So Young-doo, the last resident of Gwangcheon Citizens Apartment in Gwangju, looks around the house ahead of his move on March 30 (left picture). One of the three buildings of the apartment that was once used as "Deulbul Night School" will be preserved as a history museum.

A vehicle carrying the belongings of the last residents of Gwangcheon Citizen Apartment in Gwangju, So Young-doo (70) and Cho Sung-ja (60), arrived in front of the apartment on the morning of March 30.

So and his wife moves to a neighboring apartment not far from the apartment. With their departure, Gwangcheon Citizen Apartment, built in 1970, will be relegated to a historical footnote.

All of the neighbors had already moved out a year or two ago. However, the couple said, “We couldn't leave this place easily.”

Since the apartment was built, a total of seven people, including So’s parents and siblings, lived together in the house. Later, his parents passed away and his siblings moved out in search of work. “It was more than a house,” So said.

So was a member of the citizen militia during the May 18 Democracy Movement in Gwangju. He was taken to the martial law army and tortured for six months. He was even disabled by the torture committed at the time, so he continued his life picking up waste paper because he could not find a job.

The Citizen Apartment was once the tallest building in Gwangju. From the rooftop of the four-story building, you could look out over the sprawling city. Mudeungsan Mountain was also seen at a glance. The three wings of 36-square-meter-wide apartments were home to 184 households. Each floor had a conventional toilet, kitchen, and washroom for shared use in place of a small room. Residents took turns using the shared kitchen and restroom. “Cooking and sharing food together was our daily routine,” said So.

The apartment was also used as a place for Gwangju's first labor night school, "Deulbul Night School." So said, “It was a source of pride for all the residents to know that our place of living was the ‘birthplace of democratic citizenship education.’”

The couple's decision to move came after the local government announced in November last year that it would “preserve the “Na” building, which was the main stage of the night school, and turn it into a history museum.” The area has been undergoing a redevelopment project since 2023. Most of the surrounding stores have already closed and completed relocation.

It was originally planned to demolish the entire apartment and build a new one. However, the city, the district, and the Housing Redevelopment Association agreed to preserve the apartment as a symbolic space that has shared a painful history. The C-shaped “Na” building will be preserved, and new apartments will be built where the ''Ga'' and ''Da'' buildings once stood.

So and his wife will move to an apartment about 200 meters away from there. “We're lucky to have a house not far away,” he said.

“It's scary to think that we're leaving this place where we've lived all our lives,” he said, ”but it's not far away, so we'll visit here often.”

Their move was attended by many people. Kim Yi-kang, head of the district, members of the resident autonomy committee, and more than 20 others helped the couple’s move. Kim said, “We will spare no effort and support to ensure that this place, which is a precious place of life for citizens and a place with a noble history of the May 18 Democracy Movement, is well preserved and remembered.”