제주평화연구원

on April 3, 2017 at the Jeju April 3 Peace Park

Fellow Koreans, families of the victims of the Jeju April 3 Incident and citizens of the Jeju Island, and distinguished guests,

Today marks the 69th anniversary of the Jeju April 3 Incident, a tragic event in Korea’s modern history. First of all, I would like to express my sincere condolences to the victims of the Jeju April 3 Incident and pray for the repose of the souls of the deceased. I would also like to extend the same to the families for the loss of their loved ones and for enduring great pain. Likewise, I am deeply grateful to the citizens of Jejudo Island for their hard work that has allowed them to overcome historical trauma and make Jeju peaceful and beautiful. The Korean government has strived to uncover the hidden truth behind the Jeju April 3 Incident, restore the dignity and reputation of the victims and their families, and organize commemoration projects in close collaboration with the citizens of Jeju Island. Since 2014, national commemorative events have been held on the commemorative day designated as a national memorial day. We at the government will continue to spare no effort to honor the victims and help their family members heal from the pain of the past.

 

Citizens of Jejudo Island,

Jeju is undergoing rapid transformation into a world-renowned island of peace. With a number of sites designated as UNESCO World Natural Heritage sites, Jejudo Island has been loved not only by the Korean people but also by citizens of the world. The island’s economy is witnessing rapid growth with Jeju ranking No. 1 among the 17 megalopolises and provinces of Korea in terms of economic growth rate and private consumption growth rate in 2015. Under rather unfavorable domestic and international circumstances, however, the island is faced with a myriad of challenges that need to be addressed such as the fall in the number of foreign visitors entering Jeju as far as I know. The Korean government will strive to make the tourism industry take a leap forward once again by attracting foreign tourists through diverse means, boosting domestic tourism, and providing temporary support and assistance to tourism businesses. Personally, I have exerted my best efforts to overcome this crisis by presiding over countermeasure meetings that are fully geared towards boosting domestic demand and reinvigorating tourism. As for domestic tourists visiting Jejudo Island, the rate has increased by 9 percent compared to the same period in the previous year. From now on, I will make the most of a very unfortunate situation by gathering the strengths and wisdom of public and private sectors, with the government redoubling efforts so that projects to build infrastructure in the Jeju region, including the new harbor and the second airport, proceed according to plan. Citizens of Jejudo Island, “Reconciliation and coexistence,” or the spirit of the Jeju April 3 Incident, should still be an inspiration and an important lesson to us today. Our country faces many challenges in diverse areas, especially in national security and economy. Amid growing fears over the North’s reckless provocations, the South’s social divisions and potential for political conflict caused by a series of recent incidents are worsening as time goes by. The best way to handle such crises more effectively is to work together in unity and in harmony to maximize national capacity building in that respect. I sincerely hope that the spirit of reconciliation and coexistence, which the citizens of Jejudo Island have managed to foster, will become the “energy of hope” to open new windows into the future of the Republic of Korea. Once again, I pray that those who died in the Jeju April 3 Incident will rest in peace and wish all of you good health and happiness. Thank you.

￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣￣ Photo: 박성우, "제69주년 4.3희생자추념식 엄수..."이제 편히 영면하소서"", <헤드라인제주>, http://www.headlinejeju.co.kr/?mod=news&act=articleView&idxno=303113, 2017.04.03