[Field] 72nd Anniversary Memorial Ceremony in Honor of Jeju 4·3 Victims:

President Moon Jae-in Calls for Revision of Jeju 4·3 Special Act during Second In-Office Visit

[Full Story] Despite grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic, South Korea paid tribute to the souls of the Jeju 4·3 victims on April 3 during a memorial ceremony held in their honor at the Jeju 4·3 Peace Park. The event was simplified from previous years in compliance with the state-announced social distancing guidelines due to the coronavirus. However, the presence of President Moon Jae-in and the first lady at the ceremony brought warm consolation to the victims’ bereaved families and disseminated nationwide the values of reconciliation and mutual benefit reflected in Jeju 4·3.

▲ Simplified memorial ceremony, with president’s second visit during term

At 7:30 a.m., the mood in the Jeju 4·3 Peace Park was different from that of previous memorial ceremonies. Unlike past events, the Memorial Tablets Enshrinement Room, the Tombstone Park for the Missing and the Headstone Monument Engraved with Names of the Deceased were not crowded with people. Still, some families came early in the morning, hoping to hold ancestral rituals when no or few people were around in line with the COVID-19 guidelines. The visitors, without exception wearing cloth face coverings and cotton gloves, offered alcoholic beverages as tribute and performed ritual bows in front of the memorial tables, the grave markers, or the plaques listing the names of their loved ones who died during Jeju 4·3.

As the government had announced the social distancing rules to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the number of attendees at the memorial ceremony was limited to around 150 and all of the seats were placed 2 meters apart from each other.

Hosted by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and organized by the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, the memorial ceremony was held under the theme of “Heal the Wounded Hearts, Transmit the Memory of 4·3 to the Future, and Bring Peace to the World.”

The event was attended by President Moon, Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae, and ruling and opposition party leaders, including Democratic Party floor leader Lee In-young, United Future Party floor leader Shim Jae-chul, Justice Party leader Sim Sang-jeung. and Party for People’s Livelihoods floor leader Jang Jung-sook. Guests also included local key figures such as Jeju Governor Won Heeryong, Jeju Provincial Council Chairman Kim Tae-suk, Jeju Superintendent Lee Seok-moon, Jeju District Court Chief Judge Lee Chang-han, Jeju Regional Chief Public Procurator Park Chan-ho, Jeju Mayor Ko Hee-bum, and Seogwipo Mayor Yang Yun-kyung. Bereaved families of Jeju 4·3 victims and other officials of 4·3-related organizations and groups joined the ceremony, including Song Seung-moon, chairperson of the Association for the Bereaved Families of Jeju 4·3, and Yang Jo Hoon, president of the Jeju 4·3 Peace Foundation.

It was President Moon’s second visit to the memorial ceremony since 2018, marking the first time a sitting president has twice attended the event. Also noticeable is that this year’s attendees included members of the Police Honor Guard for the first time in history. The Police Honor Guard, for reconciliation and mutual benefit, supported the guests’ offering of flowers and burning of incense in honor of the Jeju 4·3 victims.

▲ Revising Jeju 4·3 special act to emphasize the offering of reparations for damages caused to victims and bereaved families

At 10:00 a.m., a siren was sounded across Jeju Island in silent tribute, marking the beginning of the memorial ceremony.

Song Seung-moon, chairperson of the Association for the Bereaved Families of Jeju 4·3, recited poet Kim Su-yeul’s address. After the recital, the president and the first lady offered flowers and burned incense, followed by the participants pledging allegiance to the nation and the president delivering his memorial speech.

“Jeju is now no longer lonely,” President Moon said, stressing that Jeju 4·3 will be passed down to and remembered by future generations, and will serve as a compass for human rights, life, peace, and unity.

Moon said in his address that it is the country’s obligation to embrace the agony of the victims of Jeju 4·3 and the bereaved families and restore their honor through revealing the truth of the island’s tragic history. Truth, he said, can lead to reconciliation and mutual benefit only when it meets justice, and it is imperative for a nation to establish truth not only as historical justice but also as legal justice.

The former human rights lawyer also pointed out that the bill to revise the Special Act on Discovering the Truth of the Jeju 4.3 Incident and the Restoration of Honor of Victims — which includes reparations and compensation that constitute the foundation for a complete settlement of Jeju 4·3 — is still pending in the National Assembly. He expressed that he truly feels heavy-hearted as president because some victims have received only partial reparations through individual lawsuits or government funds for medical treatment and living expenses, while statutory reparations and compensation have yet to be made.

