Today (April 11, 2025), the UNESCO recognised the Jeju 4.3 archives as a Memory of the World entry, acknowledging their importance in preserving the island’s history and promoting peace, human rights, and reconciliation. The “Revealing Truth: Jeju 4.3 Archives” chronicle the massacre of islanders by government forces between March 1, 1947, and September 21, 1954. The collection, which includes 14,673 items of court records, news articles, investigation reports, victims’ testimonies and photographs, provides valuable insights into the events of the 4.3 Uprising, its causes, and its impact on the island’s population.
According to the Korea Heritage Service, UNESCO approved the inscription during an executive board meeting in Paris, following a recommendation from the program’s International Advisory Committee. Jeju society expressed its welcome as the history of the Jeju 4.3 Incident was registered as a ‘world memory’ and Jeju Governor Oh Young-hun welcomed the designation, calling it “a deeply meaningful moment” in which Jeju Island’s painful history and the journey of its people toward healing and unity have become part of the world’s heritage.
Sources:
Jeju Voice, April 11, 2025 https://www.jejusori.net/news/articleView.html?idxno=435504
Yonhap News Agency, April 11, 2025 https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20250411001251315