E2024-G200

The Institutions of the Gwangju Student Movement

Narrative

The Gwangju Student Movement of 1929 emerged from a network of educational institutions across Gwangju, representing one of Korea’s most significant anti-Japanese resistance movements during the colonial period (1910-1945). The uprising began at Gwangju Station, where tensions between Korean and Japanese students escalated into a broader independence movement.

Several schools took leading roles in organizing the resistance. Gwangju Public Higher Common School, which later became Gwangju Jeil High School, served as a primary center of student activism. Gwangju Education School, the predecessor of today’s Gwangju National University of Education, also led student participation in the independence movement, as did Gwangju Natural Science High School, the predecessor of today’s Gwangju Agricultural High School. Gwangju Public Agricultural School and Speer Girls’ School similarly provided leadership in the resistance efforts.

The movement extended beyond these leading institutions to include broader participation from schools such as Gwangju Middle School and Jeonnam Girls’ High School. Students formed the Student Struggle Leadership Headquarters to coordinate their activities across multiple institutions.

The legacy of this movement is preserved through several commemorative sites. The Gwangju Student Independence Movement Memorial Tower stands at Gwangju Jeil High School, while the Gwangju Student Independence Movement Memorial Hall serves as a dedicated museum. The Naju Student Movement Memorial Hall extends recognition to related movements in the broader region.

These institutions demonstrate how educational spaces became centers of resistance, with students using their schools as organizing bases for Korea’s independence struggle.