Written by the Editorial Office

Photos by the Editorial Office and Photographer Kim Ga-min

A memorial ceremony for the victims of Jeju 4·3, marking its 76th anniversary, was held at 10 a.m. on April 3, 2024, at the Jeju 4·3 Peace Park. Hosted by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and organized by the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, this year’s ceremony prominently emphasized “Blow, the Spring Breeze of Jeju 4·3; Fly, the Seed of Peace” as the slogan. The slogan aimed to commemorate the spirit of Jeju 4·3, spreading seeds of peace to different parts of the world, and ultimately preventing the recurrence of tragic history. The event included a progress report, memorial speeches, poetry readings, family stories, and commemorative performances.

 

Approximately 10,000 attendees filled the site of the ceremony, including survivors and bereaved families of Jeju 4·3 victims, Jeju residents, and officials from the government and political parties. The attendees representing the national government featured Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, Minister of Oceans and Fisheries Kang Do-hyung, Vice Minister of the Interior and Safety Ko Ki-dong, Truth and Reconciliation Commissioner Lee Sang-hoon, and National Human Rights Commission Chairman Song Doo-hwan. Despite the rainy weather, many elderly bereaved family members and survivors attended, adding to the solemn significance of the ceremony.

 

A joint performance by the Jeju Provincial Art Troupe and the Jeju City Choir takes place as a pre-ceremony event.

 

The overarching themes of the ceremony included honoring unregistered victims, restoring the dignity of Jeju 4·3 victims, addressing substantive damages and family relationships, and supporting the bid for UNESCO Memory of the World inscription. The pre-ceremony began at 8:40 a.m. with religious rituals, a recitation of commemorative poetry, and a joint performance by the Jeju Provincial Art Troupe and the Jeju City Choir. Kim Ji-won, a student from Jeju Girls’ High School, recited a poem expressing hope that all generations would remember and empathize with Jeju 4·3. At precisely 10 a.m., a minute of silence was observed across Jeju Island and other islands with its province, accompanied by the sound of sirens, to appease the souls of the deceased Jeju 4·3 victims.

 

In his memorial address, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo stated, “Honoring the spirits of the victims of Jeju 4·3 and consoling the bereaved families is a fundamental responsibility of the state.” The Prime Minister also reaffirmed that the national government has made every effort to heal the wounds of Jeju 4·3 and to move forward toward a future of harmony and integration. He further emphasized the government’s commitment to completing additional fact-finding investigations by 2025, establishing and operating a trauma healing center, constructing an international peace and cultural center, and pursuing UNESCO Memory of the World inscription.

 

Jeju Governor Oh Young-hoon highlighted the significance of Jeju 4·3, stating that the reconciliation process helps end an era of outdated ideologies and opens the door to a brilliant, people-centered world.” The municipal leader also pledged that the provincial government will pass on the globally cherished value of Jeju 4·3 to future generations and make it a symbol of peace and human rights. He added, “Just as camellias that endured a harsh winter bloom with buds of healing and love, the Jeju region and Jeju 4·3, having overcome a long darkness, will become seeds of peace and prosperity for the global community, gifting future generations a just future.” Concluding his remarks, he solemnly expressed his expectation that the spirits of Jeju 4·3 victims would witness Jeju’s journey toward a brilliant, people-centered future.

 

Kim Chang-beom, President of the Association of the Bereaved Families of Jeju 4·3 Victims, mentioned the necessary additional revision of the Jeju 4·3 Special Act. During his speech, he said, “Through relentless struggles to uncover the substantive truth of Jeju 4·3, the Jeju 4·3 Special Act was amended, opening pathways for reparation to victims, restoring honor to the victims through ex officio retrials, and correcting the distorted family relationships.” He also shared the aspirations of many with the audience, earnestly hoping for the existence of a compassionate nation advancing toward a community of peace and human rights, where tragedies like Jeju 4·3 will never recur.”

 

The stage for family stories began with Jeju-born actress Go Doo-shim introducing the story of Kim Ok-ja. Her granddaughter, Han Eun-bin (Grade 2, Yeongwoon High School in Gimhae) began her letter by saying: “Whenever my grandmother hangs a new calendar on the wall, the first thing she does is mark the day her father passed away. Although I don’t fully understand the meaning of death, I can’t help but feel deeply sorry for my grandmother, who, as the only child left alive, should conduct ancestral rites alone in the shadow of sorrow.”

Approximately 10,000 people, including survivors and bereaved families of Jeju 4·3, Jeju residents, and representatives from the government and political parties, fill the venue.

 

She added: “My grandmother’s greatest sorrow is the forgetting; the inability to recall his face clearly anymore. She once told me, ‘I want to see my father, even in a dream, but I’m afraid I wouldn’t recognize him even if I did.’”

 

As the letter was being read, a digitally reconstructed portrait of Kim Ok-ja’s father, created through artificial intelligence, appeared on the large screen at the ceremony. It was the first time in 76 years that Kim saw her father’s face. Overcome with emotion, she couldn’t hold back her tears, and her granddaughter, Han Eun-bin, embraced her to comfort her. When singer Insooni performed her song “Father,” the emotion in the ceremony deepened, bringing many attendees to tears.

 

01: Actress Go Doo-shim introduces the story of Kim Ok-ja, who lost her father at the age of five during Jeju 4·3.

02: Kim Ok-ja sheds tears as she meets her father, whose face is reconstructed using artificial intelligence, for the first time in 76 years, while her granddaughter Han Eun-bin embraces her.

03: Singer Insooni’s song “Father” brings tears to many.

 

Along with the letter reading, the restored image of Kim Ok-ja’s father, recreated using AI, appears on the large screen at the memorial site.

 

Despite the forecast of rain, Jeju residents gathered at the ceremony, united in their long-standing commitment to addressing Jeju 4·3 properly. Efforts continue to restore the dignity of the victims and their families, provide substantial reparation for damages, and mend the incorrectly registered family relationships between victims and their children, who had legally become de facto children of others. Reflecting the shared sentiments of the 10,000 attendees, the 76th anniversary memorial ceremony became a moment to hope that the efforts to resolve Jeju 4·3 would sow seeds of peace throughout the nation.

In rainy and foggy weather, the bereaved families and residents gather at the Jeju 4·3 Peace Park to honor the spirits of the victims. Standing before the Headstone Monument Engraved with names of the Deceased, they perform ancestral rites, wiping away their tears.

 

01: At 10 a.m., sirens sound across Jeju Island for a minute of silence to honor the spirits of the Jeju 4·3 victims.

02: The Jeju 4·3 Camellia Supporters, the official university student supporters of the Jeju 4·3 Peace Foundation, are offering flowers and incense.

03: Despite the inclement weather, the survivors and the bereaved families of Jeju 4·3 gather at the memorial site.