla-do and other regions across Korea. Launched as an online webzine in 2000, Jeonlado.com vividly documents the people and everyday life of Jeolla-do while operating Jeonlado Mall, a platform for regional publications. Munhakdeul (Literature Fields), founded in 2005, is a comprehensive literary journal featuring poetry, fiction, and criticism, and jointly hosts the May 18 Literary Award with the May 18 Foundation and the Writers Association of Korea.