Gwangju International Center Takes Part in Mahidol University's “Peace Festival Week 2026”... Spreading the Spirit of May 18 Across Asia
▲ Courtesy of Gwangju International Center
Executive Director SHIN Gyonggu, Secretary-General KIM Minsu, and Coordinator of the World Human Rights Cities Forum Secretariat BAE Yeong of the Gwangju International Center (GIC) took part in “Peace Festival Week 2026,” held from August 17 to 19 at Mahidol University's Salaya Campus in Thailand. The event was hosted by Mahidol University's Institute of Human Rights and Peace Studies (IHRP) under the theme “The Spirit of Mahidol for a Peaceful, Democratic, and Just Society: Lessons from Gwangju, South Korea, to the 50th Anniversary of 6 October.” A key feature of the programme was its framing of the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement alongside the 1976 Thammasat University massacre, known as the “October 6 incident,” one of the darkest chapters in modern Thai history. GIC and IHRP have maintained an ongoing partnership, including IHRP's participation in the World Human Rights Cities Forum 2026, since an IHRP research team's visit to Gwangju.
On the opening day, August 17, Dr. Shin delivered a special lecture on “Democratic Memory and Lessons from Gwangju.” He traced how the May 18 movement was gradually institutionalized into a national system of commemoration, from truth-finding efforts and the enactment of a special law, to its designation as a national memorial day, the honoring of its victims as persons of national merit, and the eventual elevation of its cemetery to national cemetery status. He also emphasized that the democratization movements of the 1980s laid the foundation for the later rise of Korean cinema, television dramas, and K-pop as global cultural phenomena. On the second day, August 18, an academic panel highlighted a stark contrast with Gwangju: in Thailand's October 6 case, none of the perpetrators have ever been held accountable. Panelists reflected on how this lack of accountability has hindered truth-seeking and the transmission of memory, and discussed the tasks ahead for achieving transitional justice. That evening, Mahidol University's College of Music held a commemorative concert, "The Spirit of Mahidol," featuring an orchestra and choir performing works on the themes of peace and human rights. On the final day, August 19, a large-scale policy roundtable brought together Thai government officials, local civil servants, police, academics, and civil society representatives to discuss reforms to transitional justice processes and pathways toward social reconciliation. The three-day programme concluded with a closing ceremony following the roundtable discussion.
Separately, in connection with this visit, Dr. Shin visited the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) on August 21, where he met with Deputy Governor Sanon Wangsrangboon to discuss building a human rights city cooperation framework involving the BMA, Mahidol University, the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand, and GIC. During the meeting, Dr. Shin introduced the World Human Rights Cities Forum (WHRCF) and shared related materials, requesting Bangkok's participation in the 2027 Forum. The Deputy Governor responded positively and pledged to designate a responsible officer to follow up.
Gwangju International Center Takes Part in Mahidol University's “Peace Festival Week 2026”... Spreading the Spirit of May 18 Across Asia
▲ Courtesy of Gwangju International Center
Executive Director SHIN Gyonggu, Secretary-General KIM Minsu, and Coordinator of the World Human Rights Cities Forum Secretariat BAE Yeong of the Gwangju International Center (GIC) took part in “Peace Festival Week 2026,” held from August 17 to 19 at Mahidol University's Salaya Campus in Thailand. The event was hosted by Mahidol University's Institute of Human Rights and Peace Studies (IHRP) under the theme “The Spirit of Mahidol for a Peaceful, Democratic, and Just Society: Lessons from Gwangju, South Korea, to the 50th Anniversary of 6 October.” A key feature of the programme was its framing of the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement alongside the 1976 Thammasat University massacre, known as the “October 6 incident,” one of the darkest chapters in modern Thai history. GIC and IHRP have maintained an ongoing partnership, including IHRP's participation in the World Human Rights Cities Forum 2026, since an IHRP research team's visit to Gwangju.
On the opening day, August 17, Dr. Shin delivered a special lecture on “Democratic Memory and Lessons from Gwangju.” He traced how the May 18 movement was gradually institutionalized into a national system of commemoration, from truth-finding efforts and the enactment of a special law, to its designation as a national memorial day, the honoring of its victims as persons of national merit, and the eventual elevation of its cemetery to national cemetery status. He also emphasized that the democratization movements of the 1980s laid the foundation for the later rise of Korean cinema, television dramas, and K-pop as global cultural phenomena. On the second day, August 18, an academic panel highlighted a stark contrast with Gwangju: in Thailand's October 6 case, none of the perpetrators have ever been held accountable. Panelists reflected on how this lack of accountability has hindered truth-seeking and the transmission of memory, and discussed the tasks ahead for achieving transitional justice. That evening, Mahidol University's College of Music held a commemorative concert, "The Spirit of Mahidol," featuring an orchestra and choir performing works on the themes of peace and human rights. On the final day, August 19, a large-scale policy roundtable brought together Thai government officials, local civil servants, police, academics, and civil society representatives to discuss reforms to transitional justice processes and pathways toward social reconciliation. The three-day programme concluded with a closing ceremony following the roundtable discussion.
Separately, in connection with this visit, Dr. Shin visited the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) on August 21, where he met with Deputy Governor Sanon Wangsrangboon to discuss building a human rights city cooperation framework involving the BMA, Mahidol University, the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand, and GIC. During the meeting, Dr. Shin introduced the World Human Rights Cities Forum (WHRCF) and shared related materials, requesting Bangkok's participation in the 2027 Forum. The Deputy Governor responded positively and pledged to designate a responsible officer to follow up.