The province is demanding further investigative measures to reveal U.S. involvement in the April 3rd Incident.

We are seeing hope as newly revealed evidence and testimony will become the stepping stones to unveil the truth of the incident.

Mike Balfour reports.

This photo was taken on May 15, 1948 soon after the April 3rd Incident broke out.

[slug] Photo taken on May 15, 1948

It shows a U.S. military advisor checking an attack plan on a village.

And this photo of U.S. naval ship was also taken on the same day at the Port of Jeju.

[slug] Provincial council actively pushes to reveal U.S. involvement

These photos, undisclosed for decades, were published in the provincial council’s news magazine for the first time.

In the report, the provincial council argues that investigation on the U.S.’s involvement in the incident is needed.



The report says that U.S. commanders and military advisors issued orders to the Korean national police and military guards and supervised attacks on villages as a part of the effort to suppress the civilians in Jeju.

It also points out that American troops provided Korean units with supplies and information for the attacks.



[slug] U.S. soldiers presumed to be stationed in Jeju between 1947-1949

One-hundred to 1,000 American soldiers were presumed to be stationed on the island between 1947 and 1948, although there is controversy over the number.

Classified U.S. documents and testimony by American Korean War veterans support the presumption.

[slug] Number of U.S. soldiers implies degree of involvement

The number of the war veterans from the U.S. stationed on the island is important, because it implies how much the U.S. was involved in the incident.

INTERVIEW
Kim Tae-seok / Chairperson, Jeju Provincial Council
I believe it is the council’s duty to join efforts with the April 3rd Peace Foundation to participate in the Human Rights Symposium and report investigative reports on the past tragedy.

<인터뷰:김태석 제주도의회 의장>
"4.3평화재단에서 미국에 가서 심포지엄도 하는 걸로 알고 있는데 의회도 같이 동참하면서 역사의 진상을 낱낱이 파헤치고 도민들에게 보고하는게 의회의 의무라고 생각합니다."

What the U.S. military did and how much it influenced the massacre of civilians in Jeju is not yet clear.

[Reporter] Mike Balfour
[Camera] Hyeon Gwang-hoon
[CG] Kim Eun-kyo

For complete resolution of the historic tragedy, identification of the U.S. Army’s culpability is an important task assigned to the present generation.

Mike Balfour, KCTV