Gwanghwamun Square
Vast pedestrian plaza guarded by a towering bronze admiral, backdrop to Korea's largest peaceful protests.
Location
About this audio guide
This guide to Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul centers on the bronze statue of Admiral Yi Sun-sin, raised in 1968 by military ruler Park Chung-hee as a monument to strength, and on the candlelight protests that filled this square in late 2016 after a corruption scandal reached his daughter, then-president Park Geun-hye. You'll hear how the crowds grew from thousands to over a million, and why the demonstrations stayed peaceful night after night. Look up at the admiral's raised sword as you take in how much ground this plaza covers.
This audio guide was created using AI.
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