YANG Seong-Ju [Deputy Chairperson, Jeju 4·3 Victims' Families Association]
1. Background and development of Jeju April 3 incident Following the liberation from Japanese colonial rule, the Korean Peninsula was occupied by the US and Soviet forces, marking the beginning of military rule. The US military, which occupied the area south of the 38th parallel, retained Japanese bureaucrats and police officers for administrative convenience, implementing policies that did not resonate with the sentiments of the people. On August 1, 1946, Jeju Island was separated from Jeolla Province and was elevated to a separate administrative region called Jeju Province. Immediately afterward, the police and defense forces were reinforced. With high inflation and skyrocketing rice prices, young people were unable to find jobs, and cholera broke out. The people's lives did not improve; instead, they complained that conditions were worse than during Japanese colonial rule.
.
.
.
On December 3, 2024, Sukyeol Yoon declared a state of emergency and imposed martial law, causing insurrection. This is the consequence of the failure to properly hold those responsible for past abuses of state power accountable. The best way to prevent future state violence is to clearly hold those responsible for the past histories accountable.
Jeju April 3 Incident and State Violence
YANG Seong-Ju [Deputy Chairperson, Jeju 4·3 Victims' Families Association]
1. Background and development of Jeju April 3 incident
Following the liberation from Japanese colonial rule, the Korean Peninsula was occupied by the US and Soviet forces, marking the beginning of military rule. The US military, which occupied the area south of the 38th parallel, retained Japanese bureaucrats and police officers for administrative convenience, implementing policies that did not resonate with the sentiments of the people. On August 1, 1946, Jeju Island was separated from Jeolla Province and was elevated to a separate administrative region called Jeju Province. Immediately afterward, the police and defense forces were reinforced. With high inflation and skyrocketing rice prices, young people were unable to find jobs, and cholera broke out. The people's lives did not improve; instead, they complained that conditions were worse than during Japanese colonial rule.
.
.
.
On December 3, 2024, Sukyeol Yoon declared a state of emergency and imposed martial law, causing insurrection. This is the consequence of the failure to properly hold those responsible for past abuses of state power accountable. The best way to prevent future state violence is to clearly hold those responsible for the past histories accountable.