Stressing that there is no longer any time for delays under these circumstances, he pledged that the government will continue to make efforts to ensure that practical reparations and compensation are realized while the victims and bereaved relatives are still alive. He also requested special consideration and support from politicians and the National Assembly to revise the Jeju 4·3 special act.

“In addition to these legislative efforts, the government will promptly act accordingly,” he said.

Before concluding his remarks, President Moon pledged the government’s support to move forward toward reconciliation, mutual benefit, peace, and human rights, together with the residents of Jeju, bereaved relatives, and the people. Finally, he said, “the stories of truth, justice, and reconciliation that began from Jeju 4·3 will remain for our descendants a touching history of recovering hope amidst sorrow.”

During the memorial ceremony, “A letter to my great-grandfather” was read by 15-year-old Ara Middle School student Kim Dae-ho, a great-grandson of the late Yang Ji-hong who died during Jeju 4·3.

The Jeju 4·3 Peace Foundation reported the identification of excavated remains on Jan. 22, and Yang’s remains were returned to his family. During the reporting session, Yang’s daughter Yang Chun-ja, 75, burst into tears in front of her dead father’s burial urn. People on the site expressed pity at the scene where Kim Dae-ho was standing by his grandmother to console her.

Kim wrote in his letter: “Great-grandpa! I am grateful that you finally returned to us, back to your daughter.”

On behalf of his great-grandfather and grandmother, he expressed gratitude to all of those who discovered his great-grandfather’s remains.

Finally, Kim looked at Yang, his grandmother, sitting in the audience and continued to read: “Now that you’ve held your father you missed for more than 70 years in your arms, I hope you will let go of the deep sorrow you feel and stay healthy beside me as long as you can.”

While listening to her grandson reading the letter, Yang wiped tears from her eyes.

The memorial ceremony concluded with singer Kim Jin Ho performing “Family Picture” in memory of the victims as a heart-rending photo exhibit of surviving victims of Jeju 4·3 and sites of massacre played upon a large screen on the stage. The photos were taken by photographer Kim Eun-ju and the Jeju 4·3 70th Anniversary Commemoration Project Committee in 2018 to mark the 70th anniversary of Jeju 4·3.

▲ May the deceased close their eyes, and the living hold each other’s hands

After the memorial ceremony, President Moon entered the Ashes Enshrinement Hall in the Jeju 4·3 Peace Park, guided by Yang Jo Hoon, president of Jeju 4·3 Peace Foundation. Accompanied by Yang Chun-ja and her family, the president and the first lady paused in front of late Yang Ji-hong’s remains and paid silent tribute.

President Moon then visited the Memorial Altar in Yeongmowon in Hagwi Village. Emphasizing the significance of Yeongmowon on his social media, he wrote that Yeongmowon is a space for harmony that was established in memory and honor of the Hagwi-based independence activists, fallen heroes, and Jeju 4·3 victims alike. He then stated that three memorial monuments were unveiled in the park in 2003, including Yeonghyeonbi for the independence activists, Chunguibi for the fallen heroes, and Wiryeongbi for the Jeju 4·3 victims. He also introduced a touching epitaph written on the back of Wiryeongbi, which read: “Looking back on the past years, it turned out everyone was a victim. We hereby erect this monument together to show that we all forgive one another. Hence, may the deceased close their eyes, and the living hold each other’s hands.”

In his final message, President Moon wrote: “This may be the spirit reflected in Jeju 4·3. Hopefully, you will have an opportunity to visit [Yeongmowon] and read the epitaph.”

 

– Jeju 4‧3 Peace Foundation Reveals 26 Cases of Massacres of 50 or More People
– Damage Caused to 165 Villages Clarified, Including Disappeared, Imprisoned, and Preliminarily Arrested Victims

The national government released “The Jeju April 3rd Incident Investigation Report” in 2003. Sixteen years have since passed, and the first set of findings of additional investigation was recently released in “Jeju 4·3 Additional Investigation Report Vol. 1.” The report unveiled the newly classified massacres of 50 or more people and the damage caused to 165 villages during Jeju 4·3. With the second and the third volumes planned to be published, the report is expected to help clarify the truth of the past events.

The first volume details a vast range of damages to villages, as well as the cases of massacres, disappearances of prisoners, and preliminary arrests. It also addresses the excavation of the remains of missing victims, the damage caused to the educational sector, and the deaths and injuries caused by the military, police, and right-wing militias.

