Gwangju Mayor Park Kwan-yeol expressed his ambition to lead community recovery through the revitalization of lifestyle culture on July 28.
During the '2026 Gwangju City Community Center Outstanding Club Competition' held at the Namhansanseong Hall of the Gwangju Cultural Arts Center, Mayor Park injected new energy into the promotion of lifestyle culture led by residents and the activation of local communities.
The event was organized to share the skills honed through community center cultural programs with citizens and to enhance communication and unity among neighborhoods, according to Mayor Park.
Notably, 13 clubs participated this year, an increase from last year, showcasing the growth and expansion of community autonomy.
Significantly, the Shinhyeon-dong Community Center, which opened last year, and the Opo 2-dong Community Center, which opened in April, participated for the first time, marking a meaningful step in the spread of community culture throughout Gwangju.
Participants presented a variety of performances, including step box exercises, fusion folk dances, and performance-style Nanta, creating a high-quality stage. The audience, filled with citizens, responded with enthusiastic applause and support, fostering a spirit of community unity.
In the competition, the top award went to the Chowol-eup 'Step Power Crew,' while the excellence awards were given to the Gonjiam-eup 'Gonjiam Gogojanggu Team' and the Opo Integrated 'AJ Crew Team.'
Additionally, 10 clubs received encouragement awards, recognizing their efforts and passion.
The winning Step Power Crew from Chowol-eup will represent Gwangju at the 'Gyeonggi Province Community Culture Competition' on October 17 at the Teleconvention Center of Gyeonggi University in Suwon.
Citizens attending the event expressed pride in the high-quality performances by local residents, noting that the community center plays a role beyond mere hobbies in uniting the village. They remarked on the impressive sight of different generations enjoying and supporting each other.
Other citizens highlighted the new participation of Shinhyeon-dong and Opo 2-dong, affirming the growth of community autonomy across Gwangju. They expressed hope for more community-driven cultural events in the future to revitalize the local economy and culture.
Mayor Park Kwan-yeol stated, 'This competition is a meaningful festival where residents share the achievements they have learned and grown together at the community center with citizens.' He expressed gratitude to all participating teams, the community autonomy committee, and related officials for their passionate performances.
He emphasized, 'We will continue to expand citizen-centered community autonomy policies that allow everyone to enjoy culture and leisure and grow together.'
* This article has been translated by AI.
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