Jeju 4.3 Tragedy Site, Darangshi Cave, to Become National Registered Cultural Heritage

Darangshi Cave, a poignant symbol of the Jeju 4.3 incident, is poised to become a state-protected cultural heritage site. The National Heritage Agency announced on August 12 that the "Jeju 4.3 Darangshi Cave Shelter and Massacre Site" will be designated as a national registered cultural heritage, alongside the Manseojeong House in Chilgok, Gyeongbuk, belonging to independence activist Jang Seok-young.

The cave gained notoriety for its tragic role during the brutal "scorched earth" operations following the 1948 Jeju Uprising. After a government decree declared anyone moving into the mid-mountainous areas more than 5 kilometers from the coast as a "rebel" to be shot, residents of Jongdal-ri and Hado-ri sought refuge in Darangshi Cave. In December of that year, military and police forces discovered the cave and demanded the inhabitants emerge. When they refused, soldiers set a fire at the entrance, causing 11 people, including children, to suffocate.

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Darangshi Cave is a place where residents, fleeing the scorched earth operation after the 4.3 incident, were collectively sacrificed during the crackdown operation, and it is a cultural heritage symbolizing the tragic history of that time.

This horrific event remained largely unknown for over four decades. It wasn't until March 1991 that the Jeju 4.3 Research Institute unearthed skeletal remains, pots, and jars within the cave, bringing the massacre to public attention and galvanizing the movement to uncover the truth of the 4.3 incident. The National Heritage Agency cited the cave's historical significance as a site where residents were collectively sacrificed while fleeing the crackdown, its role as a catalyst for truth investigation, its widespread media coverage, and the well-preserved state of the refuge as reasons for its designation.

Manseojeong House, associated with Jang Seok-young, a key figure in the Paris Jangseoseo Movement who delivered a petition for independence to the Paris Peace Conference after the March 1, 1919, independence movement, was recognized for its historical value in commemorating his legacy. Both heritage sites will undergo a 30-day public notice period, during which public opinions will be collected, before a final decision is made by the National Heritage Committee.

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It has sufficient historical value due to its role as a catalyst for truth investigation, extensive media coverage, and the well-preserved state of the refuge.