President-elect vows to heal wounds of Jeju Massacre victims

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol delivers a speech during a ceremony paying tribute to the victims of the Jeju Massacre at the Jeju April 3 Peace Park on Jeju Island, Sunday. Yoon is the first president or president-elect from a conservative party to attend the ceremony. Yonhap

By Kwon Mee-yoo

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol visited Jeju Island, Sunday, to pay his tribute to the victims of the Jeju Massacre which began on April 3, 1948, vowing to restore the tarnished honor of the victims of the massacre and their families during his term.

This is the first time for a president or president-elect of a conservative party to attend the ceremony to commemorate the anniversary. Yoon kept the promise he made in February during the presidential campaign to attend the memorial ceremony if elected.

The incident, often referred to as April 3 or 4.3, began when Jeju islanders held a protest against the U.S. Army Military Government in Korea and its plan to hold an election for the southern half of the peninsula only.

The uprising was suppressed with violence and the protesters were accused of being communist insurgents, resulting in years of violence lasting until 1954, which saw the deaths of some 30,000 civilians, approximately 10 percent of the island's population at the time.

"We remember the tragic history of the Jeju April 3 Uprising and the innocent victims of the massacre," Yoon said in his speech during the ceremony, wearing a camellia-shaped pin commemorating the victims.

"Healing the anguish and tending to the scars of April 3 is our responsibility as we move toward a future of reconciliation and coexistence."

He added that the new government will make efforts to promote the values of peace and human rights highlighted at the Jeju 4.3 Peace Park.

Kim Eun-hye, spokesperson of President-elect Yoon, emphasized Yoon will to keep his word to Jeju islanders.

"President-elect Yoon was supposed to announce the prime minister nominee in the morning, but instead he visited Jeju Island to attend the April 3 ceremony because he thought it was more important for him to honor the victims who were sacrificed for democracy," Kim said.

Oh Im-jong of the Association for Bereaved Families of 4.3 Victims appreciated President-elect Yoon for keeping his word and attending the ceremony.

"National integration begins from accepting and healing the past... (We hope) for President-elect Yoon to become a president who keeps his promises and integrates the country by including the pledge to compensate the victims' families in his major government projects," Oh said during the ceremony.

Roh Moo-hyun became the first Korean president to issue an official apology from the Korean government to the massacre victims in 2003, and he attended the commemorative ceremony on Jeju in 2006. Conservative former presidents Lee Myng-bak and Park Geun-hye did not attend the April 3 ceremonies, while current President Moon Jae-in took part in the ceremony three times in 2018, 2020 and 2021.

Last December, the National Assembly approved a special bill on providing up to 90 million won in compensation to the victims.

The Special Act on Discovering the Truth of the Jeju 4.3 Incident and the Restoration of Honor of Victims marks the biggest amount of compensation from the government to the victims of a single historical incident.