Book Review: Choi Sang-don’s Jeju 4·3 Pilgrimage, The Song of Baby Camellia

 

The Island Proud of its Spiritual Song

 

Kim Dong-yoon

Professor at Jeju National University, Literary critic

 

++ Published by Gak, 20,000 won.

 

A song that embodies the island

The story of a series of Jeju 4·3 pilgrimages titled The Song of Baby Camellia – I Walk the Island with Songs, written by the singer Choi Sang-don, was finally published by Gak, a publishing company. I am glad to hear the news, as I joined a few of the singer’s pilgrimages, which have occurred nearly 100 times since 2006.

 

Reading the book brings back memories. It makes me feel as if I have joined every pilgrimage he has organized so far. It is like listening to Choi’s songs with guitar riffs while venturing to the corners of the island. Choi’s songs are wild and enchanting. His voice delivers resentment, yet it contains a dynamic feature. His belief is reflected in his songs and in his statement, “I want to be able to sing the song the island sings, to embrace the wounds of the island, to be proud of what the island possesses, to become closer to the island, and to become the island itself” (page 10).

 

Vivid moments of the pilgrimage

The first song written in the book is “The Song of Baby Camellia,” which starts with “When white snow falls on the mountain / the red flowers bloom on the field.” For me, this is the best song representing Jeju 4·3. The song reflects the sentiment and the stories about Jeju 4·3. It describes the camellia and azalea flowers, which symbolize the incident, and it is easy to sing. That’s why the song has been loved by the victims, their families, and the people of Jeju for some 20 years. The song is a masterpiece even more remarkable than “The Sleepless Southern Island.” I think the song should be designated as the official anthem of the Jeju 4·3 Commemoration Ceremony. In the prologue, Choi says he wrote the song thinking of the camellia flowers that bloomed at the peak of ‘Geombonangchi,’ a hill in his hometown of Cheongsu-ri, Hankyeong-myeon.

The content of the book is arranged by season and month, ranging from January with Bukchon-ri to December with the Jeju 4·3 Peace Park. Wherever there was a Jeju 4·3 site, he went on a pilgrimage.

 

++ Choi’s jacket, bought in 2006 before the pilgrimage, and the pilgrimage group passing the underpass near Mudeungiwat.

 

His pilgrimage goes on in Sambatjuseok, Mudeungiwat, Neobeunbat, Bihakdongsan, Altteureu, Jeongtteureu, Baekjoilson Cemetery, Manbengdi, Soknaengigol, Youngmowon Memorial Park, Marado Island, Hwangsapyeong, Hwabukcheon Stream, Sanjicheon Stream, Wonmul Oreum, Byeoldobong Peak, Eoseungsaeng Oreum, Bagumji Oreum, Seodal Oreum, Moksimulgul Cave, Keunneolgwe Cave, Darangshigul Cave, the prisons in Mokpo, Daejeon, and Daegu, as well as Kyoto and Osaka in Japan.

Choi’s notes, including “Gobeulak in Bukchon”, “Neobeunsungi in Bukchon”, “The Song of Heonmyo” (“Heonmyo” referring to an empty grave), “The Time of Hwabukcheon Stream”, “The Elegy of Byeoldobong Peak”, “The Lullaby of Moksimulgul Cave”, “Sanjicheon Stream”, “Your Olle” (“Olle” referring to a neighborhood street), “Jangdu” (“Jangdu” referring to the leaders of Jeju-based uprisings, “The Sorrow of Seodal Oreum”, “The Testimony – Baekjoilson Cemetery” (“Baekjoilson” referring to the descendants of the victims of killings in Sangmo-ri, Seogwipo), “Promise – The Song of Sanjeon” (“Sanjeon” referring to the mountain base of Jeju 4·3 resistance forces), “The Yellow Cactus – Lady Jin A-young”, “Hometown – The Village of Darangshi”, “Youngmowon Memorial Park”, “You – The Wind Blowing in the Prison”, “The Jeongtteureu Airfield”, “At Hannae Stream”, “Oh, Mt. Halla”, “The Time”, and “Highland Crysanthemum” are about all areas of the island.

 

Because he searched every corner of the island, the pilgrimage yielded significant results in finding the scenes of fading history.

When people who went up the mountain in objection to the one-sided election of May 10, 1948, were coming down from the mountain on May 12, 1948, the scene was photographed by a US Forces filming unit. While the picture is known to many of us, no one knows precisely where the photo was taken. Choi, on his pilgrimage, found evidence that the scene was taken near Neobeunbat, which is now Haean-dong, Jeju-si looking at Eoseungsaeng Oreum from afar (page 117).

