Tag: 4.3 Massacre

Yang Yoon-Mo will hit 15th day prison fast on Feb. 15

Update: You can see the collection of international solidarity messages upon Yang’s 15th prison fast day, here.

Prof. Yang Yoon-Mo who was arrested and imprisoned directly from the court on Feb. 1 hits his 15th prison fast on Feb. 15.

There is a peace candle culture event, praying for the release of Yang Yoon-Mo.

In front of the Jeju Prison, 7 pm, Feb. 15 (Friday), 2013

Hosted by the Gangjeong Village Association and People loving Yang Yoon-Mo

Source: Park Yongsung

If you could, please send a solidarity message for Yang Yoon-Mo no later than Feb. 13

: About 100 words, for the reason of translation, to the Gangjeong village international team (gangjeongintl@gmail.com)

: Update: You can see some solidarity messages in the bottom

You may also write letters to him (Prof. Yang can read Japanese):

Yang Yoon-Mo (No. 301)

Jeju Prison, 161 Ora-2 dong, Jeju City,

Jeju, the Demilitarized Peace Island, Korea

We thank Coco from the Maine, United States, who sent us a message days ago as the below.

‘Last night our peace and justice group distributed letter writing materials so Mr. Yang should be receiving letters of support soon. We also plan to paint a banner that we’ll carry to all rallies, regardless of the event, in the hopes to get questions from other activists as well as some TV media images. I’ll send a photo once the banner is made.’

Thank you.

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More on Yang Yoon-Mo

A movie critic born in Jeju, summoned to save Beauty

Prof. Yang welcoming the visitors from Okinawa and Japan on the Gureombi Rock on April 2, 2011 (Source)

“I am a (movie) critic. The role of a critic is to save the beauty to the end of one’s life. I have been enthusiastic to be voluntary to promote wonderful movies. Some people who could not understand me used to say whether I am misled by heroism or not. However, it is my faith to save the beautiful things.”

It was Feb. 8, his 7^th prison fast day since his imprisonment on Feb. 1. He told his four visitors to the prison. The visitors included Mr. Kim Bok-Chul, Mr. Park Suk-Jin, Mr. Park Seung-Ho.

Prof. Yang looked peaceful and bright despite his status. The Gureombi Rock must be the venerable beauty for him that he is willing to pay his life.

In fact, his daily fast is carried out from hard resolution. According to Park Hee-Sou, Chairman of the Island Provincial Council, who visited Prof. Yang in the jail along with other two Council representatives and strongly recommended him stop of fast on Feb. 5, Prof. Yang said:

” I hear the sound of the Gureombi Rock being broken by construction(destruction) even sleep during the night. Even though I suffer every day, I am taking fast from the resolution that I have to inform the people the fact that the naval base construction itself is by evil law. If I spend one year and six months without difficulty, it means I acknowledge that I committed crimes.” ( Source)

However, it is true that his health has been rapidly weakened after the long time fasts of more than 74 days (including about 60 days’ prison fast) and 42 days (in jail, too) in 2011 and 2012 each. Many people hope him stop the fast from the worry of his health.

Photo by Kang Bang-Sou/ It was the inside of Prof. Yang’s tent on the Gureombi Rock from 2009 to 2011, until the navy forcefully set up the fence around the coast on Sept. 2, 2011. For the source, click here or here.

Prof. Yang who used to work in the villagers’ farming house in the village, April 10, 2010 (Source)

A movie critic who inherited the trauma of 4.3 incident

Prof. Yang protesting against naval base construction, lying on the tetra pod frames in the construction site on April 4, 2011, the next day of commemoration day of 4.3 incident. (Source)

As a Jeju native, he is personally connected to the April 3^rd incident (massacre and people’s uprising in the Jeju Island from 1947 to 1954). The younger brother of his grandmother (mother’s side) was one of the six victims killed by the bullets from the police governed by the US Army Military Government in Korea (USAMGIK) on March 1^st, 1947. It was the commemorating day of people’s independence movement in 1919 against the Japanese imperialism from which the Korea was liberated on Aug. 15, 1945. The incident on March 1st, 1947 sparkled the period of the 4.3 incident afterward.

Prof. Yang was also told that his grandfather of mothers’ side was killed, too, during the 4. 3 incident. He has said that he could not forget those stories throughout his life and those stories must have become the source of his current fierce struggle against the war base- building in the Jeju.

According to the result of the investigation of the truth by the National Committee for Investigation of the Truth about the Jeju April 3^rd Incident, the March 1 incident occurred when people’s complaints against the USAMGIK that governed South part of Korea from Sept. 9, 1945 to Aug. 15, 1948 were gradually spreading, while people’s expectation from liberation had become frustrated by the USAMGIK that allowed the succession of the police during the Japanese occupation under its governing.