Particularly, the researchers conducted a complete enumeration survey on the damage caused to 165 villages (ri) in 12 districts (eup/myeon). The 14,442 people who have been identified as victims as of December 2019 were described in a total of 18 categories, depending on the classification of perpetrators, type of damage incurred, style of court case, and success or failure in recovering their remains. In the additional investigation, the research team also discovered that more than 1,200 victims had yet to be reported on.

The findings concerning the damage to villages show that there were as many as 26 massacre cases on Jeju where 50 or more people were killed at one site. The researchers identified each of the victims. The individual homicide cases with 49 or fewer victims were also included in the category if mass murder cases occurred repeatedly on the same site.

The investigation on missing victims revealed that 4,255 people disappeared due to Jeju 4·3, 645 more than the current 3,610 people the National Committee for Investigation of the Jeju 4.3 Incident and Restoring the Honor of the Victims had confirmed. “The Jeju 4·3 Additional Investigation Report” explained, “In many cases, victims whose remains had not been discovered were reported as deceased victims.”

Also clarified in the additional investigation was the damage caused to the 2,261 people who disappeared after being sent to prisons. Particularly, the investigation found what happened to the missing prisoners who had been detained in the Gyeongin and Honam regions on the Korean mainland.

According to the investigation of the preliminary arrest cases, 566 people were victimized in 1950 immediately after the Korean War broke out. The cases of only 53 victims have been clarified, including 40 whose remains were excavated and 13 who died due to detainment or torture. The personal information and whereabouts of the remaining 513 people remain unknown, the report indicated.

In terms of the educational sector, the report documented a total of 700 cases, including the deaths and injuries of 271 teachers and 429 students, as well as material damage such as facility destruction and operating losses to 93 schools.

The researchers also discovered that the attacks by the military, police, and right-wing militias resulted in 1,091 victims, of which the military was responsible for 162, the police were responsible for 289, and the right-wing militias were responsible for 640 deaths. Compared to the 2003 report of 1,051 victims (180 by military, 232 by police, 639 by right-wing groups), the number caused by the military reduced while those attributed to police attacks slightly increased.

So far, 14,442 victims of Jeju 4·3 have been classified based mainly on their legal domiciles. Through the complete enumeration survey, the new report reclassified the victims depending on their actual residential addresses during Jeju 4·3. When using the victims’ legal domiciles, errors may occur in assessing damage because the damaged regions and the victims’ residences differ in several cases.

As a result of the new investigation, the number of victims by village has been adjusted. Nohyeong, the village with the highest number of victims, experienced a slight decrease from 544 to 538 victims, while the number of victims in Bukchon and Gasi Villages increased from 419 to 446 and 407 to 421, respectively. The new report also renewed the Map of Jeju 4·3 Victims by Village, which is based on the victims’ legal domiciles, to reflect the residential information.

If the first report published in 2003 at the national level is a general report on the truth of Jeju 4·3, the newly released additional document would be considered an itemized report. The latest report is significant in that it attempts an in-depth research of the truth of Jeju 4·3 by investigating the damages more specifically. Assuming that the national report is the bones, the additional report could be viewed as adding flesh to those bones.

After taking the responsibility of conducting additional investigation under the Jeju 4·3 special act, the Jeju 4·3 Peace Foundation constituted the Additional Investigation Group (led by Park Chan-shik), which launched in 2012 to research the damage of Jeju 4·3 by village and sector until 2016. In October 2018, the Investigation and Research Lab opened within the foundation. The investigation group formed the Additional Investigation Report Writing Team (led by Yang Jeong-shim) and complemented the existing investigation to finally publish “Jeju 4·3 Additional Investigation Report Vol. 1.” Before its release, the report was reviewed by Seo Joong-seok (Professor Emeritus of Sungkyunkwan University), a scholar specializing in Korean modern history.

The latest report does not address the role or responsibility of the United States in Jeju 4·3, the victims who were imprisoned in the central and Yeongnam regions on the Korean mainland, or the damage caused to overseas Koreans or religious groups. The Jeju 4·3 Peace Foundation plans to release the second and the third volumes of the new report on these issues following additional investigation.

Meanwhile, former Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon wrote in his words of encouragement that the Jeju 4·3 Peace Memorial Hall has a gravestone without an epitaph, which expresses the will to inscribe it with the true name of Jeju 4·3 and erect it one day. Lee said that it is his belief that the recent publication of the additional report will be an important step toward filling the stone with its proper name.

