President Lee Jae-myung’s Pledge: Ending Statute of Limitations on State Violence in Jeju 4.3 Incident

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On March 29, five days before the 78th anniversary of the Jeju 4·3 victims’ memorial, President Lee Jae-myung visited Jeju and outlined institutional reforms aimed at resolving the 4·3 tragedy, including removing the statute of limitations for crimes of state violence. Local politicians in Jeju issued a series of welcoming statements.

Jeju Province said in a press release that it will accelerate provincial follow-up measures in response to the president’s remarks.

Governor Oh Young-hoon expressed deep gratitude that the president personally visited to console families who have carried this pain for decades. He said that, given the president’s concrete commitment, the provincial government will concentrate administrative resources and work closely with the central government and the National Assembly to make these promises a reality as quickly as possible.

Democratic Party lawmaker Moon Dae-rim (Jeju A) said in a press release that excluding crimes of state violence from the statute of limitations is a firm pledge to ensure the state never again turns its weapons on its citizens. He added that lawmakers must put in place institutional safeguards so tragedies like the Park Jin-gyeong case do not recur.

Fellow party lawmaker Wi Seong-gon (Seogwipo City) called the announcement a historic decision toward a full resolution of Jeju 4·3. He said he will focus all efforts on amending the 4·3 Special Act and securing the necessary budget to close this chapter completely.

Progressive Party gubernatorial candidate Kim Myung-ho urged that the lesson of 4·3 is the residents’ right to decide, and requested that officials allow a referendum on the 11-year-long second airport dispute so island residents can decide directly.