President absent from Jeju memorial service

Prime Minister Chung Hong-won speaks during a ceremony to commemorate those killed during the 1948 Jeju Uprising at the Jeju April 3 Peace Park, Wednesday. / Yonhap

By Jun Ji-hye

President Park Geun-hye did not attend a memorial ceremony Wednesday for those killed during the April 3 Jeju Uprising in 1948, drawing criticism from opposition parties.

A service was held to mark the 65th anniversary of the so-called “4.3 Uprising,” in which police and soldiers killed tens of thousands of people who opposed establishing a separate government and holding separate elections from North Korea after the country regained independence in 1945.

Park previously pledged to pay more attention to healing the bitter memories of Jeju residents when she visited South Korea's largest island during last year’s presidential election. Her promise included designating April 3 a national memorial day.

“I really regret Park’s absence as she made a promise regarding the April 3 massacre during the presidential campaign,” said Moon Hee-sang, chairman of the main opposition Democratic United Party (DUP), during the ceremony.

He claimed late President Roh Moo-hyun attended the annual ceremony during his term of office and officially apologized to Jeju residents as head of state, but Park’s predecessor President Lee Myung-bak never took part.

Roh Hoi-chan, co-chairman of the minority Progressive Justice Party, said, “During the poll, President Park promised to thoroughly examine the incident and look through the process toward state compensation. I want to ask her to express her will to fulfill these.”

On March 21, a family association of bereaved relatives and the DUP’s Jeju office held a joint press conference at which they requested Park’s participation.

Cheong Wa Dae officials cited a rise in inter-Korean tension as the reason for her absence from the ceremony. Prime Mister Chung Hong-won attended the ceremony as a government representative.

“As President Park promised, the government will try to push ahead with expanding state subsidies for the Jeju April 3 Peace Foundation and to designate the day as a national memorial day in order to console the bereaved families in their sadness,” Chung said in an address.