“Shortly after the soldiers herded each group like pigs and disappeared, a volley of gunfire would erupt, like corn popping. Wails shook the earth and filled the air. The seemingly never-ending horrific mayhem that began at midday kept on going until dusk.” ― This is an excerpt from Sun-I Samch’on, a representative novel that covers the Jeju 4·3 Tragedy. The 4·3 Tragedy is generally described as when numerous innocent residents of Jeju Island were victimized during armed conflict and excessive suppression from April 3, 1948, to September 21, 1954. Marking the 73rd anniversary of the tragedy, on February 26, the Special Act on Discovering the Truth of the Jeju 4·3 Tragedy and the Restoration of the Honor of Victims was fully revised at the National Assembly.

What is the Jeju 4·3 Tragedy?

To fully understand the 4·3 Tragedy, comprehension of the historical context of South Korea in the 1940s is necessary. Korea had regained independence from Japan in 1945, after 36 years of being colonized. Straight after, the militaries of both the United States (U.S.) and the Soviet Union temporarily governed different halves of the Korean peninsula, marking the invasion of Cold War politics in the region. Jeju, meanwhile, was suffering from corrupt government officials and coercive police who continued their reign from Japan’s colonization period.

On March 1, 1947, a commemoration of the March 1st Movement was held at Gwandeokjung in Jeju, during which a police officer accidentally hit a girl with his horse. The police interpreted the people claiming an apology as an attack and fired guns, killing six. People protested the injustice by commencing a general strike on March 10. Accepting the strike as a communist movement, the ruling U.S. military government arrested and tortured around 2,500 people. Even after the strike ended, the then government’s rigidly aggressive policies continued, forcing many Jeju islanders to flee to mountainous areas.

On April 3, 1948, the Jeju branch of the South Korea Labor Party rose in arms at Mt. Halla. Solely to suppress the rebellion, the then government implemented martial law, which claimed all men living five kilometers away from the coastline were rebels. A scorched earth policy was implemented, meaning that anything the people of Jeju found useful was destroyed. The massacre continued until November 1954. During the seven years of massacre, about 300,000 people were killed, which accounted for one-ninth of all Jeju people at the time.

Harm Imposed by the 4.3 Incident

The scorched earth policy operated from November 1948 to February 1949, leaving disastrous consequences. Most Jeju villages located in the mountainous areas were devastated. Numerous residents who were at the wrong place at the wrong time were deemed rebels.

According to records, Kang Jung-soon, born in 1925, was sentenced to one year in prison and suffered coercive torture which resulted in hearing loss. She was charged with “rebellion” due to her residency in a mountainous area. Lee Bo-yeon, another victim, stated, “I was neighbor to a person whose father died from the armed rebels. When the police arrested me, I thought I was being taken as a witness, but then I was interrogated. The torture was horrible. I falsely confessed just to survive. Then, without a trial, I was put into jail for 15 years.” Numerous cases such as these imply that many innocent people were wrongly pained.

The consequent trauma penetrated the lives of Jeju people deeply. Guilt by association was applied. Moreover, people whose family were killed in the 4·3 Tragedy were socially disadvantaged. They were banned from being appointed as a government or military official, as well as limited in workplace promotions. Above all, Jeju people had to live with a stigma that they were associated with great threats to national security, particularly after Korea was divided into the North and South in 1953, with South Korea adopting anti-communist ideals.

The Special Act and Its Meaning

Although the 4·3 Tragedy was an unjust massacre of innocent civilians, it remained hidden and a taboo for more than half a century. So many citizens were sacrificed, with no regards for their human rights, but many people have been indifferent to it. To prevent recurrence, the past had to be faced, and the exact truth discovered. This is where the special act and its purpose have meaning.

The revision of the special act regarding the 4·3 Tragedy includes payment of alimony to victims and bereaved families, the promotion of a special retrial for illegal trials, and additional fact-finding. Subsequently, the government will carry out research services to provide financial support, including compensation standards. Furthermore, additional revision work or separate legislative measures will be implemented accordingly. The revised bill also includes measures to restore the honor of prisoners who were falsely accused and driven to prison.

“It is so emotional to see the act finally ratified. We feel that the numerous years that we have spent to make the change are finally acknowledged,” stated Kim Eun-hee, Research Director of the 4·3 research institute. The fact that not only bereaved family but also various organizations and civic groups made arduous and persistent efforts to shed light on government-induced injustice has played a significant role in the approval of the act. The road leading to the act and the act itself is meaningful because it arouses hope for all people undergoing undeserving hardships and could be a role model of reconciliation.

In a way, the discourse surrounding the 4·3 Tragedy was much like the state of the error Page Not Found; it was desired but not found. In an atmosphere where even talking about the victims was regarded as an offense, the truth was buried for so long. Therefore, the process of recognizing it as a part of our tragic modern history is undoubtedly meaningful.

Also, it is a prime example demonstrating that government power should be exerted legally, and that for their wrongdoings, ascertaining the truth and rehabilitation, as well as compensation of victims, are necessary. If not constantly reminded, tragedies much like the 4·3 Tragedy can happen again. Continuous concern and solicitude towards history are needed to prevent tragedies from being repeated.