74th Anniversary Ceremony of the Yeosun Incident Held as the First Government Event... 500 Attendees Including Jeonnam Residents

Memorial Ceremony Held Under the Theme '74 Years of Tears, We Must Wipe Them Away'

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The government announced on the 19th that it held the '74th Anniversary Joint Memorial Ceremony of the Yeosu-Suncheon Incident' as the first government-hosted event at the outdoor performance hall of Gwangyang Citizen Square in Gwangyang City, Jeollanam-do. About 500 people attended, including bereaved families of the Yeosu-Suncheon Incident, Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min, Governor of Jeollanam-do Kim Young-rok, local members of the National Assembly, and residents of Jeollanam-do.

The Yeosu-Suncheon 10·19 Incident was an event in which some soldiers of the 14th Regiment of the Republic of Korea Army stationed in Yeosu refused the government's order to suppress the Jeju 4.3 Incident in the early days of the establishment of the government. It involved armed clashes and suppression from October 19, 1948, until the ban on entering Jirisan was lifted on April 1, 1955, during which many civilians were sacrificed. Civilian casualties were significant in the eastern region of Jeollanam-do, including Yeosu, Suncheon, Gwangyang, Gurye, Gokseong, Boseong, and Goheung, and many civilians were also sacrificed in parts of Jeollabuk-do and Gyeongsangnam-do.

Held under the theme "74 Years of Tears, We Must Wipe Them Away," this memorial ceremony gained additional significance as the first government-hosted event. Especially, since it was held immediately after the historic moment of officially recognizing the first victims and bereaved families of the Yeosu-Suncheon Incident, it is expected to resonate more deeply with the victims and their families. On October 6, the government, at the 3rd Yeosu-Suncheon 10·19 Incident Truth Investigation and Victims’ Honor Restoration Committee chaired by Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, officially identified 45 victims and 214 bereaved families for the first time.

The memorial ceremony proceeded with Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min’s flower offering and incense burning, a memorial address, a video message from Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, followed by a commemorative performance. Afterwards, an exhibition of photos and paintings depicting the history of the Yeosu-Suncheon Incident was held to mourn the victims and comfort the bereaved families. Additionally, various distinctive memorial events such as operas, cultural and arts festivals, and peace forums were held regionally to spread the memorial atmosphere of the 74th anniversary of the Yeosu-Suncheon 10·19 Incident and help the public better understand the incident.

Meanwhile, following the official identification of the first victims and bereaved families of the Yeosu-Suncheon Incident, the government plans to accelerate the truth investigation by forming an investigative team jointly with the committee, working-level committee, and related local governments. A two-year truth investigation will be conducted, including a compulsory investigation of the Namwon area in Jeollabuk-do.

In his video message, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said, “Even at this late stage, the government will gather remaining records one by one to uncover the truth, restore the honor of those who were unjustly sacrificed, and record the past history as a complete and unified truth. Together with the people, we will reflect on its value and move forward toward a future of integration, harmony, and coexistence.”

Minister Lee Sang-min, who attended the memorial ceremony, said in his memorial address, “To move toward a future of reconciliation and integration, we will resolve past issues at the level of the people's expectations and heal the painful modern history of the Republic of Korea.” He added, “I ask for your trust in the government and your cooperation so that the truth of the Yeosu-Suncheon Incident will be thoroughly uncovered and the spirits of the victims can regain their honor and rest in peace.”

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