Jeju Governor Won Heeryong also stated in his words of encouragement that the additional report will help clarify the truth of Jeju 4·3 and straighten the island’s history. Finally, he expressed high hopes that the report will contribute greatly to restoring the honor to the victims and their bereaved families.

[Field Report] At the reporting session of identified remains of the 4·3 victims

Kim Yeong-mo, Commemoration Team, Jeju 4·3 Peace Foundation

“Thank you. I am very grateful to have my father back even though it is late.”

The moment the name tags were placed onto the urns, the auditorium at the Jeju 4·3 Peace Education Center filled with the sorrowful wailing of the bereaved families. Their parents and siblings who were victimized and whose bodies were lost due Jeju 4·3 some 70 years ago were finally returned in urns to their long grieving loved ones. The bereaved families who were finally reunited with their long-lost relatives after having grown very old were unable to stop crying during the identification of the remains.

On Jan. 22, a total of 12 victims of the Jeju 4.3 Incident were officially identified, including two brothers whose bodies were confirmed through DNA testing.

Of the 12 identified victims, five were confirmed to have been executed following military trials in 1949 while the remaining seven were found to have been victims of preventative custody in Seogwipo in 1950. These remains were excavated from the northwest and northeast areas of the north-south runway of Jeju International Airport between 2007 and 2009. In order to identify the remains, the blood of 291 bereaved family members was collected and DNA testing was carried out to place names to the victims.

The 12 identified victims include Ko Wan-haeng (from Mureung, Daejeong·born 1917), Ko Ju-man (from Seohong, Seogwi·born 1929), Kim Young-ha (from Topyeong, Seogwi·born 1932), Kim Jae-chul (from Uigwi, Namwon·born 1930), Yang Deok-chil (from Sillye, Namwon·born 1918), Yang Ji-hong (from Uigwi, Namwon·born 1921), Oh Gwan-hyung (from Susan, Seongsan·born 1920), Im Gong-hwa (from Donggwang, Andeok·born 1920), Jeong Ok-ju (from Sillye, Namwon·born 1891), Hyeon Bong-gyu (from Sanghyo, Seogwi·born 1920), Hyeon Chun-gong (from Sanghyo, Seogwi·born 1924) and Hyeon Haeng-ju (from Seohong, Seogwi·born 1925).

The two brothers — Heo Nam-ik (from Seonheul, Jocheon·born 1921) and Heo Nam-seop (from Seonheul, Jocheon·born 1923) — were identified in 2018 but their relationship was only officially confirmed after an additional blood collection drive was conducted.

“It was possible to collect data by using various DNA testing techniques, and, above all, thanks to a great number of bereaved family members who participated by donating blood, we were able to identify who the victims were,” said Lee Soong-deok, a professor of Seoul National University. He added, “For those who have not been identified, the participation of bereaved families will be crucial. We ask for your continuous interest and participation.”

Yang Jo Hoon, chairperson of the Jeju 4·3 Peace Foundation, said, “The fact that the identification rate of the victims of Jeju 4·3 has reached 33 percent is a remarkable achievement that should be recognized in Korea given that less than 2 percent of those killed during the Korea war have been identified.” He highlighted, “However, the bereaved families who have not been able to recover the remains of their family members who were the victims of the preventative custody in the Jeju Northern District are still buried in grief. In order to ease the grief of bereaved families, we will do our best in our efforts to identify more victims.”

The bereaved families then put the name tags onto the urns of their deceased family members, and weeping broke out through the building. Even long after placing the name tags on the urns, they sobbed.

“My older brother who I have been longing to see for such a long time has finally come back home,” said Kim Yeong-ho, who spoke on behalf of the bereaved families. “Although only his remains have been returned, I am very happy. However, at the same time, I also grieve bitterly over my brother’s wrongful death who was only 19 years old when he was killed. Not only for my brother but also for other victims of Jeju 4·3, I grieve for them to rest in peace, as such a tragic incident should not happen again. We sincerely hope that the remains of more victims can be recovered and identified as soon as possible so as to appease the sorrow of the bereaved families.”

The identification of the remains was followed by the offering of flowers and the burning of incense by participants, including Kim Seong-eon, vice governor for administrative affairs; Kim Tae-seok, chair of the Provincial Assembly; Song Seung-moon, chair of the Association for Jeju 4·3 Victims and Bereaved Families; and Yang Jo Hoon, chairperson of the Jeju 4·3 Peace Foundation. The bereaved families placed the urns in the Bongangwan enshrinement hall in the Jeju 4·3 Peace Park and prayed for their eternal rest during a joint memorial service.