Jeju 4.3 victims and bereaved families' additional applications to resume after 4 years

South Korea is set to reopen the process for additional applications from victims and bereaved families related to the Jeju 4.3 incident, four years after the last intake. The announcement comes as the revised enforcement decree for the Special Law on the Investigation of the Truth and Restoration of Honor for the Jeju 4.3 Incident is expected to be approved by the State Council soon.

Jeju Province announced on August 18 that it would begin accepting the ninth round of applications. The application period will last for six months, commencing in February of next year. Interested individuals can submit their applications at Jeju City Hall, various town and township offices, and community centers across the province.

The province had been advocating for the government to revise the special law's enforcement decree to allow for further applications. President Lee Jae-myung had promised to extend the additional application period when he met with bereaved families in March, ahead of the Jeju 4.3 commemoration day. Following this, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety initiated the legislative process for the decree revision in June, and the Ministry of Government Legislation completed its review on August 7.

Under the special law, individuals seeking recognition as victims or bereaved family members due to death, disappearance, aftereffects, or imprisonment must submit an application and supporting documents to the Jeju 4.3 Working Committee. Those recognized through the committee's review and the Jeju 4.3 Central Committee's deliberation and resolution will have their honor restored and receive compensation. Through eight previous revisions of the enforcement decree from 2000 to 2023, a total of 15,218 victims and 128,022 bereaved family members have been recognized as having suffered damages from the Jeju 4.3 incident.

This revision will also extend the period for applying for the establishment or correction of family relationship registration for victims, as well as for decisions regarding de facto marital or adoptive relationships with victims, until August 31, 2028. Kim In-young, head of Jeju Province's Special Administration Bureau, stated that the decree revision reflects the efforts to resolve the long-standing wishes of the bereaved families and incorporates the opinions of Jeju Province and the bereaved families' association.

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The decree revision reflects the efforts to resolve the long-standing wishes of the bereaved families and incorporates the opinions of Jeju Province and the bereaved families' association.