The report reads (summarized and translated):

The US Army Military government recognizing that the commemoration rally on the 3.1 movement happening in the Jeju Island was led by the left wing [..] did not permit people’s street march and demanded them to change the rally venue to the Jeju west air field. However, about 30,000 crowd including the 17,000 people organized by the Namrodang (Workers Party of South Korea) and People’s Committee [..] etc. gathered near the North Jeju Elementary school. About 430 policemen including 330 from the Jeju and 100 from the main land carried security activities nearby.

After the event, the crowd started street march. At the time, a child was hit by a horse of a ranger. When the ranger was to continue to proceed whether he knew it or not, the crowd nearby him, infuriated to see the accident, ran into the site. The aiding armed policemen, mistaken that the crowd are to attack the police station, fired toward them. Six were killed and another six got heavy injuries.

The USAMGIK who did not know the whole truth of such firing incident asserted later that it was by self-defense, despite its acknowledgement of the wrongdoings. It also began to arrest the rally event staffs and students, defining the incident as the ‘incident of the protesters attacking the police station.’

The total civilian-government strike occurred from March 10, with the start from the Jeju Island government. About 40,000 people which are about 95 % of the whole workers from 23 institutes (which are mostly administrative institutes excluding the police and judiciary institutes), 105 schools, post offices, electric companies in the Jeju joined the strike. Even about 20 % of the Jeju police also joined the strike.

The Police started to roundup the strike-related personnel from March 15. During the process, another firing incident happened on March 17 when the crowd demanded the release of the prisoners. The police arrested about 500 people by April 10. Among the arrested, 66 policemen were laid-off and those men’s posts were replaced by those belonging to the West North Young People’s Association which was the right wing subjugation group that existed by the Korean War.The confrontation and conflict between the Jeju Island people and police and such group under the UAMGIK were more increased.

In the intelligence report by the UAMGIK on Match 19, 1947, the UAMGIK considered about 70 % of the Jeju Island people as the left wing or its sympathizers.

(Source)

Regarding the 4.3 incident, please also refer to “U.S. And South Korea Assault an Idlylic Island: Not For the First Time.” By S. Brian Wilson-Veterans for Peace. You may also refer to the ‘Summary of the Report’s Conclusion,’ here.

It is tragic that the Jeju Island, designated as the Global Peace Island by the South Korean government on Jan. 27, 2005, to overcome the pain of 4.3, is currently suffering again from the history still present. Prof. Yang bears the history of Jeju in the past and present in his own soul.

Drawing on the incident of March 1st, 1947, by Kang Yo-Bae, Jeju artist. The drawing is included in his famous drawing book on 4.3 incident (Source)

Jeju Artist Koh Gilchun’s works on 4.3 massacre and people’s uprising, displayed in the 4.3 Peace Park (Source)

Archive photo on the 4.3 incident (source)

February 15, 2013
Jeju 4.3 Massacre Film Wins ‘Grand Jury Prize’ at the Sundance Film Festival

Timely and great news hit the media on the 8th Anniversary of Jeju’s designation as ‘The Peace Island” and the same day as the new declaration of Jeju as the “Demilitarized Peace Island”. Jeju was originally designated the “World Peace Island” on January 27, 2005 as a formal governmental apology for the terrible 4.3 Massacre which took place from 1947-1954. Jeju filmmaker O Muel‘s based-on-a-true-story film, Jiseul, which takes place during the 4.3 Jeju Massacre has won the Grand Jury Prize in the “World Cinema Dramatic” section of the Sundance Film Festival. Hopefully this will help to bring 4.3 the attention of more people. Tonight in Gangjeong, there was a special screening of O Muel’s previous film “Nostalgia”. Jiseul will make its out-of-festival Korean premier on Jeju Island on March 1st. Previously Jiseul was chosen as Korea’s Best Indie Film of 2012 by the Association of Korean Independent Film and Video.

More details about the Sundance win can be found in this article.

An interview with the director about the film can be found here.

Official Poster for Jiseul, which means “Potato” in Jeju dialect.

Celebrating the film’s prize at Sundance, Director Cho Sung-bong, maker of the film “Red Hunt” about the 4.3 massacre, paid tribute to the film and Sundance creator Robert Redford here (In Korean only).

January 31, 2013
30,000 Reasons to Say No to the Naval Base in Jeju | notonlyformyself

Reblogged with permission from: 30 000 reasons to say no to the naval base in Jeju | by notonlyformyself *

The history of Jeju is violent and bloody.

