President Moon Attends 4·3 Memorial Ceremony for the Third Time… Blue House "Doing Our Best Until End of Term"

Explanation of the Significance of the 4·3 Special Act Passage... Defense Minister and Police Chief Attend Memorial Ceremony for the First Time

[Asia Economy Reporter Ryu Jeong-min] President Moon Jae-in attended the Jeju 4·3 Victims Memorial Ceremony for the third time during his tenure. The Blue House explained that this reflected his determination to do his best until the end of his term to fully resolve the truth investigation and restore the honor of the victims.

The Blue House stated on the 3rd, "President Moon attended the 73rd Jeju 4·3 Victims Memorial Ceremony held at 10 a.m. on the 3rd in the multipurpose hall on the first floor of the Jeju 4·3 Peace Education Center within Jeju 4·3 Peace Park in Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, together with First Lady Kim Jung-sook."

President Moon visited Jeju 4·3 Peace Park for the third time during his tenure, following the 70th anniversary memorial ceremony in 2018 and the 72nd anniversary memorial ceremony in 2020. The Blue House explained that President Moon’s attendance at the memorial ceremony for two consecutive years was to collectively reflect with the entire nation on the historic significance of the passage of the “Special Act on the Investigation of the Truth and Restoration of Honor for the Jeju 4·3 Incident” (hereinafter referred to as the 4·3 Special Act) in February this year, which embodied the long-standing wishes of the bereaved families and Jeju residents.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The Blue House said, "The amendment of the 4·3 Special Act, which achieved restoration of honor through collective retrials and additional government investigations, is a precious result of the government’s strong will to resolve past issues in line with the public’s expectations," adding, "It means that the 'Spring of Jeju' promised by President Moon in his 70th anniversary memorial speech three years ago has come one step closer."

Im Se-eun, deputy spokesperson of the Blue House, evaluated, "For the first time in history, the Minister of National Defense and the Commissioner of the National Police Agency attended this memorial ceremony. As heads of public authority enforcement agencies, reflecting on the painful history of 4·3 and showing remorse, it is meaningful in demonstrating the Moon Jae-in administration’s commitment to resolving past issues in line with the public’s expectations, which is a government policy task."

Representatives of the four ruling and opposition parties, the Minister of Justice, the Minister of the Interior and Safety, and the chairman of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission also attended this memorial ceremony. The title of this 4·3 memorial ceremony was set in Jeju dialect as “Dombakkkot-i hwaljjag piesseuda,” meaning “The camellia flower has fully bloomed,” symbolizing that the 'Spring of Jeju' has matured further.

In his 73rd anniversary memorial speech, President Moon expressed gratitude to the ruling and opposition party officials, 4·3 organizations, and bereaved families who joined forces for the passage of the 4·3 Special Act, emphasizing that this amendment is a meaningful advancement toward the complete resolution of Jeju 4·3. He also urged the government and the National Assembly to maintain continuous interest and efforts so that the 4·3 Special Act does not merely wipe away the tears of the victims but surely bears fruit.

Meanwhile, the 73rd Jeju 4·3 Victims Memorial Ceremony began at 10 a.m. with a one-minute moment of silence siren sounded throughout Jeju Island. Along with the siren, residents held a solemn moment of remembrance for the spirits of 4·3 at their respective places.

The ceremony was hosted by announcer Shin Young-il and Jeju native announcer Jo Soo-bin. The opening video introduced tourist sites known for their beautiful scenery but also holding painful histories as massacre sites where many Jeju residents were killed during the 4·3 Incident, set to the original song “Becoming a Camellia and Meeting Again” composed and sung by students of Heungsan Elementary School in Jeju.

The 73rd anniversary memorial video symbolically expressed “a time of mourning where the living and the dead meet in one space.” The text “You may have had a spring to grieve,” written by Jeju native writer Heo Young-seon, currently director of the Jeju 4·3 Research Institute, was recited by Jeju native actress Ko Doo-shim.

The memorial performance was composed of the song “Pureun Nal” (originally by Song Chang-sik), performed by the male trio “Sweet Sorrow” (In Hojin, Kim Young-woo, Song Woo-jin), who have participated in music programs such as “I Am a Singer 3” and “Immortal Songs.”

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