President Lee Jaemyung has ordered a review of the cancellation of the merit designation for the late Colonel Park Jingyeong, who led the hardline suppression during the Jeju 4·3 Incident.
According to the presidential office on December 15, President Lee instructed a review of the cancellation of Colonel Park's designation as a national merit recipient, which had previously been approved by the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs. Earlier, in October, the Seoul Regional Office of the Ministry had approved the application for national merit status submitted by Park's family, based on his Eulji Order of Military Merit.
According to the Jeju 4·3 Incident Investigation Report, Colonel Park was appointed as the commander of the 9th Regiment of the Joseon Garrison in May 1948. During a period of about 40 days, he arrested over 5,000 Jeju residents, many of whom were executed by firing squad or went missing during this process. For this reason, Jeju 4·3 organizations have criticized Colonel Park as being responsible for the massacre of civilians.
As the controversy grew, Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs Kwon Oeul met with the Jeju 4·3 Victims' Families Association and issued an apology. On his Facebook page that day, Minister Kwon stated, "The victims of the Jeju 4·3 Incident are victims of state violence, and the soldiers and police mobilized for the suppression at the time were also victims of a chaotic era," expressing his intention to take follow-up measures regarding the merit designation.
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