[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.]

Many people think Jeju island is a peaceful, calm and beautiful place. However, Jeju had once experienced a miserable and terrible time that made an unhealed wound on Jeju until now. It is the ‘April 3 (4.3) Massacre.’ At the time of massacre, an estimated 20,000 to 30,000 innocent people were killed by the police and army, and there are many survivors who are still suffering from the terrible event. They won’t ever be able to forget what happened. In 2003 President Noh Mu Hyun gave a public apology to the Jeju people but it wasn’t enough. The true history of the massacre, such as who ordered the police to open fire on the crowd on March 1st, should be documented. Moreover, sufficient compensation for the survivors of the massacre should be given.

After World War II, Korea regained its independence, but was split between North and South. Jeju people protested against Korea’s separation and President Synghman Rhee’s policy. On April 3rd, 1948, soldiers attacked innocent Jeju people. Soldiers shot guns and that caused many innocent deaths. A lot of kids, hanging on the back of their grandmothers, were trying to run away but eventually got shot. It is hard for us to believe that soldiers shot guns at little kids without any reason. Those little kids cried so badly and many of them collapsed. When they woke up, they found out that their family had died. They saw their family getting beaten by the soldiers, begging and crying. And later on, the little kids had to live by themselves without anyone to take care of them.

Kim Cheoul, a survivor of the 4.3 massacre, spoke about the recent film Jiseul directed by O-Meaul that was released in 2013. He said, “ The movie is not the same even a little bit. The real 4.3 Massacre was more terrible and miserable than that.” A lot of people might have seen the movie and thought that it was a very miserable and tragic event. However, according to Kim Cheoul, it was much more terrible.

Until now, 4.3 Massacre has been a completely taboo subject. Under the Presidents of military background, the Massacre was defined as a rebellion and people who tried to reveal the facts of the Massacre was regarded as communists. During the Kim Dae-jung government, official research for 4.3 Massacre began, and the real facts and tragedy of the Massacre was revealed. To help the survivors of 4.3 Massacre, we have to be interested in their sufferings and the real history of the massacre.