April 3 marks the 77th anniversary of the ‘Jeju 4.3’ Incident, one of the most unfortunate events in Korea’s modern history
By Lee, Sang-Ki
April 3 marks the 77th anniversary of the Jeju 4.3 Incident, one of the most unfortunate events in Korea’s modern history. Very few foreigners know that such an incident took place on Jeju Island, which is known as an island of peace and prosperity loved by the Korean people as well as people around the world.
“Starting with the police firing incident on March 1, 1947, the armed forces of the Jeju Island Chapter of the Southern Workers’ Socialist Party broke out on April 3, 1948 under the banner of resistance to the repression of the police and the Northwest Youth Brigade and opposition to the disconnection and categorical government, until the opening of the Forbidden Hallamountain area on September 21, 1954, and the number of civilian victims reached 14,442. 78.7% of the deaths were caused by punitive squads and 15.7% by communist armed forces, and 20.9% of the victims were women, 14.5% were children under the age of 15 and the elderly in their 60s or older.
This incident caused the second highest number of victims after the Korean War, and it also resulted in the isolation of Jeju Island, an island region at the southern tip of the Korean Peninsula, for a long time.
I know that in modern history after World War II, Pakistan also had a similar experience to Korea, going through many ups and downs, such as independence from Britain, the division of India and Pakistan, and the division of Pakistan between East and West.
I hope that the Jeju 4.3 incident will serve as a counter-lesson when we find out the truth about the unfortunate incidents that occurred in Pakistan in the future and take appropriate measures against those responsible.
In this regard, I hope that the Jeju 4.3 incident will serve as a counter-lesson when we find out the truth about the unfortunate incidents that occurred in Pakistan in the future and take appropriate measures against those responsible. This is why I am bringing this article to Pakistani readers.
First, the name April 3rd was derived from the large-scale disturbances that occurred on April 3, 1948. In other words, the special conditions of Jeju Island and the conflict between the police and Northwest Youth Brigade and the people of Jeju Island that arose after the firing of the March 1st Memorial Ceremony in 1947, and the resulting tension were combined with Jeju Island Chapter of the Southern Workers’ Socialist Party in 1948 by combining the struggle against the May 10 unilateral election. After Korea’s liberation from Japan, South Korea pursued a liberal democracy and North Korea pursued a communist government. In the process, the North Korean communists tried to disrupt the first general election to establish a South Korean government.
The South Korean government responded with violent suppression of the protests. In other words, the government used all types of massacres that could occur on the planet, such as massacres in the name of suppressing communist rebels, massacres based on ideology and religious beliefs, massacres against residents of specific areas, and retaliatory massacres. In that sense, it can be said that it is an even more tragic incident. It lasted for seven years. The tragedy and dark history of Jeju, which had subsided in 1954 after the armed crackdown, gradually began to see the light of day thanks to the efforts of Jeju residents, journalists, and scholars. In 2004, then-South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun made an official apology from the government and declared its intention to find out the truth. Half a century after a very unfortunate past, the government’s courageous and wise measures were able to elicit a positive response from the people of Jeju Island as well as the people. I will conclude this column by quoting President Roh Moo-hyun’s speech on Jeju 4.3.
“The people of Jeju Island have rebuilt a beautiful island from the ruins and are showing a higher level of self-governance than any other region. The residents themselves have always achieved higher results than expected by the central government. As much as you take the lead, the government will also support you and push you hard. Let’s work together to create a rich and vibrant Jeju. Let us achieve peace in Korea, Northeast Asia, and the world through this island of peace. And as I watched this event from here today, I had the expectation that the immense pain and anger would become a history that we can look back on over time, and that it would become a new culture of Jeju Island in the decades that would become an important symbol of love, faith, and reconciliation for all our people, not anger, mistrust, and hatred. Let’s work together.”
Read: Aesthetics of wind – A Poem from Jeju Island
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Mr. Lee, Sang-Ki is the CEO and Publisher of The AsiaN and Founder President of Asia Journalists Association, Seoul, Republic of Korea
