Jeju 4·3 All 335’hand-made haunts’ are not guilty
Cheers and tears inside and outside the law at a ruling unprecedented in judicial history
“Today is my father’s birthday… I want to write ‘4·3 innocence’”
“I was afraid of the law and thank you for the law”… “I really want to raise it”
On the 16th, a judgment hearing was held at the Jeju District Court on the 16th for a retrial claim against a so-called ‘paw in prisoner’ who was missing while living in prison during the 4th and 3rd period in Jeju.
“I will perform silence on behalf of the 330 souls from the underworld.” On the morning of the 16th, Park Young-soo, the son of the late Park Se-won, who was unknown at the time of April 3, stood up and meditated on the court when he was found not guilty in the court for retrial in Jeju District Court No. 201. At the time of Jeju April 3, 335 so-called “handed-off people” (including 2 survivors of the general trial) who were unaccounted for while living in prison after an illegal military trial were sent from 10 am to 6 pm It was conducted 18 times in units of 13 to 21 people. The court found not guilty of all 335 people who had been sentenced to prison for rebellion and for violating the Defense Security Act. It was unprecedented in the scale of a retrial lawsuit in the history of Korean judiciary, and it was unprecedented that all 335 people were found not guilty. Deputy Judge Chan-soo Jang said, “When the state did not have a complete identity, the defendants were even killed and their children were imprisoned in an association system. “We don’t know what they have been thinking about, for what, and for whom the state exists, and how many times they have taken care of it.” The day when the covered bridle is peeled off, and the deceased defendants sit around comfortably and share affection with a person who no longer misses even a table with only manongji (garlic pickles) on the rice seam rice (potato rice) and manongji (garlic pickles) served in Nanpun (yangpun), even in the underworld. “I hope this, we who survived, do not want this to happen again.”
Park Young-soo, the late Park Se-won’s son, bows his head deeply after being acquitted in a lawsuit for retrial against a Jeju 4·3 prisoner.
Hong Seong-soo, who served as the Jeju 4th and 3rd Bereaved Family President, said, “Is it okay to raise a big bow?” when his father was convicted of innocence. I think it will be a day that I will never forget.” Whenever the court was found not guilty, a cheering applause continued. The grandmothers also shed tears that had been suppressed. Lee Im-ja (79) and Lee Seok-jong (77), who had been waiting for an hour and a half before the start of the trial, said, “Today is the day of the sacrifice of the missing father (Lee Si-jeon, then 33).” Seokjong said, “I am missing in prison and have a rite on my birthday, and it’s today. I want to post it by writing delicious food and ‘4·3 innocence’ on the ritual.” Baek Yeo-ok (79, Jocheon-eup, Jeju-si), whose father (Paek Ungi) was missing in Daejeon Prison, said, “I am glad that my father’s death was acknowledged and became innocent, but on the other hand, I am sad.” Heo Soon-ja (77, Gujwa-eup, Jeju-si), when his father was convicted, said, “The country that took all our sons and brothers while our grandmother was alive said that we were red and lived, crying every day. It hurts my heart just to think about how happy my grandmother would have been if she had been alive.” Kang Jeon-hyang (79, Bonggae-dong, Jeju-si), whose father (Gang Moon-su) was missing at Mokpo Prison, cried out, saying, “There are days like this when I live.” Kang said, “My mother died at the age of 97 last year because she was afraid to apply for a survivor. When I was young, I was only afraid of the law, but now I am grateful for the law.”
When they were sentenced to innocence in a lawsuit for retrial of the Jeju 4·3 prisoners, the bereaved families bowed their heads or shed tears due to blessed feelings.
There was also a bereaved family present at the court with a photo of a grandmother (Kang Eo-saeng, 39 at the time) who was missing at Seodaemun Prison. Mr. Park Yong-hyun (68, Geumak-ri, Hallim-eup, Jeju-si) said, “When my father died a few years ago, I promised that I, my eldest son, would relieve my grandmother. I am so happy to keep that promise today.” At least 2530 people on the list of prisoners of war received military trials in 1948 and 1949 during the 4th and 3rd period of Jeju. Many of these were massacred shortly after the outbreak of the Korean War. The total number of people missing at the time of Jeju 4 and 3 was 4255. The revised bill of the Jeju April 3 Special Act passed by the National Assembly on the 26th of last month is expected to make it easier for prisoners of military and general trials to file a lawsuit for retrial through special or collective retrial. Written and photographed by Huh Ho-jun, staff reporter [email protected]