President Lee Jae-myung reaffirmed on April 3 the government's push to abolish statutes of limitations for criminal and civil cases involving state violence while honoring Jeju April 3 massacre victims. Prime Minister Kim Min-seok vowed at a Jeju Island ceremony to uncover the truth of the 1948 event and restore victims' honor. The pledges mark the 78th anniversary of the uprising crackdown.
President Lee Jae-myung offered condolences on Facebook to survivors and families of the Jeju April 3 incident, noting South Korea's post-liberation history includes a dark chapter of state violence. He vowed, "I will ensure that, by abolishing the statute of limitations for state violence, responsibility for such acts can never be evaded as long as those responsible are alive." This reiterates his pledge during a recent Jeju visit to legislate the removal of such statutes.
At the Jeju 4.3 Peace Park commemorative ceremony, Prime Minister Kim Min-seok stated, "The government will make its best efforts to thoroughly determine the truth of April 3rd and restore the honor of the victims and bereaved families." He called facing the truth and recording correct history a "historic mission of our time," linking the tragedy's illegal martial law decree to former President Yoon Suk Yeol's 2024 imposition.
The April 3 incident involved a government crackdown starting in 1947 that lasted over seven years, killing an estimated 14,000 to 30,000 civilians -- up to 10 percent of Jeju Island's population -- amid an uprising viewed as a communist rebellion under U.S. military-led rule after Japan's 1910-45 colonial period. Both leaders pledged to honor the history and foster democracy on foundations of peace and human rights.
