President Lee and First Lady Watch 'My Name Is,' a Film on Jeju 4·3: "Harm from State Violence Is No Different from Massacre"

Chief Presidential Spokesperson Kang Yoo-jung announced that President Lee Jaemyung and First Lady Kim Hye-kyung visited Yongsan CGV in Seoul on the evening of April 15 to watch the film <My Name Is>, which deals with the pain, reconciliation, and historical issues surrounding the Jeju 4·3 Incident.

Yonhap News Agency

원본보기 아이콘

This movie screening was held in celebration of Culture Day, which has been observed every Wednesday since April 1, as an opportunity to courageously shed light on the hidden truths of the Jeju 4·3 Incident. It was also intended to show support for the film <My Name Is>-produced with the help of many citizens-and to provide a space where the director, actors, and audience could together reflect on the significance of Jeju 4·3. A total of 165 general audience members, selected by lottery from those who applied through the President’s social media (SNS), attended the event.

President Lee greeted Director Chung Ji-young, who came out to welcome them, by saying, “It’s nice to meet you.” First Lady Kim Hye-kyung expressed her delight to lead actress Yum Hye-ran by saying, “I’m a fan.”

Amid applause and cheers from the audience, President Lee and First Lady Kim entered the theater with bright smiles, waving both hands. They shook hands with each welcoming audience member. An audience member seated in the first row greeted them in Jeju dialect by saying “Sokatsuda,” while others called out from various seats, “I came from Jeju,” and “I came from Gangwon-do.”

After taking his designated seat, President Lee asked Director Chung Ji-young, who was seated next to him, how many theaters had been secured for the screening. After the approximately 113-minute film concluded, the President and First Lady attentively watched the entire ending credits, which were filled with the names of the many supporters who contributed to the making of the film.

President Lee listened attentively to the stage greetings from Director Chung Ji-young and lead actors Yum Hye-ran and Shin Woo-bin, and at the end, he stepped forward to thank the audience for their warm welcome. He shared his thoughts on the film and remarked that, as both a politician and President, there is much work to be done.

President Lee stated that harm caused by state violence is no different from massacre, and said that if there are inherited assets, civil liability should be pursued for generations, and that removing the statute of limitations in criminal cases is the right thing to do. He shared his long-held philosophy as a lawyer and politician, as well as his responsibility as President. The audience responded with applause of agreement and empathy.

In addition, President Lee said that he believes the film <My Name Is> will help restore humanity and create a better world, and encouraged many people to watch it. First Lady Kim Hye-kyung shared that sitting next to her favorite actress, Yum Hye-ran, made her heart flutter, and that while watching the film, she was reminded of the mother she met at a luncheon for the families of Jeju 4·3 victims. After the stage greeting, in response to requests from audience members who wanted a photo, the President and First Lady returned to the first row, formed a hand heart, and took a group photo with the entire audience.

© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.