He also found details that have yet to be uncovered. One of the examples was the Monument of the Liberation of the Korean People, the establishment of which was funded by the graduates of Daejeong Public Elementary School over a period of five years. The teachings of an unknown teacher moved the students at the time. The monument conveys the spirit of the Jeju 4·3 Resistance: “It is truly joyful that the people of Korea are now liberated from the grasp of Imperial Japan! Hence, we celebrate our liberation with overflowing delight and set up this monument” (page 169).

 

 

In pursuit of the dignified spirit of Jeju 4·3

 

++ Choi Sang-don singing the song, “Lee Jae-su – Jangdu”, in front of the grave of Lee Jae-su’s mother.

 

In February 2006, right before the beginning of the pilgrimage, the singer bought a windbreaker that would come to symbolize his consciousness (page 10). He has worn it for over 15 years. The color of the jacket is faded now, making us think of both the exhaustion he experienced during the pilgrimage and his integrity regarding Jeju 4·3.

 

The final path of pilgrimage in the book is “Lee Deok-gu’s Sanjeon”. He traversed the fields in the mountains from the entrance of Muljangori Oreum to Bulgeun Oreum near the Namjo-ro road. It was “a precious and long walk, such that I loaded my fatigued body on the bus long after sunset.” From this final pilgrimage, I found out what Choi’s version of the spirit of Jeju 4·3 is. It is to make Jeju 4·3 into a resistance of ordinary people who yearn for the unification and independence of Korea.

 

“Going on a pilgrimage is to meet our history. It means meeting the people who lived through that history. It is to examine the dreams they had. We should check whether their dreams or their historic value are being passed on. They may have had a better view of history than we do now. By remembering the deaths of at least 30,000 people, they regain their honor. They should be proud of themselves, as they were rightful. Regaining honor will lead to honoring the entire island … Now this path will lead from the inside of Jeju to the land beyond the ocean – Osaka, North Gando (or Jiandao in Chinese), and Taiwan. The revival of memories and the history recalled is for regaining honor. My companions in my pilgrimage will travel through time, walking the path of the chrysanthemum” (page 316).

 

Choi believes the honor of the people of Jeju can be recovered only when Jeju 4·3 is transcended: from victimization and commemoration into resistance. This is why he will continue the pilgrimage. The voyage will continue with his songs beyond the island of Jeju to East Asia and the world.

 

“In spring, the azalea blooms in the mountains and fields.”

++ In the schoolyard of Bukchon Elementary School.

 

 

While the book contains the precious memories of Choi’s travel, some flaws exist. It would have been better for the writer to prepare a map of the pilgrimage and to provide an index for crucial places. His writing uses honorific expressions, but there are some parts where informal expressions make sudden appearances. I do not think there is a fixed standard for selecting the style. The book could have used more thorough editing.

Lastly, for the readers to fully understand the value of this book, numerous songs by Choi Sang-don should be provided. Some pieces are published on CD, and some are available on streaming services. But all of them could be of better quality, as the recordings are crude. I hope the songs will be re-released soon with good quality. That way, “The Song of Baby Camellia” will move the world with its profound message.

“When the baby camellia falls, the winter passes/In spring the azalea blooms in the mountains and fields/As the colorful autumn leaves fall, and the season passes/The winter comes for the baby camellia.”

From One Generation to Another: Art Space 52

 

Our performances on Jeju 4·3 resonate with the audience:

‘Art Space 52’

Oh Sang-woon

Co-Representative, Art Space 52

 

++ A small concert is held in the café of Art Space 52.

On Dec. 12, 2011, three people from a college drama club, including Jeon Hyeok-joon, Oh Hyeon-soo, and me opened a small theatre named Art Space 52 in the old downtown area of Jungang-ro, Jeju City. Despite the difficulties cleaning and turning the former bar into a theatre, we were hopeful about our dream of creating a space where we can engage in different types of art with many like-minded others.

++ A group photo of members in 2016.

With only three founding members, we presented mostly two-person plays in the beginning chapter of Art Space 52. Now our theatre has grown through the years to include a group of 150 sponsors and feature some 50 active participants in the performances. In 2018, we left Jungang-ro and moved to the current location in Jeju City’s new downtown area of Yeon-dong.

At Art Space 52, we emphasize the combinative concept of “art and space”, aimed at provoking thoughts on social issues while facilitating various cultural and artistic activities. It is a theatrical art-based space where we can communicate with all those who love culture and art.

By the time we opened Art Space 52, consensus had been achieved on the need for theatrical plays on the theme of Jeju 4·3. We could not dare try, however, because it seemed we lacked the ability to properly cover the heavy topic and conveyed to the audience our thoughts on Jeju 4·3.

