Latest news with #JejuMassacre
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Jeju Massacre archives added to UNESCO Memory of the World
JEJU ISLAND, South Korea, April 14 (UPI) -- Archives documenting an early Cold War-era massacre on a South Korean island and the decadeslong truth-finding process seeking reconciliation that followed has been selected by UNESCO for preservation, recognizing the Jeju Massacre documents as world heritage that belongs to all. The Executive Board of UNESCO made the decision to inscribe "Revealing Truth: Jeju 4.3 Archives" onto its Memory of the World Register on Thursday during a meeting in Paris, according to both the South Korean and Jeju Island governments. The archives detail not only the Jeju Massacre -- known as Jeju 4.3 in Korean, when an estimated 30,000 people were killed on Jeju Island during the newly founded South Korean government's suppression of a communist revolt between 1947-54 -- but also the grassroots truth-finding movement that followed. It consists of 14,673 items, including nearly 14,000 documents, more than 500 videos, 94 audio recordings, 25 postcards, 20 booklets, 19 books and one epitaph. They include documents from the time of the massacre, including judicial trial records and reports and memorandums by the U.S. military government and advisory group, as well as those produced afterward through testimonies of survivors and findings by non-governmental organizations. Jeju Gov. Oh Young-hun celebrated the archive's adoption into UNESCO's Memory of the World as a collective accomplishment made possible by islanders, bereaved families, government officials, scholars and civil society "who have worked together over many years to uncover the truth of 4.3." "Thanks to your efforts, Jeju 4.3 will now be passed down as a legacy for the world," he said in a statement. "To all the citizens who have walked this long path with us, Jeju 4.3 has become a global history that awakens the values of reconciliation, coexistence, peace and human rights." Created in 1992, the Memory of the World Program seeks to preserve and protect the world's documentary heritage. Jeju submitted its application for inclusion in the program in November 2023, with the campaign having officially begun in 2018 though discussions surrounding the possibility of adoption in the program date back to 2013. Ban Youngkwan, manager of the research department at the Jeju 4.3 Peace Foundation, which was behind the application, told UPI in a recent telephone interview, that inscription into UNESCO's Memory of the World program represents international recognition of not only the massacre but the democratic movement to preserve it. "We would like to believe that it is a kind of acknowledgement of the solution ... not just about the past atrocity, but also the solution of Jeju April 3, which is like a bottom-up project," he said. Though the atrocity resulted in the deaths of 10% of Jeju's population in the years following Korea's liberation from Japan and razed tens of thousands of homes and hundreds of villages, it was little known even in South Korea as victims were silenced for generations due to stigma and government reprisals. Only through the perseverance of activists, academics and the Jeju people was the history of the massacre collected and preserved, leading to the government eventually initiating investigations following democratization, culminating in the adoption of "The Jeju 4.3 Incident Investigation Report" in 2003. That report, based on the documents in the archive, prompted South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun on Oct. 31, 2003, to issue a formal apology to the Jeju people. "These records underscore the global significance of human rights and provide a meaningful example of how the people of Jeju have addressed a painful history through a spirit of reconciliation and mutual coexistence," the Korea Heritage Service said in a statement. Ban explained that in their application to UNESCO they state that these documents are a unique example of a truth and reconciliation movement initiated by civil society. "That's the key idea of our application," he said ahead of UNESCO making its decision. "If they accept it, we would like to believe that they acknowledge those facts." With inclusion in the program, Ban suggested that it could mean more funding for preservation projects dedicated to Jeju 4.3 and it could have an educational effect, which could help the foundation's movement -- and that of the island -- to make the massacre better known throughout the world. Though it can be seen as mainly symbolic, the adoption as a Memory of the World is important recognition for bereaved families and activist and sends a message to those currently being victimized by state violence, Ban said. "We would like to give them some kind of hope -- [that] your dog days will pass and you can bring the truth [to light] like we did," he said. "We would like to give them so hope and also to teach new models over how you can [uncover] the truths and also rebuild their community after that, after state violence." With the inclusion of "Revealing Truth: Jeju 4.3 Archives," South Korea how has 20 Memory of the World-registered documents.
