Ordinary People in Jeju 4.3

According to the Cambridge Dictionary, civic duty is defined as “a feeling of responsibility towards the society or place in which you live, or a thing that you do because of this feeling.” Civic duties can be expressed in various forms such as voting, paying taxes, and adhering to the rules of the community. But what if I told you that there are individuals who redefined the weight of those duties?

The Japanese surrender ended World War II, and Korea was soon divided with the occupation of the United States and the Soviet Union. The Southern part of Korea would be ruled by the U.S. military government, which many Koreans saw as a barrier to their independence. On March 1st, 1947, ceremonial events were held nationwide to celebrate the March 1st Independence Movement. Se-hun Ahn, the head of the organizing committee for the ceremony, called for the rejection of foreign influence and emphasized the importance of establishing a more independent, democratic, and united nation. Indeed, his belief was shared with the rest of the Jeju people, as evident in the People’s Committee of Jeju’s Five Founding Principles.

The Jeju’s Five Founding Principles stated,

1. Let's build a country where entrepreneurs and workers can live well together.

2. Let's build a country where landowners and farmers can live well together.

3. Let's build a country where women's rights are the same as men.

4. Let's build a country that moves with the power of young people.

5. Let's build a country where students can study peacefully.

Keeping these visions in mind, the Jeju people marched in the streets for a stronger call for a just society, where the pro-Japanese collaborators would be held accountable and the Korean authorities would be represented. Nearly 30,000 participants filled the Jeju Buk elementary school, showing Jeju’s unique focus on collective pursuits. To the Jeju people, civic duties would have been more than obeying laws and maintaining order—it meant pushing forward to redress their long history of oppression and encouraging others to do the same.

While people commonly interpret Jeju 4.3 as a tragic massacre, this particular moment was also part of Jeju 4.3. The stories of the Jeju people deserve more attention and recognition, as they would not only help shift the focus of the incident but also form a sincere connection between the past and the present, between the Jeju people and you.