In a not too distant history more than 30 000 people died on Jeju.

Some estimates say that as many as 80 000 were massacred in what is referred to as the April 3d incident or the Jeju uprising.

Only 3 years before, in 1945, the US used atomic nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, ending the pacific part of WWII. The war in Europe had ended a couple of months before and with that the Japanese occupation of Korea. A new political map of Korea was drawn mainly together with The Soviet Union.

The name, April 3rd incident refers to civilians being shot by the police during a demonstration in 1948. It also marks the starting point of a 7 year brutal battle between the South Korean Army and the villagers of Jeju island

The South Korean government, under the direction of the United States, maintained a systematic slaughter of the residents of Jeju Island. The people had preferred a united Korea and refused to participate in the fight over the country’s political system; this nonviolent stand was perceived as a serious threat by the United States and South Korea, and so, the people were attacked and massacred. The rebellion included the mutiny of several hundred members of the South Korean 11th Constabulary Regiment.

Most people died through fighting or execution. The visual artist and Jeju born Gillchun Koh portrays paths to death during the uprising in the “4.3 Peace Museum”.

Many people also fled to Japan and were unable to return back to Korea for many years.

The trauma of war and conflict is still fresh. It is possible that the announcement of Jeju as an island of peace, coming after an apology from the President helped the reconciliation process.

It is also possible that building a peace museum for the killed, which include a special place for the 4000 people still missing and not accounted for, makes it a little easier for the now living relatives and friends. A place of remembrance. A physical place to visit. A site where the names are engraved.

But still.

For many, the thought of the construction of an American Naval base in their village. With warships and 7000 soldiers. Brings back memories of terror. Many have living relatives deeply traumatized by the war, occupation and the uprising. They know the cost of thinking that approaching and solving conflicts with weapons and violence is very high.

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These are only the 4000 graves of the missing people from the Jeju Uprising.

*Reblogged posts do not necessarily reflect the opinions or views of Save Jeju Now

January 14, 2013
April 5 People’s news conference on police violation on human rights; History is repeated 64 years later

Source: Lee Sang-Min, Jeju Domin Ilbo, April 5, 2012/ A disabled woman holds a banner depicted of police violence on people during the April 5 press conference

As daily sit-in was continued on April 5, the people in the village had a news conference in front of the naval base business committee building complex at 10:30 am, April 5, 2012. The title of the statement by the Gangjeong village was “Are the police taking the citizens as rioters even until the 64th anniversary of 4.3? The police should try to get public trust.’ Cho Hyun-Oh, the Chief of ROK Police Agency visited the Jeju, bringing clash with the Gangjeong villagers who demanded meeting with him, in front of the Seogwipo police station (# He is to meet local officers on April 6)

In the statement, the people pointed out that:

“Like the main land policemen 64 years ago who led the massacre of the Island people on April 3rd, the police that have been led by Lee Dong-Min who came from the main land have made a record of accidents in a month since his inauguration, which is more than the whole numbers of illegal and unjust police behavior in Gangjeong village in the past.” ( # Lee Dong-Min, the new police chief is also the one who allowed the navy to blast the Gureombi rock)

“When the male policemen arrested women, the male policemen indiscriminatingly took away them touching their thigh, taking off their clothes. The police broke citizens’ fingers, arms and legs, wielding violence to them. Citizen’s hands were swollen by hammers, wrists were broken off, teeth were smashed, and chin was torn. Since the start of the blasting the Gureombi Rock, more than 90 people were arrested while 20 people, swooned, were carried in ambulance. We are living days like being slaughtered dogs and pigs.”

The numbers of 90 within less than a month are compared to 164, in the whole last year. The numbers are in detail; 19(near the naval base committee building etc on March 7), 20 (in the Gureombi Rock etc. on March 9), 16( in the Gureombi Rock on March 12), 9 (in the explosive storage etc on March 31) for example. The charges have been obstruction of business, obstruction of government affairs, general obstruction of traffic, property damage etc.

The people demanded police of open hearing regarding police mal practice of fake charges against people; halt of illegal taking camera shots of citizens that provoke citizens; and fairness.

Full translation of 3 page statement comes later. You can see the original Korean script here.

In the conference, a disable woman also testified on police’s metal harassment and physical injuries to her and on arrest of a man who protested against such violence on her.

