The historical records of the Jeju April 3 Incident have been added to UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register, a major step in South Korea’s efforts to preserve and share its human rights history.
Jeju Province announced on April 11 that the decision was approved during the 221st session of the UNESCO Executive Board. The archived collection, titled “Revealing Truth: Jeju 4.3 Archives,” includes 14,673 items, such as U.S. military government documents, court records, and testimonies from survivors and victims’ families.
Submitted in November 2023 by Jeju Province and the Jeju 4.3 Peace Foundation, the collection received endorsement from UNESCO’s review bodies, including the International Advisory Committee.
The archives detail efforts to uncover the truth behind the Jeju April 3 Incident ? a period of state-led violence from 1947 to 1954 in which thousands of civilians on Jeju Island were killed or imprisoned or went missing during anti-communist crackdowns. These records reflect decades of truth-seeking and calls for justice.
With this inscription, Jeju becomes a five-time UNESCO honoree, joining recognitions in biosphere conservation, natural heritage, geoparks, and intangible heritage. Governor Oh Young-hun called the listing a tribute to Jeju’s people and a global message of peace, human rights, and healing.