Gwangju Jeil High School

Not to be confused with Gwangju High School.
Gwangju Jeil High School
광주제일고등학교
Location
Map
Gwangju

South Korea
Information
TypePublic
Established1920
PrincipalYang Jeong-gi[1]
GenderMale
Number of students840

Gwangju Jeil High School (Korean: 광주제일고등학교) is a boys' high school in Gwangju, South Korea. It has 840 students in grades 10, 11, and 12.[1] The school is considered to be one of the most prestigious high schools in Gwangu.

Historically, the school is known as the birthplace of the Gwangju Student Independence Movement, a series of protests in 1929 against the 1910–1945 Japanese rule of Korea.

The school is also known for its baseball team, and has won the Cheongryonggi championship multiple times.[2][3] A number of its alumni have gone on to play professional baseball in Korea, Japan, and the United States. One of the school's most famous graduates is Sun Dong-yol, considered one of the greatest pitchers in the history of Korean professional baseball. Another graduate, Lee Jong-beom, nicknamed "Son of the Wind," is widely considered one of the best five-tool players in Korean baseball history, and the best all-around KBO player of the 1990s.[4] As of 2015, the school had produced more Major League Baseball players — four — than any other high school in Asia, including Osaka, Japan's famous PL Gakuen High School.[2]

History

Gwangju Public High School was established in 1920.[2] The Gwangju Ilgo school baseball club was established in 1923.[1][2]

In late October 1929, students from the school helped spark demonstrations against Japanese rule.[5] The Gwangju Student Independence Movement Memorial, housed in a park on the school's campus, was built in 1954 to commemorate the student independence movement. The Gwangju Student Independence Movement Memorial History Museum was built in 1997;[1] it was designated as the 26th Gwangju Metropolitan City Monument on April 30, 1999.

Kim Yong-un, a mathematician, philosopher, and critic of civilizations, taught math at the school in the 1950s.

Notable alumni

Professional baseball players

Other professions

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Keh, Andrew. "School Spirit May Be Metaphysical for South Korean Baseball Players," New York Times (Oct. 2, 2015).
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Baek Byung-yeul. "Home to Major League Baseball players - Gwangju Jeil High School," The Korea Times (August 13, 2015).
  3. ^ Chang Hye-soo, Limb Jae-un. "Kia Tigers outfielder invigorated after last season’s slump, pay cut," Korea JoongAng Daily (April 25, 2005).
  4. ^ Yoo Jee-ho. "2nd-generation KBO star wants to see more sons of ex-players thrive," Yonhap News Agency (July 04, 2020).
  5. ^ 중앙일보 (2009-11-02). "[그때 오늘] 광주에서 터져나온 일제하 최대의 학생 독립운동". article.joins.com (in Korean). Retrieved 2015-02-18.
  6. ^ "[kt wiz] 하이파이브! 승리의 kt wiz!". www.ktwiz.co.kr (in Korean). Retrieved 2018-05-15.
  7. ^ "[프로필]노형욱 신임 국토교통부 장관 내정자". 16 April 2021. Retrieved 16 April 2021.
  8. ^ 서경호 [Seo Gyeong-ho] (2003-12-02), '조기유학의 원조' 손성원 美 웰스파고 수석부행장 ['Because I was an international student': US Wells Fargo executive vice president Sohn Sung-Won], JoongAng Ilbo, archived from the original on 2012-04-26, retrieved 2011-09-29

35°09′13″N 126°54′23″E / 35.1537°N 126.9065°E / 35.1537; 126.9065