First reading class offered at Jeju 4‧3 Children’s Experience Center

The Jeju 4·3 Peace Foundation ran its first reading class for children under the theme of “War and Peace Told in Picture Books” for the summer vacation. The reading course, titled “Summer, Tell Me a Jeju 4·3 Story,” was offered in three sessions at the Jeju 4·3 Children’s Experience Center between July 27 and Aug. 10, each session accepting 20 students in grades 3-5 on a first-come, first-served basis.

The reading class was arranged for the first time this year to encourage children to learn about Jeju 4·3, peace, and human rights, and to get in the habit of reading. Lee Kyung-hee (a former secondary school teacher and book discussion instructor) was invited to run the course with different books for each session. On July 27, the first group read the historical picture book “Hurray for the independence of Korea!” (written by Cho Hyun-kyung and illustrated by Heo Hyun-kyung) and discussed the flow of history. The second session on August 3 featured “A Wooden Seal” (written and illustrated by Kwon Yoon-duk) and “Adrift in the Sea of Jeju 4·3” (written by Yoo Soo-jin and illustrated by Park Gun-woong), the books that help children understand and discuss Jeju 4·3. On Aug. 10, the students read the picture book “Six Men” (written by David McKee and translated by Kim Jungchul), discussing the value of peace and efforts to achieve enduring peace, with opportunities to think about the causes of different conflicts in history.