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Korean History: (TW: violence)
One of the saddest stories in the modern history of Korea is what is commonly called Jeju sa-sam #제주사삼 or the Jeju April 3rd Uprising (if it's called an uprising, rebellion, massacre, or most commonly, incident (사건) is political, too).
One of the saddest stories in the modern history of Korea is what is commonly called Jeju sa-sam #제주사삼 or the Jeju April 3rd Uprising (if it's called an uprising, rebellion, massacre, or most commonly, incident (사건) is political, too).
And although it is named for April 3rd (1948) it continued, depending on how you look at it, until 1954 after the Korean War had ended.
So, what is the #제주사삼사건 and why is it so sad?
As you should know, after Japan surrendered Korea
So, what is the #제주사삼사건 and why is it so sad?
As you should know, after Japan surrendered Korea
was forcibly divided by outside powers, principally the USA and Russia. Despite the yearning for self rule, Koreans were told to wait for an election to be held in the future. In the meantime the south was administered by USAMGIK (USA Military Government in Korea). Or in other
words the Koreans weren't in charge of their own country while ideological differences become more and more entrenched. So by 1948 unified elections were impossible and the north had no reason to participate (the north then and now is about 1/2 the population of the south, hence
in an election they would have a huge disadvantage).
So in April of 1948 the USAMGIK was in charge of Korea. And they were *super* anti-Communist, as were the rising leaders of the South. But after the end of the colonization there had been a tiny window when some self-rule
So in April of 1948 the USAMGIK was in charge of Korea. And they were *super* anti-Communist, as were the rising leaders of the South. But after the end of the colonization there had been a tiny window when some self-rule
began to be set up and at that time these People's Committees were established. You could think of them like a county council in rural America. And because Jeju was so relatively isolated it was longer before the USAMGIK arrived there and took away self governance,
therefore the People's Committees on Jeju had amassed more of a local social role than in other areas.
When you have an occupying/colonizing power one of the most dangerous things is that they don't understand local differences, such as between one part of Korea and another.
When you have an occupying/colonizing power one of the most dangerous things is that they don't understand local differences, such as between one part of Korea and another.
On #JejuIsland this manifested in agricultural tithes and rules that made no sense. Basically Jeju is *not* a place for growing rice. In 1947, violence broke out as military officials collected rice because it was known that there was collusion between USAMGIK officers
and local profiteers. 1946 was also a really bad growing year for barley (and also millet) which grew better on Jeju Island. So, combine a really bad harvest, tone deaf agricultural policies and opportunistic mainlanders who are price gouging.
By the spring of 1947 people on Jeju were angry and hungry.
It all began to get super complicated when they held a protest to commemorate the #March1stMovement from 1919.
It all began to get super complicated when they held a protest to commemorate the #March1stMovement from 1919.
The Americans had forbidden this sort of protest, and combined US military and Korean police tried to stop the protest, forcibly, Killing six protestors. Over the early spring of 1947 repeated protests occurred. [screenshot from https://www.eiu.edu/historia/Dixon2017.pdf]
![The Americans had forbidden this sort of protest, and combined US military and Korean police tried to stop the protest, forcibly, Killing six protestors. Over the early spring of 1947 repeated protests occurred. [screenshot from https://www.eiu.edu/historia/Dixon2017.pdf]](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EpUvaEzWEAccttJ.jpg "The Americans had forbidden this sort of protest, and combined US military and Korean police tried to stop the protest, forcibly, Killing six protestors. Over the early spring of 1947 repeated protests occurred. [screenshot from https://www.eiu.edu/historia/Dixon2017.pdf]")
And the People's Committees were an important part of organizing-- but to the USAMGIK and the right wing Koreans they were listening to, the People's Committees were Communist, even in league with or under direction of the North. So the response to the protests were to
bring in a heavier and heavier presence of law enforcement, and military from the mainland, including, famously, the 서청 (Seocheong) forces made up of displaced men from the North who were the most anti-communist of all.
To be clear, no evidence has ever been uncovered to link the #JejuUprising to the North, and it is doubtful that many participants in the struggle actually knew anything substantial about Communism. They were hungry & being oppressed by outsiders.
Communism was the scare tactic of the right wing, but to Jeju Islanders, by April 1948 they were worse off even than in 1947, but now the elections had been announced and they did not support continued separation of north and south, and began to protest the elections.
After a series of incidents the military embarked on a campaign to "cleanse" the island of supposed Communist agitators.
This is the Jeju Uprising.
It cost the lives of approximately 10% of the island's population in a brutal campaign.
This is the Jeju Uprising.
It cost the lives of approximately 10% of the island's population in a brutal campaign.
In October 1948 martial law was declared on the island. Working together, police and army units declared any part of the island more than three miles from the coastline -- the forested interior areas that were presumed to be the lair of rebels -- to be enemy territory and
anyone there was to be killed (Kang 2003: 210).
Mass graves have been uncovered, but executing people on cliffs above the sea was also common.
Until the 1990s the Jeju massacres were ascribed both officially and in textbooks to North Korean infiltrators.
Mass graves have been uncovered, but executing people on cliffs above the sea was also common.
Until the 1990s the Jeju massacres were ascribed both officially and in textbooks to North Korean infiltrators.
Gradually local journalists, university students and members of the National Assembly began pushing for recognition.
The government report on the 4.3 Uprising finally carried out during the presidency of #RohMoohyun estimates that the incident
The government report on the 4.3 Uprising finally carried out during the presidency of #RohMoohyun estimates that the incident
led to a total of 30,000 deaths, the destruction of 160 villages, and the destruction of 15,228 homes. It further estimates that 91,732 people, or about 35% percent of the then total population of the island, suffered some form of loss, injury or damage.
In addition, countless islanders were affected by the implications of shared responsibility placed on families of alleged communist insurgents under the anti-communism law that still exists in South Korea today (Kang 2003: 211).
Up to 40,000 residents of Jeju escaped from the fighting to Japan. A large amount of #Zainichi Koreans in Japan today are descendants of Jeju Islanders.
Today you can visit the Jeju Peace Park/ museum https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/28/world/asia/south-korea-jeju-massacres.html
Today you can visit the Jeju Peace Park/ museum https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/28/world/asia/south-korea-jeju-massacres.html
I don't know why I wrote a thread this long. I just noticed that the #hankyoreh newspaper has a special section for the 70th anniversary of the #JejuUprising, and since this sad historical incident is so often glossed over, I felt motivated to introduce this resource,
and next thing I knew I had my lecture notes on the topic open and I was writing all this. Please check out the website for more in-depth information. I can also email additional reading if you would like. http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/jeju43
