Civic groups demand apology from US for massacres in April 3 “incident”

A post to gather signatures for a nationwide petition urging the US government to apologize for the Jeju April 3 “incident” and to enact proper rectification measures.

Rally in Seoul to deliver petition of 100,000 signatures to US Embassy on Oct. 31

The Association for the Bereaved Families of Victims, the Pan-National Committee for the 70th Anniversary of Jeju April 3, the Jeju Memorial Project Committee, and other groups associated with the Jeju Uprising of 1948–49 announced on Oct. 24 that they were sending 100,000 collected signatures to the US embassy in Seoul to demand responsible actions from the US in connection with the incident.

The groups plan to hold a ceremony at Seoul’s Gwanghwamun Square at 1 pm on Oct. 31 for the delivery of the 100,000 signatures urging the US to take responsibility in connection with massacres perpetrated during the uprising, with the signatures from 100,000 people collected through a nationwide campaign to be delivered to the US embassy.

“April 3 [in 1948] was an incident in which over 30,000 Jeju residents lost their lives due to mistaken actions by public authorities at a time when a US military advisory group had control over the South Korean military in the period of US military administration rule after the formation of the South Korean government,” the groups said.

Since late 2017, the groups have been waging a campaign to collect signatures urging the US to apologize and UN to take responsible actions in connection with the massacres.

A poster for the the Pan-National Committee for the 70th Anniversary of Jeju April 3

Campaign to give massacre a proper name

The Pan-National Committee is also holding an academic conference on the topic “Finding a Proper Name for April 3” at the second main conference room of the Seoul Metropolitan Council members’ hall at 1 pm on Oct. 27. The conference is to include presentations and discussions on the topics “April 3, the Right of Self-Determination, and Occupation Law” (Konkuk University law professor Lee Jae-seung), “Why Is April 3 Still an ‘Incident’ in Textbooks?” (Seoul National University Graduate School of International Studies Park Tae-gyun, and “Jeju April 3: A Look Back on Finding a Name” (Jeju April 3 Peace Foundation research office director Yang Jeong-sim).

“We are planning to share scholarly research findings to provide a theoretical foundation for properly naming Jeju April 3, and to have discussions to share opinions on the nature and name of Jeju April 3,” the Pan-National Committee said.

From Oct. 27 to Nov. 1, a Jeju April 3 70th anniversary exhibition will also be taking place north of the statue of King Sejong the Great on Gwanghwamun Square in downtown Seoul.

By Huh Ho-joon, Jeju correspondent

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