There were two banners in the news conference: one about police violence and the other, painting by Natasha Mayers

Source: Lee Sang-Min, Jeju Domin Ilbo, April 5, 2012

You can also watch the news conference video here. Dungree, the video editor put the scenes of mentioned cases on March 29(when Mr. Lim Ho-Young was arrested) and April 1 (When Dr. Song Kang-Ho was arrested) beside the cases of March 19 (police hammer violence), March 25(police trampling down a villager’s garlic field and arrested citizens protesting to it) and March 26( When the Jeju island government officers forcefully demolished people’s tent to an injury of a woman head. (Video source)

April 5, 2012
Jeju Council members and Jeju-based National Assembly men oppose the blast plan

Re-blogged from the Organizing Notes, March 4, 2012, ‘From This to This’

Which view do you like? Which vision of the future do you support?

Below Sung-Hee Choi brings us the latest twists from Jeju Island. Things are moving swiftly. You see the internal debate raging in South Korea. Please know that what we each do in our own community to support the villagers on Jeju Island will have some impact.

Sung-Hee Choi writes:

On the matter on the blast of the Gureombi, the Island provincial council would have an emergency general informal gathering at 11am on March 5. Three National Assembly men based on Jeju Island warned the Lee government. The Jeju regional branch of the Democratic Unity Party warned the possibility of the 2nd Yongsan tragedy, as well.

Upon the navy’s plan on the enforcement on the blast of the Gureombi, the Island council members and Jeju-based National Assembly men are all together denouncing the central government.

1. Oh Choong-Jin, chairman of the Jeju Island Council said in his interview with the Headline Jeju that “In the government measure this time, the opinion of the Jeju was harshly cut. The central government declaration on the enforcement of construction (destruction) is very disdaining of the Island people. In our meeting, we would seek for our own measures and would strongly urge the government to stop construction as the Island governor has rights to stop it.”

If the members of Saenuri Party (Former Grand National Party, the ruling party) are passive or express their opposition on such move, confrontation between the ruling and opposition parties are expected. Currently in the Jeju Island Council, the numbers of the ruling party members are smaller.)

2. Kang Chang-Il, Kim Woo-Nam, and Kim Jae-Yoon, three members of the Jeju-based National Assembly (All are members of the Democratic Unity Party) warned the central government in their joint statement, saying that, “If the Gureombi Rock is blasted , bigger disaster will come. The Seogwipo Police Station should not approve the navy’s blast on the Gureombi Rock.”

“The navy has re-applied for the blast of the Gureombi Rock to the Seogwipo Police Station, riding on the Lee government’s drastic measure. It is told that the matter has already been decided in the ‘secret meeting’ by the related offices of the Prime Minister Office, excluded of the Jeju Island. The Lee Myung-Bak government is showing an attitude of through ignorance on communication, full of arrogance and self-righteousness in its drive for the Jeju naval base.’

“How much more pain the Lee government is to inscribe into the Island people, by its enforcing of the construction masking the naval base as a ‘civilian-military combined port of call,’ ignoring the opinion of the National Assembly and villagers? How many people in the Gangjeong village should be arrested, taken away and imprisoned under the charge of obstruction of business for the government to pay attention to the voice of the Island people?”

“The Jeju Island and all the Island people have constantly demanded the central government to stop the enforcement on the naval base project and to form the objective and neutral verification committee on the layout. The police should never approve the navy’s blast of the Gureombi Rock.”

3. The Jeju branch of the Democratic Unity Party demanded the navy and its contracted companies to immediately stop their attempt to blast the Gureombi in their emergent statement on March 3.

The Democratic Unity party members said,

“In case of the blast on the Gureombi rock, the Gangjeong matter could bring an unexpected results and further concern on the possibility of the 2nd Yongsan tragedy has been raised. (The Samsung and Daelim companies who are leading the base construction, both were involved in the 2nd Yongsan tragedy in January, 2009. At the time five men resisting against forceful eviction were killed by the SWAT teams. These corporations were bulldozing entire neighbhorhoods and building high rise building that they would control.)

“The fact that the National Assembly has cut most of this year’s [base construction] budget with the agreement by the ruling and opposition parties is because the National Assembly has publicly acknowledged the problems of the currently driven Jeju naval base business. If the Lee Myung-Bak government is to drive the business despite that, it is a behavior thoroughly ignoring the National Assembly, the representative institute of the People.”

“In the condition when the ‘continuous business,’ is not guaranteed even though the construction including the blast of the Gureombi is enforced, it may remain disgrace of the totally unreliable national business that remains only a serious wound.”

“ The Jeju Island having publicly announced that the justification on the business has been in fact damaged though it is a national policy, has to make all the efforts to stop the blast of the Gureombi as a manager on the public water and its adjacent surface.”

March 5, 2012