JEJU WEEKLY

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May Your Soul Rest in Peace; The Tragedy of April 3rd
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[This article is written by a JDC Junior Journalist. The JDC Junior Journalist program is an educational project sponsored by Jeju Free International City Development Corporation (JDC). JDC Junior Journalist articles are only briefly edited by mentors before publishing.]

In 1947, the people of Jeju tried to stop the single-handed election for unification of Korea. The government ignored it, suppression began, and the beautiful island of Jeju was branded as a vicious communist island. It was the starting point of the one of the bloodiest massacre in the Korean history.

For 7 years, until the korean war was ended, 1,4000 people tortured and killed by the Korean government and U.S army. Since then, numerous people have suffered from the trauma and painful memories.

Despite the all that struggles, many people survived. Mr. Kim Cheol, one of the survivors of the April 3rd massacre, was only 7 years old when his home village was raided by the police and army.

As he spoke about the events his voice was shaking and his lips was twitching. His memory seemed accurate even though he was just a kid during the massacres. Mr. Kim said, “I can still remember it vividly. It was very dark that day. I think that it was about 7-8 o’ clock in the evening. Back then, there was no electricity so we had to use the kerosene lamp but it wasn’t as bright as candle.” He also said, “Our village elder gathered all the villagers and said that we had to escape or we are going to slain by police or mobs.” Desperate, Mr. Kim’s family packed up and ran away from town in a hurry. But they were caught very quickly. “There was a sudden sounds of a gun. We couldn’t know where it was coming from. We were stuck the bushes. My uncle was shot here (he points his temple). He was already dead. And I took a bullet, too, in my arms. I cried myself to sleep. When I woke up, we had already gone back to the village” he said. He showed where he had been shot in both his right and left arms. He has difficulty moving his arms.

Mr. Kim express his anger at the ‘NorthWest Youth Association’ a group of anti-communist, whom accmulated wealth and were like by many. They were notorious for a cruel heart and their behaviour was equally cruel. The killed in order to take the possessions of others. Mr. Kim said, “They were very cruel men and I seen men dying of starvation.” He believe they should apologize for what they did and be punished.

Jeju’s April 3 Peace Park stands as a reminder of the sacrifices that people paid during the massacres. It details the history and struggles of those lost and those who survived the terrible tragedy, in order to educate future generations.  

¨Ï Jeju Weekly 2009 (http://www.jejuweekly.com)
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