Then, in 2018, we were invited to the 70th anniversary event of Jeju 4·3 and staged our first Jeju 4·3 play titled “The Case at the Duplex of Unit 3, District 4”. As described in someone’s review, we told “a heavy story… to make it sound not heavy… and a sad story… to make it sound not sad…” Jeon Hyeok-joon wrote the scenario and directed the play differently from the previous sadness-oriented works, which was reminiscent of Guido Orefice from the film “Life Is Beautiful”. The playwright must have aspired, when talking about Jeju 4·3 to the audience, to having his work shown as a beautiful theatrical play, rather than as a plea that they should learn about Jeju 4·3.

After its first presentation by invitation, “The Case at the Duplex of Unit 3, District 4” became a long-term project that continued throughout December 2018, followed by an encore in 2019. The members of Art Space 52 now share a consensus to promote a Jeju 4·3 project and create at least one theatrical play per year. Our works related to this project include ▲ “Project Yi Eodo” in 2020, ▲ “Gosari Yukgaejang” [Spicy Bracken Soup] and “The Case at the Duplex of Unit 3, District 4” in 2021, and ▲ “I Want to Smash It with a Wooden Club” in 2022.

“The Case at the Duplex of Unit 3, District 4” features two stories. One is told from a modern point of view, and the other describes the past when Jeju 4·3 took place. In the modern story, there is a jobless character named Sangshik. He has trouble sleeping because of partying noise caused by American neighbors living upstairs. Deciding that it is no longer bearable, he invites an older peer from his college club and a friend who is also a member of the club, saying, “We need to have a louder, longer party than the Americans.” Then they have a drink and talk, but eventually argue over different thoughts. In the other story, set against the backdrop of Jeju 4·3, a girl named Soonim and her father go to a certain place with their neighbors, but are suddenly barraged by the gunshots that hit people gathered there. Surviving after her father’s sacrifice, Soonim seeks refuge in a cave and the story goes on.

 

++ Members visit Keunneolgwe Cave, one of the historic sites of Jeju 4·3.

 

“Project Yi Eodo” begins with a war against anarchists trying to topple the global government in the distant future where the whole world is ruled by a single government and the issue of inequality and the gap between the rich and the poor arises. A scientist who has developed infinite energy, “Ultima,” is arrested and charged with leading the anarchists. The story of the past, which contrasts with that of the future, begins on March 1, 1947, when police open fire on citizens at a rally to commemorate the March 1 Independence Movement. A character named Eodo insists that he find another character named Doha and prevent the massacres. Can these two stop the killings? What will be the relationship between Ultima, Eodo, and Doha?

In “Gosari Yukgaejang” [Spicy Bracken Soup], Danwoo, wanting to kill himself, stays in a guesthouse in Jeju where he meets the host’s niece, Jeonghyeon, who dreams of holding an exhibition on Jeju 4·3. The two decide to take a dark tour of Jeju 4·3 with different purposes and eventually learn that they are related to each other. The message is that during the period of Jeju 4·3, at present, and in the future, we cannot live separately from others, so we need to rely on each other at every moment.

“I Want to Smash It with a Wooden Club” begins in a cave during Jeju 4·3. Two people who have never met before are confronting each other. Is the other man from the armed resistance forces? Is he from the counterinsurgency forces? Or, is he just an ordinary resident? The two have no clue about each other. The cold atmosphere does not thaw even with conversation. One is madly talkative, while the other is silent. Reaching a lull at the end of the conversation, the characters decide to share the cave, where the story of the people and the time develops.

 

++ (From top to bottom) Current auditorium, practice room, and Culture Café.

 

Throughout our projects, we have focused on drawing the consensus of our members over why we perform under the theme of Jeju 4·3. It is our belief that our stories can reach the audience only when all our members are convinced and feel a sense of empathy. We learned about Jeju 4·3, visited historical sites, and participated in other events on Jeju 4·3, trying to make our members empathize with the need for performances on Jeju 4·3, both emotionally and cognitively.

“The Case at the Duplex of Unit 3, District 4” was staged every Thursday for nearly seven months. Honestly, it was a laborious project because we had to repeat the task of setting up the stage every Wednesday and dismantling it again after the performances on Thursdays since there were other plays scheduled at Art Space 52. Still, it meant a lot to our members. With the continuous installation and dismantling of the stage, many of our members gained expertise in carpentry. As the same role was starred in by different performers as the project continued, it provided them with an opportunity to reflect on their performances. Most importantly, each member of Art Space 52 was able to add their respective meaning to Jeju 4·3. The weight of a long-term performance was difficult to handle, but the reward at the end was clearly different from what we felt in other performances.

