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The New Duty of our Generation: Recognizing the unforgettable April 3rd incident
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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.]

It’s been almost 65 years since the painful memory happened in Jeju island. The April 3rd incident, it’s not too much to say that it is the most miserable thing happened in the island, resulted in the loss of 25,000 - 30,000 lives in a day. So many people still has the unforgettable hurt from the April 3rd incident and suffers a war sequela even though 65 years has been past. This incident was a huge scar to people who were living in this island, however there aren’t many people who knows or learns about the April 3rd incident in mainland.


After gaining the independence from Japan in 1945, Korea was in turmoil due to failure of the policies of the US Millitary Administration and other social conflicts. Korea was so confused and perplexed after the independence, and rules of US Millitary. Lee seung man who tried to be the leader of Korea, he was at the side of USA and tried to establish a seperate government from North part of Korea. He killed other leaders who disagreed with his opinion and poised to accomplish May 10th suffrage, which was the first election held in Korea.


However everybody in Jeju island didn’t vote so the Suffrage couldn’t be accomplished. Lee seung man sent a group called ‘The northwestern men’s association’, including 250-300 North Korea spies to Jeju Island, and made them a police to watch over jeju people. On March 1st, a shooting incident happened because police shot a innocent citizen, the civilians were agitated with grief for victim and their sorrow and anger caused them to join the disturbance. Start from March 1st incident in 1947, lots of cruel conflicts and fights were happened between the armed and punitive bands. So the April 3rd incident, not only meaning what happened in April 3rd, the incident means all of the painful and soreful conflicts started from March 1st incident till 1954 Setember 21st.


Kim chul, the chairman of April 3rd peace park, described the scenes of April 3rd incident, “ I was about 7 years old when the April 3rd incident happened. I lived with my grandmother and uncle, we were trying to leave because police was coming up to our town to kill people. Of course I was too young to leave by myself, my uncle and grandmother carried me up and went up to Mt. Halla, but unfortunately, my uncle got shot on his head and died, and I got shot right at my two arms and back of my stomach. Now I can’t move my two arms easily.”


He also talked about the cruelty of the police, he said, “Have you ever heard of northwestern men’s association? I’m sure to say that they were the most cruel and cold people throughout the whole world. Boss of the association even said he couldn’t eat without looking someone’s blood. He even hung up a pregnant women and opened her stomach with just a knife. That’s how cruel they were! So many innocent people died because of that cruel people and they were buried with each other in no terms of lines.”


He also emphasized that it is important children learns right facts about the incident, “ Our generation’s job with the incident is finished. There are nothing that we could do now. We tried to spread the truth of incidents and now, there are only 62 people left in this country who actually lived during the incident. If we all die, nobody will hear about the factual story from real person who lived in 1948. Now, it’s your generation’s turn, your generation’s job to conserve the truth of April 3rd incident and pass down to next generations. So, please recognize the importance of this incident and please have a huge interest on this incident.”


Even after the enormous incident finished, jeju people had to suffer with ‘the guilt by association’. They couldn’t talk about the April 3rd incident, and if they talk about it, they will be send out to prison and their family will be in a danger. With this rule, people couldn’t even talk about how painful it was. They just had to repeat it in their own mind and bear up their grudge on the police.


Jeju people had to suffer so many things throught this incident, and even after the incident. They had to die even though they didn’t to anything. In Jeju Island, there are still some people who are alive and remembers the painful memory of their life. They put so much effort, spreading their life to make people remember this incident such as making a museum or writing books. Now, it’s our generation’s turn to understand the fact of April 3rd incident and pass it to next generation.

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