Historical sites of the April 3rd Incident are being restored in the midst of a new proposal of the April 3rd Incident Special Act at the National Assembly.
As a part of the restoration project, the province is buying private properties to restore (곤을동) Goneuldong, a village that was burned down during the incident.
Todd Thacker reports.


The village of (곤을동) Goneuldong in (화북동) Hwabuk-dong, just east of Jeju Port, was razed and abandoned during the April 3rd Incident.


After a rumor spread about the presence of armed forces in the village in January 1949, 10 area residents were rounded up and executed by the National Defence Guard.
Over the course of just two days, all 67 houses in the village were burnt down. The community that had existed there for many centuries simply vanished.
After that, no one returned to the deserted coastal village for more than 70 years.


In the first phase of its historic site restoration project, which has suffered years of delays due to budget shortfalls, the province will soon start buying properties associated with the April 3rd Incident.


1 billion won has been earmarked for the purchase of 39 lots that cover about 8,000 square meters across the island.
Restoration of (곤을동) Goneuldong will be the first step in a larger provincial project.


The value of the land where Goneuldong used to sit has now been appraised.
The province will buy properties from 10 owners. The purchases will be made from owners who accept the province’s proposal first.
Based on this, national funds could be injected into the restoration project next year.

After the purchases, the province is planning to gradually restore April 3rd Incident historic sites based on the advice of research historians.

The restoration of Goneuldong will prove to be an important testbed for the province’s larger project to protect the island's historical sites.

Todd Thacker, KCTV