The yearly project on Jeju 4·3 at Art Space 52 is possible due to the active participation of its members, rather than the resolve of its co-representatives. Those performers who are not from Jeju say that they came to love Jeju more after learning about Jeju 4·3. Building and maintaining Jeju’s identity will be possible when there is more consensus among people living in Jeju. One of the issues requiring this consensus would be that we should acknowledge Jeju 4·3 as it is, comfort each other, and use it as a driving force for the future. Jeju 4·3, which served as a knot to unite the members of Art Space 52, will be able to bring Jeju residents together.

Art Space 52 allows its members share a physical and psychological space where they can carry out various art experiments, education, and performing arts. We will keep telling stories of Jeju 4·3 while, at the same time, seriously conducting exploration into society, art, and the sublime value of humans. At Art Space 52, our performances will continue to be on the stage, maintaining both tension and flexibility in a serious but not heavy manner.

 

 

 

++ Posters and scenes of performances created by Art Space 52.

 

 

 

News Focus II

 

National Compensation? Reparation?

Start with ‘criminal compensation’

Ruling for exoneration of victims is the new beginning, not the end

Obtain the written final judgment from the defense counsel in the retrial

 

Lee Dong-gun

Reporter, The Jeju Sori

 

++ A retrial is held for surviving Jeju 4·3 victims of unlawful conviction at the Jeju District Court. (Photo provided by Jeju Special Self-Governing Province)

 

The number of those Jeju 4·3 victims who served jail terms due to the unlawful first and second courts-martial reaches 2,530. The List of Convicts contains the names of all those 2,530 people who were convicted of crimes of insurrection or violation of the National Defense Guard Act that was formerly in effect. An estimated 1,800 more victims were also put to general trials and ordered to be imprisoned for violating the National Security Act. Retrials begin when it is admitted that the previous court ruling was unlawful. That is, the court decides to reexamine cases where the prosecution requested the punishment of an innocent person and brought in a guilty verdict.

 

Retrial to free the victims from disgrace is the new beginning, not the end

With the enforcement of the revised Special Act on Discovering the Truth of Jeju 4·3 and Restoring Honor to the Victims (Jeju 4·3 Special Act), retrials have been introduced to vindicate the honor of those who suffered the false charge of being ‘reds’ during Jeju 4·3. Special retrials and ex officio retrials began in 2022, acquitting some 500 defendants and eventually freeing them from the unlawful convictions that had remained in place for more than seven decades. The retrials, which were institutionalized exclusively for the cases related to Jeju 4·3, have led to a swift exoneration process for the victims who suffered the tormenting disgrace for so many long years.

Requesting the acquittal of the victims, the prosecutor present at the court is about to cry. The defense counsel, who also finds it difficult to control his emotions, pleads for the innocence of the victims. When the judge finally announces that each victim is not guilty, the originally silent courtroom is imbued with tears of joy and applause.

This cheering for the acquittal should not be the end. Efforts are needed to make up for the 70-plus years of guilt by association where the victims were harassed as the ‘reds’ and their descendants as the ‘children of reds’. Even an acquittal does not bring back the deceased, nor does it erase the memories of so much torture. Not to mention that it cannot suddenly cure the pain or enable the victims to recuperate their strength.

 

National compensation? Reparation? Criminal compensation?

Different procedures are required to apply for national compensation, reparation, or criminal compensation.

The South Korean government recently began paying the national compensation to the victims of Jeju 4·3. On the basis of the nation’s disability grading scheme, up to 90 million won will be designated to compensate for damages. Problems may arise due to the diversity of personal cases, given the enormous number of victims. The government plans to make an en bloc payment by categorizing the damages into certain brackets. To claim eligibility for reparations, a civil suit needs to be brought to court. Some of the Jeju 4·3 victims filed lawsuits against the state to receive reparations, yet the expected results have not been entirely positive. This is because the court admits that the state must pay reparations to the victims and their families but only when it is made in a lump-sum payment. The amount of reparations is to be 100 million won for a victim, 50 million won for a victim’s spouse, and 10 million won for a victim’s child. Criminal compensation is the remaining option, which compensates the convicts for the period of their unlawful prison terms.

For example, if a victim of Jeju 4·3 who has already received 90 million won for national compensation wins the lawsuit for reparation worth 100 million won, the court will entitle the victim to reparation of only 10 million won. This means the amount already paid is deducted from the eligible reparation.

Of the three measures, criminal compensation would provide the highest compensation. This is why investigation for this report reached the conclusion that the eligible victims and families would consider criminal compensation to be more important than national compensation or reparation.