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Jeju Island mourns Cold War massacre dead under shadow of Yoon's martial law declaration
JEJU ISLAND, South Korea, April 3 (UPI) -- South Korea's Jeju Island collectively mourned the deaths of tens of thousands killed nearly eight decades ago during an early Cold War massacre on Thursday, as the southern resort island tries to heal old wounds reopened by President Yoon Suk-yeol's short-lived declaration of martial law. Thousands, many in their 70s and older, attended the 77th annual Jeju 4.3 Memorial Ceremony at the Jeju 4.3 Peace Park, just north of Jeju City, where they honored the estimated 30,000 Jeju Islanders killed mostly by South Korea's counterinsurgency forces between 1947 and 1954 in an attempt to put down a leftist uprising. An estimated 10% of the island's population was culled and hundreds of villages were razed during the Jeju Massacre, known as the Jeju April 3 Incident in Korean. Survivors were prohibited from speaking of their trauma until the 2000s due to fear of government reprisals and societal stigma. The event on Thursday began at 10 a.m. local time with a moment of silence followed by remarks from acting President Han Duck-soo. "I deeply engrave in my heart the innocent sacrifices of the victims and bow my head in sincere remembrance," he said. "I extend my deepest condolences to the surviving victims and bereaved families who have endured years of pain and sorrow." It was not clear until early Thursday that Han would speak at the event, despite having attended the last two Jeju 4.3 memorial ceremonies as prime minister, with the anniversary falling amid a period of political turmoil in South Korea. On Friday, the verdict in Yoon's impeachment trial is set to be announced by South Korea's Constitutional Court, where he is being tried for declaring martial law on the night of Dec. 3. Angered by staunch resistance to his policies from the opposition party, Yoon, a conservative, declared martial law, accusing his opponents of being North Korean sympathizers and conducting unspecified anti-state activities. Though aborted hours later by the National Assembly and impeached later that month, the declaration of martial law resurrected decades-old nightmares on Jeju of government forces skulking through the island's mountain region and killing anyone they saw on sight. "It felt like the sky was collapsing. My heart ached. I was so angry and terrified," Ahn Young-ran, 55, told UPI, recounting how she felt the night martial law was declared. She was attending the memorial ceremony with her husband, Yang In-seop, 52, and were performing Jaesa memorial rites for his grandparents, who were killed during the massacre under martial law. "Because we know what that meant, we couldn't sleep that night, fearing we were returning to the past." Martial law was first declared in South Korea in October 1948 to put down an armed mutiny by a regiment of the South Korean Army resisting deployment to Jeju to suppress the communist uprising. The next month, President Syngman Rhee again declared martial law -- this time for all of Jeju, legitimizing the military operation that had already begun and would continue despite the declaration's revocation in December. Though the Jeju Massacre lasted until September 1954, the majority of the killings occurred that winter of 1948-49. The symbol of the Jeju Massacre -- a red camellia flower, which blooms on the island in early spring -- has been adopted by the protest movement against Yoon. When National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik signed the articles of impeachment against the president on Dec. 14, a red camellia pin adorned his lapel. The acting president briefly mentioned the political crisis during his remarks on Thursday, acknowledging that "our nation is facing various challenges, both domestically and internationally." "National unity is more urgent than ever," he said. "If we fail to overcome ideological, generational, regional and class conflicts, it will be difficult to overcome the current crisis and sustainable growth for Korea will not be possible. "The spirit of Jeju 4.3 teaches us the invaluable lessons of reconciliation and coexistence, which are more important now than ever." At least one person was forcibly removed from the crowd for protesting during Han's speech, while a few others called for Yoon to be impeached and the acting president to step down. "Impeachment must happen, no matter what," Ahn told UPI. "If not, something like this will happen again."
Korea Herald
03-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
Svetlana Alexievich awarded Korean international peace prize
Belarusian writer and journalist Svetlana Alexievich has been awarded the 6th Jeju 4·3 Peace Prize. Established in 2015, the Jeju 4·3 Peace Prize honors the spirit of reconciliation and coexistence demonstrated by the people of Jeju in addressing the legacy of the April 3 Incident and the subsequent Jeju Massacre. Jeju 4·3 refers to the tragic governmental crackdown and civilian massacre that took place on the island from 1947 to 1954. Presented biennially, the prize recognizes individuals who have significantly contributed to peace, human rights, democracy, and social integration worldwide. Born in 1948 in Ukraine, Alexievich is an investigative journalist, essayist and oral historian who writes in Russian. She was awarded the 2015 Nobel Prize in literature 'for her polyphonic writings, a monument to suffering and courage in our time,' becoming the first Belarusian writer to receive the honor. Throughout her career, the 76-year-old writer has documented the suffering and resilience of vulnerable individuals -- particularly women and children -- who endured historical tragedies such as World War II, the Soviet-Afghan War and the Chernobyl disaster. Alexievich writes "novels of voices," according to the Nobel committee, using interviews with a wide range of subjects to create a tapestry of reportage. One of her most renowned works, 'The Unwomanly Face of War,' sheds light on the experiences of women whose voices were often neglected in male-dominated war narratives. 'Alexievich has not only supported the values of democracy through her literary work but has also embodied the principles of peace through both her writing and her life,' said the Jeju 4·3 Peace Foundation. The Jeju 4·3 Peace Foundation will hold the award ceremony on April 29. The prize includes a plaque and a cash award of $50,000.
Korea Herald
01-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
YouTuber donates profits from 'When Life Gives You Tangerines' reviews for Jeju Island
Contribution made to the foundation commemorating the island's painful history of civilian massacre in 1940s and 50s A local YouTuber said recently he was donating the entire profits he made with review videos about a hit drama "When Life Gives You Tangerines" to the Jeju 4.3 Peace Foundation, a government-funded body that commemorates the civilian massacre that took place on the island from 1947 to 1954. Kim Hong-gyu, the Jeju-born YouTuber and comedian, said he has made about 3.43 million won ($2,334) with the review videos. "I've thought a lot about how I should use this money. ... Many people don't really know about April 3, so I decided to donate the profits of (review videos of) 'When Life Gives You Tangerines,' which carries the spirit of Jeju, to the Jeju 4.3 Peaceh Foundation." Kim revealed the transaction record of him sending 5 million won, the rest coming out of his own pocket, to the foundation. He expressed his wishes that more people would take interest in the incident, and care more about the Jeju Island. Kim was born and raised on the island and currently resides in Jeju City. Most of his videos are comedy sketches and reviews of local eateries, and Jeju Special Self-Governing Provincial Government in 2023 recognized his contributions by naming him a PR ambassador for the southern island. The popular Netflix series "When Life Gives You Tangerines" does not directly depict the April 3 Incident, but focuses on the lives of those living in 1960s Jeju. The April 3 Incident or Jeju Massacre refers to the island-wide crackdown by the newly liberated Korea's authorities against what they said were communist collaborators. In what is considered one of the worst abuses of state power in the country's history, at least 14,822 civilians are confirmed to have been killed or gone missing in the incident as of 2024, nearly 1,000 of whom were aged 10 or younger.
