Lee Heekyung
Professor, Chonnam National University Department of Chinese Language and Literature,
Republic of Korea

       This is an English translation of the provided Korean text: This presentation aims to examine the historical and cultural significance of the ‘Jumeokbap’ (rice balls) shared by Gwangju citizens to overcome the crisis while resisting martial law troops during the May 18th Democratization Movement in 1980, and to explore its future development directions. The simple form of Jumeokbap rice pressed into balls with only salt seasoning that citizens shared at the time is recognized as an important medium symbolizing the desperation and sense of solidarity shared exclusively by the people of Gwangju. 

       Despite possessing such significant symbolism, Jumeokbap has not been universalized as an everyday food or commercialized, even in Gwangju itself. What could be the reasons for this? 

       First, in Gwangju, often called both the sacred ground of Korean democracy and a city of gourmet food, Jumeokbap was a considerable distance from the standard of food culture sought by Jeollado people. The gap was too wide for a rough, emergency ration to be welcomed at the everyday dining table.  

       Second, after the elevated status of the May 18th Democratization Movement, the ceremonial weight of Jumeokbap—in terms of recalling a historical event and mourning the victims—was further amplified. This rigid image might be acting as an obstacle to transforming Gwangju’s Jumeokbap into an everyday food and commercially revitalizing it. When compared to Japan's ‘Onigiri’—a similar type of food that holds both the characteristics of a traditional lunchbox item and a disaster relief food, establishing itself as a national convenience food—the limitations of the 5·18 Jumeokbap in becoming an everyday item become even clearer. One of the best ways to remember history is to allow its symbols to be absorbed into daily life. In this context, the path forward for the 5·18 Jumeokbap is quite clear. Especially for food, whose survival is not determined solely by political or moral legitimacy, if the expansion of everyday consumption does not occur, it will only remain a memorial stripped of its vitality. We must explore effective ways for important symbols of history to move beyond commemoration and remembrance and permeate into ordinary life.

Keywords: May 18th Democratization Movement, Gwangju, Jumeokbap(Rice Balls), Singing Mother, Gender