The May 18th National Cemetery is the most important memorial site in Gwangju. It lies northeast of the centre, so it takes more effort than the downtown monuments, but the scale and solemn layout make the trip worthwhile if you want to understand the city.
Rows of graves, memorial sculpture, and exhibition spaces tell the story of the uprising without turning it into a simple tourist stop. Go with time and patience; this is one of those places where rushing feels wrong.