Thousands of islanders were arrested and sentenced to years in prison on the trumped-up charge of being communists during the April 3rd Incident without a proper trial seven decades ago.

In June 2019, ten families of missing victims applied for retrials but haven’t yet had the victims’ names cleared by a court.

This week, another 341 families of missing victims filed reconsideration bills to the Jeju District Court to restore the victims’ honor.

Mike Laidman reports.

[slug] Jeju District Court
A group of elderly Jeju residents visits the Jeju District Court.
They have come all this way to apply for the retrial of cases that had their parents, brothers, and sisters convicted for false offenses during the infamous April 3rd Incident.
Some families have been in limbo, tortured by grief for 72 years, not knowing if their missing family members are alive or dead.
All they hope is that the names of their loved ones be cleared by the court.

Recording
Kim Pil-mun / Assoc. for Families of Missing 4.3 Victims
Many of the relatives of the victims have died or are old and weak now, seeing that 72 years have now passed. We don't have much time left, so we decided to request retrials in the name of the victims.
<싱크 : 김필문 / 제주4·3희생자유족 행방불명인 유족협의회장>
"72년이라는 세월이 흐르는 동안 많은 유족 분들이 원통함을 가슴에 안고 돌아가셨거나 나이가 들어 병들고 많이 쇠약해 있습니다. 앞으로 시간이 얼마 남지 않았습니다. 죽기 전에 명예회복을 하고자..."

[slug] 341 families of missing victims request retrials

Among the more than 2,500 people who were on the prisoner lists made during the April 3rd Incident, families of 10 applied for a retrial in June of last year.

Following this earlier request, families of 341 more victims joined in this week.

However, procedures for the retrial for the first 10 victims have yet to be initiated.

Song Seung-mun / Assoc. for Families of Missing 4.3 Victims
It’s been more than 70 years since the military courts took our loved ones away. We don't know when they died, therefore we honor them when they were born.
<싱크 : 송승문/ 제주4.3희생자유족회장>
"우리 부모형제들의 시신조차 수습을 못하고 제삿날도 날짜를 몰라서 생일날로, 집을 떠난 날로 제사를 지낸지 70년이라는 세월이 흘렀습니다."

[slug] Sentenced to jail or death over false offences

The victims of the atrocities that occurred between 1947 and 1949 were allegedly sentenced to either one year in a martial prison, or else simply given the death sentence over false claims against the safety of the state.

[slug] Victims’ family members will represent them in court

The surviving family members of the missing victims will represent their family members, and give their testimony in court.

[slug] Plaintiff lawyers screen 500 applicants

Lawyers on the side of the plaintiffs have narrowed down the list of applicants after screening roughly 500 people.

Recording
Choi Nak-gyun / Lawyer for retrial applicants
341 plaintiffs have been confirmed as family members of the wrongly convicted through document screening.
<싱크 : 최낙균/ 4·3행불수형인 재심청구소송 법률대리인>
"오늘 접수한 341분은 서류를 통해서 수형인의 가족이라는 것이 명백히 나타난 분들을 추려서 접수했습니다."

There were 2,530 Jeju residents who went missing after being accused of being communists all those years ago.

[Reporter] Mike Laidman
[Camera] Kim Seung-cheol, Park Byeong-june

Now, all eyes are on the court system as more retrial claims from surviving victims and families come forward.

Mike Laidman, KCTV