 

What is “criminal compensation”?

Criminal compensation is the measure that is employed when the state needs to compensate for detention or damage caused to innocent victims because of injustice. In the case of criminal compensation for Jeju 4·3, the amount of individual payment would vary, unlike national compensation that is to be paid en bloc or and reparations that are deemed to be paid as such.

In accordance with the Act on Criminal Compensation and Restoration of Impaired Reputation (Criminal Compensation Act), the amount of compensation is calculated at a daily rate by apportioning according to the period of detention; it shall be no less than the minimum daily wage and can be up to five times the minimum daily wage. Criminal compensation has already been claimed and paid to victims of Jeju 4·3. The panel of judges established good precedent wherein the period of detention and the criteria for the payment of compensation were applied most favorably to Jeju 4·3 victims.

As of 2022, South Korea’s minimum hourly wage is 9,160 won. If a daily work schedule of eight hours is assumed, the daily wage will be 73,280 won. With a multiple of five applied following the precedent, the amount of the final compensation will likely be 366,400 won per day. In the case of a victim who served one year in prison under false charges during Jeju 4·3, he or she can claim criminal compensation for up to 133,736,000 won (366,400 won × 365 days).

Victims may file a suit themselves, but one may also appoint a lawyer for legal aid and an easier process. When hiring a lawyer, it is necessary to check in advance what will be the final amount of criminal compensation after deducting the legal fees. It is not recommended to keep waiting until the minimum wage rises. According to Article 8 “Period of Claiming Criminal Compensation” of the Criminal Compensation Act, each claim for compensation has to be filed within three years from the date of becoming aware of a verdict of innocence and within five years from the time such a verdict is finalized. This means that when the given term expires, the victim will become ineligible for the claim. Therefore, an eligible victim is advised to consult with a lawyer for criminal compensation after obtaining the written final judgement from his or her defense counsel in charge of the retrial.

Discuss with family members and determine the applicants first

The claim needs to be filed by an eligible applicant, that is, a victim of unlawful imprisonment during Jeju 4·3. As more than 70 years have passed, there remain only a small number of victims who can claim compensation. In the case where the victim died, his or her family inherits the eligibility for application of compensation.

Let’s take an example of a deceased person, here labelled Victim A, who served a jail term under false charges during Jeju 4·3. Victim A had two children, Child B and Child C. Child B, who also passed on, was survived by three children, while Child C is still living, with two children of his own. Child C applied for a retrial for his innocent father, and Victim A has been acquitted. In accordance with applicable laws, not only Child C and his two children but also Child B’s three children are eligible applicants for the payment of Victim A’s criminal compensation. Due to the passing of 70-plus years, eligibility may apply to several generations. This often leads to cases where an unforeseen applicant for compensation payment is identified, although there exist other family members who have steadily performed the ancestral rites for their loved one.

To address the issue, a victim’s family members who are eligible for criminal compensation first need to recognize one another and discuss who will file a claim. Applying for criminal compensation without prior discussion in the family may delay the payment when other eligible applicants raise objections. If an argument takes place among family members, no one can guarantee when the case will end, especially due to the possible legal disputes filed against each other. The movement to discover the truth of Jeju 4·3 and restore honor of the victims has valued reconciliation and mutual prosperity. The last thing that should occur should be disputes over the eligibility for compensation among victims’ family members who have practiced the virtue of generosity and embodied the values of reconciliation and mutual prosperity.

With the growing impetus for the vindication of Jeju 4·3 victims, the bereaved families need to “strike while the iron is hot,” spurring their efforts for compensation payment. Resolving Jeju 4·3 is still underway and many have yet to be identified as victims. The longer it takes for the families of exonerated victims to move on to the next step, the more delayed the compensation for unidentified victims will become. The court decisions on criminal compensation has already slowed down due to the recent rise in the number of applicants. With no additional staff employed, the court struggles to address the worsening heavy workload.

In case where an eligible applicant lives in Japan or elsewhere in the world, it will take months just to exchange and confirm the necessary documents. As the documents should be delivered through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, not by regular post, it is unimaginable how many years will be needed if the documents are returned with the addressee unknown. Therefore, it is essential that families of Jeju 4·3 victims or other related associations actively contact those victims and their families residing overseas that are eligible for the payment of national compensation, criminal compensation, and reparation.

 

++ Park Hwa-choon (aged 95) is acquitted by the court on Dec. 6, 2022 after the retrial for her imprisonment 74 years ago due to the brutal torture by constabulary forces and the subsequent unlawful court-martial. (Photo provided by Jeju Special Self-Governing Province)