![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.charlesconklin.com\/4cambodia\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/RS151700_DSC_0002-1024x683.jpg\")
After World War 2, many of the people living on Jeju island were deeply disappointed and troubled that the US kept the Japanese colonial collaborators in authority over Jeju (keeping oppressive people who were responsible for atrocities in power, instead of bringing in new people or establishing local rule). It is important to know that know that while Jeju island has a long history with Korea, it has not always been part of Korea – it is a distinct place with it’s own history, indigenous groups, and culture. On March 1st, 1947 around 30,000 people gathered to protest against “US trusteeship” and advocate that Korea, including Jeju, be given full independence. The protest was violently suppressed – with 6 people being killed – and that was followed by a general strike.<\/p>\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.charlesconklin.com\/4cambodia\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/20260415_155739-768x1024.jpg\")
As you likely know, after liberation from Japanese Imperial rule in 1945 the Korean Peninsula was divided at the 38th parallel into Soviet (North) and American (South) zones. In 1948, the United States and the United Nations scheduled a referendum on formerly separating the Korean peninsula along this line of control. The USSR refused to participate in this referendum but instead said that it would hold it’s own. Jeju was the only region of southern Korea that voted against the Korean peninsula being divided into North and South. On April 3rd 1948, a recently formed partisan armed group attacked several police stations on Jeju island. This 4.3 incident lead to the massacres. The first Republic of Korea, with US military advisors supervising, launched an “eradication campaign” against the “communist” elements on Jeju. The partisan armed group was defeated within two months. Many people were executed or abducted from Jeju extrajudicially. The Republic of Korea recruited right-wing paramilitary groups to join the “eradication campaign” in Jeju and they operated without any legal constraints. Anyone living more than 5 kilometers from the coast was arbitrary ruled a communist and was targeted. The military razed over 95% of Jeju’s inland mountain villages, burning homes and destroying crops. Tens of thousands of civilians who fled into the forests, giant lava tubes, and mountain caves to escape the violence were indiscriminately slaughtered, tortured, or forced into overcrowded camps. The “eradication campaign” was noted, even at the time, for it’s extreme violence and brutality. It has been confirmed that more than 10% of the total population of Jeju were killed but some estimates go higher. <\/p>\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.charlesconklin.com\/4cambodia\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/\ubaa8\ub140\uc0c1\ube44\uc124-29-1024x683.jpg\")
The Biseol sculpture at the Jeju 4.3 Peace Park<\/a> commemorates two of the victims of the massacre, a 25-year old mother and her 2 year-old daughter, who fled from an attack on their village and froze to death in the mountains. Their crime was being labeled communist because their village was more than 5 kilometers inland from the coast. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After the start of the Korean War in 1950 the history of the Jeju massacre was officially censored and repressed. However, South Korean Prime Minister Goh Kun lead an initiative that officially confirmed that the Jeju massacre had occurred and published an initial report. This was the beginning of a long peace and reconciliation process on Jeju. Today Jeju holds many peace centers and memorials to the massacre – but it’s still hard for survivors to speak out after decades of living in fear and many families still live uncertain of their disappeared relative’s fates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One morning we heard from a local Mennonite Pastor who shared that Jeju is a place of, “beautiful nature and people, but sad and painful history.” He was born five years after the April 3th massacres ended. He shared about growing up in Jeju and being confused about a wide, beautiful beach near his village that no one visited. In fact people didn’t even want to talk about it. When he was older he came to understand that it had been a killing site and that the bodies had been left there to decompose. People were afraid to talk about the killings, afraid that that kind of talk might spark another massacre. <\/p>\n\n\n As a young man the Pastor left Jeju – saying that he felt at the time that “there’s no hope here” – but after becoming a Christian he decided to return after asking God about resurrection. He started as a farmer and slowly relationships, asking at every step, “How can I bring healing to the people here.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI am\u00a0the true vine,\u00a0and my Father is the gardener”<\/p>John 15:1<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n He reflected on John 15. These Bible verses speak of a God who nurtures but also pushes us. So he asked himself, “How do I live as a farmer here. I worship the God of Shalom so I need to be a Peace\/Shalom farmer.” To him this meant farming without greed or violence. He focused on organic and sustainable crops. His bottom-line was building trust and relationship, not profit. Quality over profit. He shared that sometimes his farming is behind schedule and his workload is greater because of this approach…but the relationships are much better. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Peace is a process – not a product. It requires our labor and nurture. I want to see our island’s society become as beautiful as the land is.<\/p>Jeju Mennonite Pastor’s reflection<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n He concluded by saying, “Peace is a process – not a product. It requires our labor and nurture. I want to see our island’s society become as beautiful as the land is.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n You might remember that Beth Heppner from Canada was one of our SALT participants in Cambodia a few years ago. After finishing her time with us in Cambodia she did another (very different) SALT term on Jeju island in South Korea. There has been a ongoing controversy on Jeju island over the construction of a major naval base. They see it as a US-driven initiative to prepare for war with China and this sparks fears based on the reality of their island’s suffering. Jeju is also famous for seafood – especially the legendary Haenyeo female free divers<\/a> – and there was concern that the naval base would have significant environmental impacts on sealife. Local opposition delayed the naval base’s construction 7 times but finally the Republic of Korea Supreme Court approved it to move forward.<\/p>\n\n\n Exhausted by the long struggle, the local community asked for international support and international volunteers, including some from MCC, have been supporting their peace advocacy campaign. This includes advocacy and protests. One of the more memorable things they do is to join locals in giving 100 bows while chanting peace blessings at the gate of the naval base at 7AM every morning no matter the weather. Even just doing 10 bows was hard for me – my knees were not happy – so I really admire the discipline and commitment to this peace witness. In the short term it looks unlikely that this will change anything but we pray that this witness is bearing fruits (and maybe it already is just in ways we can’t quite see with our human eyes).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" It is fair to ask why Mennonite Central Committee has programming on Jeju island. The heartbreaking truth is that Jeju, despite it’s current popularity as a tourist destination, holds a painful history of suffering, repression, and mass murder. After World War 2, many of the people living on Jeju island were deeply disappointed and troubled… <\/p>\n
\n\n\n\n![\"Two](\"https:\/\/www.charlesconklin.com\/4cambodia\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/RS151731_20260416_083453-768x1024.jpg\")
\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.charlesconklin.com\/4cambodia\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/RS143985_SALTer-Beth-Heppner-paints-flags-at-the-home-of-a-peace-activist-to-protest-a-new-mobile-fleet-command-at-the-Jeju-Naval-Base-1024x576.jpg\")