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The situation on the Korean Peninsula from 1947 to 1948 was a time of extreme ideological tension between the United States and the Soviet Union. In May 1947, the Second U.S.-Soviet Joint Commission was held, but the U.S. and Soviet Union remained at odds over who should be consulted.
This eventually led to the Korean Peninsula being transferred to the United Nations (UN).
In November 1947, the UN General Assembly resolved to establish a government across the entire Korean peninsula by holding general elections based on the proportional population of North and South Korea.
However, due to the non-attendance of the Soviet Union and North Korea, the UN Provisional Commission for Korea was denied access to areas north of the 38th parallel, which ultimately led to the decision to hold elections in the South alone.
The South’s sole general election, held on May 10, 1948, was supported by Syngman Rhee and the “Korean Democratic Party,” but some leaders, including Kim Gu and Kim Kyu-sik, opposed it and pushed for North-South negotiations to establish a unified government.
As a result, in April 1948, a meeting of representatives of social organizations of the “All-Joseon Enactment Party” held in Pyongyang resulted in a statement opposing the South’s sole election and calling for the establishment of a unified government.
Despite these efforts, however, the sole election in the South went ahead as scheduled, and the North also pushed for the establishment of its own government. As a result, the inter-Korean negotiations were ultimately fruitless.
In the midst of these political tensions, the “Jeju 4.3 Incident” occurred, which began as an armed uprising led by Jeju Islanders and the “Namro Party” against the establishment of a sole government in the South, and was subsequently suppressed by the government, resulting in many civilian casualties.
This was not a simple rebellion, but a complex political and social situation at the time. It took decades before the government formally apologized for the “Jeju 4.3 Incident” and made efforts to restore honor to the victims and their families.
The “Yeosu-Suncheon Incident” also began as a mutiny by the 14th Regiment of the Korean National Army, which refused orders to suppress the “Jeju 4.3 Incident.” It was also a reaction to the establishment of a sole government in the South, and the government declared martial law and crushed the rebels.
The Yeo-sun incident was one of the biggest crises of the early years of Syngman Rhee’s government, and it further intensified the political climate and ideological confrontation in the South.
This series of events laid the foundation for the division of the country into North and South Korea, and has since had a profound impact on the country’s modern history.
The “Jeju 4.3 Incident” and the “Yeosu-Suncheon Incident” are among the most tragic and important events in South Korea’s modern history. They illustrate the massive popular uprisings and the government’s ruthless suppression of them that occurred shortly after South Korea’s liberation, as the conflict between left-wing and right-wing forces escalated.
These events epitomize the social and political turmoil that occurred during the country’s independence and division, and have had a profound impact on Korean society ever since.
Today, the historical significance and efforts to heal the wounds continue.
The “Jeju 4.3 Incident” stems from clashes that began on March 1, 1947, when police opened fire during a March 1 commemoration on Jeju Island.
At the time, Jeju Island was experiencing high levels of social tension due to food shortages, economic hardship, and high unemployment.
In this situation, there were left-wing forces opposing the rule of the US military government, and the “South Korean Labor Party” (“Namro Party”) in particular was forming a strong force on Jeju Island.
On April 3, 1948, a large-scale armed uprising broke out on Jeju Island led by the Namro Party, which opposed the establishment of a sole government in South Korea and demanded a unified government covering the entire Korean peninsula.
In response, the US military and Syngman Rhee’s government mobilized police and military forces to crush the uprising, killing tens of thousands of Jeju Islanders in the process.
This incident was not just limited to Jeju Island. The government took it very seriously because the left-wing forces on Jeju Island were linked to left-wing forces across South Korea.
As a result, military operations across Jeju Island were extremely violent and brutal, resulting in the deaths of many civilians. In the aftermath of the incident, two of Jeju Island’s three electoral districts had their votes invalidated, and the region was unable to elect a constituent assembly.
The “Yeosu-Sundcheon Incident” is another tragic event that occurred in the aftermath of the “Jeju 4.3 Incident”. On October 19, 1948, soldiers from the 14th Regiment of the Korean National Defense and Security Guard, stationed in Yeosu, refused orders to suppress leftist forces on Jeju Island and launched an armed uprising.
They opposed the deployment to Jeju, arguing for the establishment of a unified government, and, along with sympathetic local leftists, took control of Yeosu and Suncheon.
Syngman Rhee’s government declared martial law in Yeosu and Suncheon and crushed the rebellion with a strong military campaign.
In the process, not only rebels but also innocent civilians were indiscriminately killed, and the Yeosu-Suncheon incident had a significant impact on the later enactment of the National Security Act and the organization of the National Press Union.
The government used the incident to intensify its anti-communist policies with a massive purge of leftist forces and their sympathizers.
The “Jeju 4.3 Incident” and the “Yeosu-Suncheon Incident” were officially labeled as “rebellions” for a long time, and the truth was never fully uncovered or the victims’ honor restored.
However, in the 2000s, a reevaluation of these historical events began, and legal actions were taken to restore the honor of the victims.
In 2024, the National Assembly passed amendments to the Special Law on the “Jeju 4.3 Incident” and the “Yeosu-Suncheon Incident,” which led to the restoration of the victims’ honor and compensation.
These events are not just tragedies of the past, but also have a profound impact on Korean society today. Accurately understanding and remembering these historical events is crucial to the integration of Korean society and the development of democracy.
The truth about these tragic events and the proper compensation and social healing for the victims will continue to be an ongoing process.
These events are important turning points in South Korea’s modern history and are essential to understanding the social and political situation at the time.
The “Jeju 4.3 Incident” and the “Yeosu-Suncheon Incident” remain important historical challenges to achieving historical closure and social reconciliation in a society still scarred by division and war.
