제주평화연구원

 

Confirming the Jeju 4.3 Incident Investigation Report on October 15, 2003, the National Committee for Investigation of the Truth about the Jeju April 3 Incident has decided to designate the April 3 National Memorial Day at government level. As part of such efforts, eighty-two lawmakers including Kim Woo Na proposed a resolution urging the designation of the April 3 National Memorial Day to the National Assembly on April 2, 2010, and lawmaker Kang Chang-il proposed the amendment to the Special Act on Fact-finding and Reinstatement of the Impaired Reputation of the Victims of Jeju 4.3 Incidents (hereafter the “Special Act”) for the designation, etc. of the April 3 National Memorial Day on April 8, 2011. The opinion that “The Korean government shall amend the Presidential Decree of Various Anniversaries prior to the following year’s April 3, and designate April 3 as National Memorial Day to cherish the memory of the victims of the Jeju 4.3 Incident” has been included in the Amendment to the Special Act with the approval of the plenary session of the National Assembly on June 27, 2013. Thus, the designation of the April 3 National Memorial Day has been ‘de facto’ confirmed.

With the promulgation of the Amendment to the Special Act on August 6, 2013, the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province has urged the Government to step up its efforts to take and follow up a set of measures and policies related hereto. In March 2014, the Enforcement Decree on the designation of the April 3 National Memorial Day was amended. These measures and others are geared towards achieving the following four goals: (1) designation of the April 3 National Memorial Day (2) holding of April 3 memorial service as national ceremony (3) welfare and compensation for the bereaved families and (4) placing all these matters under the authority of the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs. The procedures are as follows.

- A draft resolution urging the designation of the National Memorial Day proposed to the National Assembly on April 2, 2010 (Kim Woo Nam and 86 persons) on April 2, 2010.

- A suggestion regarding the designation of the April 3 National Memorial Day made to the Minister of Public Administration and Security who visited the Jeju Island on September 10, 2010. - A suggestion regarding the designation of April 3 as national anniversary made to the Prime Minister who visited the Jeju Island on October 29, 2010. - The suggestion made to the 16th April 3 Central Committee Meeting chaired by the Prime Minister on January 26, 2011. - A decision made to suggest the designation of the April 3 National Memorial Day to the 103rd April 3 Executive Committee on January 31, 2011. - The suggestion made when visiting the Vice Governor for Administrative Affairs, the Ministry of Public Administration and Security, etc. on February 9, 2011. - A request made to urge the Ministry of Public Administration and Security to amend the Enforcement Decree of the Special Act on February 9, 2011. - A suggestion regarding the designation of the April 3 National Memorial Day made to the Presidential Secretary for Social Integration who visited the Jeju Island on March 24, 2011. - A suggestion regarding the designation of the April 3 National Memorial Day made to the Prime Minister who attended the April 3 memorial service on April 3, 2011. - An amendment to the Special Act proposed by lawmaker Kang Chang-il on April 8, 2011 (designation, etc. of the April 3 National Memorial Day) on April 8, 2011. - Lawmaker Kang Chang-il, made an inquiry to the Government as a member of the National Assembly Special Committee on Budget and Accounts on August 25, 2011. - A suggestion made by twelve people, including executives of the 4.3 Bereaved Family Association, who visited the history-related affairs support directorate and local lawmakers on October 20, 2011. - A suggestion made by five people, including executives of the 4.3 Bereaved Family Association, during a meeting with the Minister of Public Administration and Security on November 22, 2011. - The parliamentary passage of the Amendment to the Special Act on June 27, 2013. (The opinion subordinate to the Amendment: “The Korean government shall amend the Presidential Decree of Various Anniversaries prior to the following year’s April 3.”) - The Amendment to the Special Act promulgated on August 6, 2013 (opinion subordinate to the Amendment). - A suggestion made by the 4.3 Incident-related organizations and the 4.3 Bereaved Family Association to the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, later to the Ministry of Security and Public Administration, to collect extensive opinions about the anniversary’s title from all levels of society on August 30, 2013. - The Governor responded positively when visiting the central government on December 19 and the 4.3 Bereaved Family Association three times in the period from December 8 to 19, 2013. ■Vice Minister at the Office for Government Policy Coordination Hong Yoon-sik, decided to skip some of the procedures for the amendment of the provisions related to the following year’s April 3. ■Presidential Secretary for Political Affairs Park Yun Woo expressed his willingness to provide proactive support to the designation of the April 3 National Memorial Day. - The Korean Government announced the prior announcement for legislation regarding the designation of the April 3 National Memorial Day as national anniversary on January 17, 2014. - The Enforcement Decree for the designation of the April 3 National Memorial Day as national anniversary amended in March 2014. - The national ceremony held to cherish the memory of the victims of the Jeju 4.3 Incident on April 3, 2014.

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