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May 18 Memorial Foundation to Host "2025 May 18 Academy Network (MIRI Class)"

- German Youth to Explore the Role of Citizens in Realizing Democracy -

- May 16 – 18: Participation in Commemorative Events and Visits to Historical Sites -

To mark the 45th anniversary of the May 18 Democratization Movement, the May 18 Memorial Foundation is hosting the "2025 May 18 Academy Network (MIRI Class)," an international educational program designed for overseas youth to experience and discuss the spirit of May 18. The event will take place over three days from May 16 to 18, 2025, at various historical sites in Gwangju, with 31 students from the Department of Korean Studies at the University of Tübingen, Germany, participating.

The "2025 May 18 Academy Network (MIRI Class)" is an experiential research and education program where participants explore and interpret the significance of the democratization movement. Participants will visit and experience historical landmarks, including the National May 18 Democratic Cemetery, the May 18 Eve Festival, and the former Sangmudae military detention center (guardhouse). Working individually or in groups, they will conduct field-based research projects on themes such as "May 18 and International Solidarity," "Space and Memory," and "Media and Resistance." The findings will be presented through participant discussions and shared via the promotional platforms of both the University of Tübingen and the Foundation.

Won Sun-seok, Chairman of the May 18 Memorial Foundation, stated, "We hope this will be a valuable opportunity for participants to explore the role of citizens in achieving democracy, drawing from the experiences of May 18 and the unique challenges in Korean society, such as recent instances of martial law and impeachment."

[Event Overview]

• Event Name: 2025 May 18 Academy Network (MIRI Class)
• Date: Friday, May 16 – Sunday, May 18, 2025
• Location: May 18 Memorial Foundation and May 18 Historical Sites
• Organizers: May 18 Memorial Foundation, University of Tübingen (Department of Korean Studies)

This year’s program is expected to highlight the tragedies and struggles of modern Korean history within a global citizenship context, while strengthening the cooperative network between the Foundation and German research institutions. The University of Tübingen is one of Europe’s leading institutions specializing in research on Korean democracy and human rights and has continued its exchange with the Foundation since 2024. Last year, the Foundation and the University's Center for Korean Studies co-hosted "Transnational Gwangju II: May 18 and the Korean Diaspora." This coming September, an academic conference titled "Transnational Gwangju III: May 18 and Religion-Transnational Networks" (tentative title) is scheduled to be held in Gwangju.

[Major Events in May 2025] In commemoration of the 45th anniversary of the May 18 Democratization Movement and Han Kang’s Nobel Prize in Literature, the May 18 Memorial Foundation is operating a variety of educational, cultural, and academic programs for domestic and international citizens to participate in and remember.