South Korea Acting President Attends Jeju 4·3 Memorial Ceremony: "A Time When National Unity Is Extremely Urgent"

"If Ideological and Regional Conflicts Are Not Overcome, Growth Is Impossible"
"Government Will Do Its Utmost to Open an Era of Harmony and Unity"
Lee Jaemyung and Others Attend... Exchange Greetings with Acting President Han

Prime Minister and Acting President Han Duck-soo attended the Jeju 4·3 Victims Memorial Ceremony on the 3rd and emphasized, "There are significant challenges that could determine the lives of our people and the future of the Republic of Korea," adding, "national unity is urgently needed at this time."

Acting President and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo is greeting Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, and others at the '77th Anniversary 4·3 Victims Memorial Ceremony' held at the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province 4·3 Peace Park on the 3rd. Photo by Yonhap News

At the 77th Jeju 4·3 Victims Memorial Ceremony held at Jeju 4·3 Peace Park in Bonggae-dong, Jeju City, Acting President Han said, "I offer my deepest condolences to the surviving victims and bereaved families who have endured years of suffering with tears."

President Yoon Suk-yeol attended the memorial ceremony in 2022 as president-elect but was absent in both 2023 and last year. Acting President Han attended the ceremony in 2023 and last year as Prime Minister, and this year he visited the memorial site in his capacity as Acting President.

Acting President Han stated, "The Jeju 4·3 Incident that occurred 77 years ago was a great tragedy in our modern history, where many innocent people were sacrificed amid the pains of the Cold War and national division," adding, "Even after the incident, for over half a century, families scattered and communities broken had to live with their grievances unresolved."

He continued, "Commemorating the victims of the Jeju 4·3 Incident and comforting the surviving victims and bereaved families is a fundamental duty of a liberal democratic nation," and explained, "the government will continue to make every effort to fully restore the honor and provide compensation to the victims and their families."

In particular, Acting President Han promised, "We will expand welfare and psychological treatment to support surviving victims and bereaved families, and actively support the construction of a trauma healing center," adding, "we will also make multifaceted efforts to have the 4·3 records registered as a UNESCO Memory of the World heritage this year."

Considering the intensifying political conflicts ahead of President Yoon Suk-yeol’s impeachment ruling, Acting President Han emphasized, "if conflicts between ideology, generations, regions, and classes are not overcome, it will be difficult to overcome the current crisis, and sustainable growth of the Republic of Korea will be impossible."

He added, "I hope that with the spirit of 4·3, which forgave, reconciled, and rose again, we can unite Korea and move forward vigorously into the future," and said, "The government will do its utmost together with the people to open an era of true harmony and unity."

Political figures, including Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, also attended the memorial ceremony that day. However, Kwon Young-se, Emergency Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, and Kwon Seong-dong, floor leader, did not attend.