Police Chief Min Gap-ryong Visits Jeju 4·3 Peace Park to Pay Respects: "Reflecting on Police Mistakes"

National Police Agency Commissioner Min Gap-ryong is giving a salute to the spirits of the victims of the Jeju April 3 Incident during his visit to the Jeju 4·3 Park on the morning of the 12th. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] On the 12th, Min Gap-ryong, Commissioner of the National Police Agency, visited the Jeju 4·3 Peace Park to pay tribute to the victims of the Jeju 4·3 Incident. This is the second time a sitting police commissioner has visited the 4·3 Peace Park.

On the morning of the same day, Commissioner Min visited the 4·3 Peace Park in Bonggae-dong, Jeju City, to pay respects. He offered flowers and incense at the memorial altar and saluted to honor the victims.

Commissioner Min then toured the memorial hall where the spirit tablets of about 14,000 victims, including fallen police officers, are enshrined. In the guestbook, he wrote, "Reflecting on the pain of the Jeju 4·3 Incident, we will take the wishes of the bereaved families as a milestone and steadfastly advance as a democratic, human rights, and community-oriented police force." He emphasized, "It is most important that those who were wrong first apologize to resolve past issues."

Additionally, during a meeting with Yang Jo-hoon, Chairman of the Jeju 4·3 Peace Foundation, Commissioner Min stated, "I will soon meet with the central leadership of the Police Veterans Association to prepare measures to promote the values of reconciliation and coexistence of 4·3 at the central level."

The Jeju 4·3 Incident refers to the tragic events over seven years and seven months, from the March 1st commemoration shooting incident in 1947 until the lifting of the Hallasan mountain curfew on September 21, 1954, during which many residents were unjustly killed amid military and police suppression of unrest.

Previously, former Police Commissioner Heo Jun-young was the first to visit the 4·3 Peace Park in 2005. Commissioner Min’s visit is the second by a police chief in history.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.