‘A Jeju Story: 4·3’ told on YouTube by Korean Unnie with 1.23 million subscribers

Interview and Arrangement by the Editing Office

Korean Unnie, a YouTube content creator with 1.23 million subscribers in more than 300 countries, is working on a project titled “A Jeju Story: 4·3,” which focuses on the theme of the Jeju uprising and massacre of seven decades ago. The recently released 58-second trailer has been viewed 270,000 times, proving keen attention paid to the content even before the full clip is released. Let’s now listen to the “Jeju Story” told by Moon So-hyun, who is communicating Korean culture to the world. <Editor>

What inspired you to create “A Jeju Story: 4·3,” the animated clip about Jeju 4·3?

I was born in Jeju and later grew up in Seoul, but both my parents are from Jeju. My grandparents and all my other relatives have lived in Jeju, as well. Naturally, I have various memories of Jeju because I spent school vacations and national holidays there when I was little, even visiting the graves of my ancestors. Especially, my grandparents on my mother’s side adored me as I am their first grandchild. Jeju is a very happy and loving place for me.

In “A Jeju Story: 4·3,” I described Jeju as a place full of wonder and magic. When I was a kid, it was nothing more than a beautiful island.

About a year ago, I took a break from my YouTube activities. And I visited the Jeju 4·3 Peace Park, which introduced me to the dark side of Jeju. I saw the division and tragedy caused by the struggle for power and control.

+++ Korean Unnie runs a YouTube channel with 1.23 million subscribers.

And then I stood in front of the headstone monument inscribed with the names of victims in each village. The list contained the names of two of my family members placed next to each other. I felt so many emotions, and it was a very inspirational experience.

+++ Moon So-hyun takes a tour of Jeju Island.

Since you are a bereaved family member, you may have your own stories to tell. What is the message you want to convey through your work?

“Those who had chosen to take the left path lived, while my father who had taken the right one was killed,” my maternal grandfather would say with his eyes filled with tears.

My great-grandfather was shot to death by the counterinsurgency forces at a fork in his neighborhood. The instant choice between left and right changed his life. And my grandmother’s elder brother was killed by the armed guerilla forces at night while he was asleep. Both the victims were ordinary villagers but were murdered for no reason.

It is true that Jeju 4·3 is not a well-known part of Korean history, and two of my family members lost their lives due to Jeju 4·3. But this is not the only reasons why I decided to create the animation “A Jeju story: 4·3.”

After visiting the Jeju 4·3 Peace Park, I realized that what happened in Jeju is something that we all have to deal with. In fact, tragedies like Jeju 4·3 have been repeated around the world, throughout history, and are still happening today. So, I wanted to make an animation that people around the world can relate to, no matter where they live or where they are in time, and stand in solidarity for peace.

You have worked with artists from all over the world on this project. How is it coming together?

The production of the teaser and trailer videos feature experts from all over the world (Korea, the U.S., Portugal, Canada, China, Israel, Brazil, Argentina, Austria, Germany, Spain, the U.K., Russia, Cyprus, India, etc.). They include animators with full-length animation experiences at Walt Disney Animation Studios, DreamWorks Pictures, and more.

+++ The official teaser of “A Jeju Story: 4·3”.

Before we started the project, none of the participating artists had ever heard of Jeju 4·3. They are learning about Jeju 4·3 while producing the animation. Still, they are all active, voluntary, and passionate about the project. I think that although they are working on the story of Jeju 4·3, they are actually telling their own stories.

The 58-second teaser that’s out now has over 270,000 views. I can sense a lot of excitement even before the full movie comes out. Though a short clip, but very impressive. Could you give us a brief introduction?

“A Jeju Story: 4·3” is told from the perspective of a child named So-hyun. For the little girl, Jeju is a place full of happy memories and pleasant sensations, which we expressed in the trailer with highlights on the beautiful and magical landscapes of Jeju Island.

Soon, the dark clouds roll in, and So-hyun is surrounded by scenes from Jeju 4·3, represented through smoke. This shows the pain and a sense of loss caused by Jeju 4·3, which is still not fully resolved to this day. The shoutout for the story of Jeju 4·3 we wish to hear is depicted in the smoke.

The story follows So-hyun as she grows up to spark goodness in people’s hearts so that tragedies like this will not happen again.

+++ An excerpt from the animated video “A Jeju Story: 4·3”.

The creation of ‘A jeju story: 4-3’ required a tremendous amount of work, including storytelling, character design, textures, lighting, and natural movement. The shortest version, a teaser, was released in April this year, and a longer version, a trailer, will be released in a few months.

It took a huge amount of work to produce “A Jeju Story: 4·3,” especially for the expression of stories, character designs, textures, lighting, and natural motions.

The shortest version of the movie is its teaser, which was released in April 2023. In a few months, the trailer with a longer version will be released.

After the release of the trailer, we’ll be producing a short film, which will take a deeper look into what we can tell about Jeju 4·3.

The teaser ends with the numbers 4 and 3 which add together to create a broken heart shape. What is the meaning of the design?

I thought that what the people of Jeju Island wished to achieve but failed at the time of Jeju 4·3 was “one heart.” That’s why I used the numbers 4 and 3 to create a heart shape.

This is the last question. What is the “story of Jeju” that you hope to convey through your work “A Jeju Story: 4·3”?

The focus of the story that will be captured in the video is not a question of right and wrong, nor is it an issue of ideology. I want to reflect on the conflicts, oppression, violence, and victimization that have been repeated around the world and are still occurring today. I hope that conflicts between countries, between societies, between individuals, and even within one’s own self will be sublimated to the values of reconciliation, mutual existence, healing, and peace through my work, “A Jeju Story: 4·3.”

I believe that there is power in the stories of Jeju 4·3. I want people around the world to empathize, communicate, heal, reconcile, stand in solidarity, and discuss “the stories of Jeju,” which could be our “shared stories.”