Gwangju

Gwangju (Korean: 광주; Korean: [kwaŋ.dʑu] ), formerly romanized as Kwangju, was a city in South Korea. In July 2026, the city was merged with South Jeolla Province into a new provincial-level city called Jeonnam-Gwangju. Gwangju was the sixth-largest metropolis in the country. It was a designated metropolitan city under the direct control of the central government's Home Minister. The city was also the capital of South Jeolla Province until its promotion to a metropolitan city in 2005, upon which the provincial office moved to the southern village of Namak in Muan County. Its name is composed of the words gwang (Korean: 광; Hanja: 光) meaning "light" and ju (주; 州) meaning "province". Gwangju was historically recorded as Muju (무주; 武州), in which "Silla merged all of the land to establish the provinces of Gwangju, Ungju, Jeonju, Muju and various counties, plus the southern boundary of Goguryeo and the ancient territories of Silla" in the Samguk sagi. In the heart of the agricultural Jeolla region, the city is also famous for its rich and diverse cuisine.