Dead Silence and Other Stories of the Jeju Massacre - Softcover

Hyun Kil-Un

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1891936808 ISBN 13: 9781891936807

Publisher: EastBridge, a nonprofit corporation, 2006

Synopsis

A tragic-and largely forgotten-event following the liberation of Korea occurred on Jeju Island in 1948. An event now called the 'Jeju Massacre'. On April 3, 1948, an armed guerrilla uprising was suppressed by the police and military constabulary. The guerrilla attacks had begun on April 1 and by April 3 the rebels had seized 11 police stations and barracks resulting in 50 dead policemen, the jails empty of prisoners, and the capture of most of the island's police firearms and ammunition. The constabulary, which was not targeted by the guerrillas, was armed with Japanese Army rifles but lacked ammunition so was powerless to stop the killings. The six-man American Army liaison team was restricted to their headquarters in Jeju City. The so-called massacre delayed Jeju participation in the national elections from May to September but the armed uprising continued until well after the end of the Korean War in 1952. A significant number of the early casualties were political prisoners--largely communists--arrested on the mainland and transferred to prisons on Jeju as unease over the bellicose intentions of the North rose throughout the country. Korea would soon be abandoned--by the U.S. (in the South) and the U.S.S.R. (in the North)--without pursuing all-Korea elections. This led both North and South to attempt to sequester their political opponents, leading inexorably to war a year and a half later. Official estimates for the more than four-year struggle tally some 12,000 insurgents killed by government forces with about 2,000 teachers, local officials, police, and army constabulary killed by the rebels. There is speculation that non-combatant civilian casualties might double those numbers. Hyun Kil-Un's stories in this book are all set on Jeju Island in and around the time of the massacre. Each story offers its own unique view of the events surrounding the massacre and the connections between the stories provide readers with an understanding of the incident. This fictional exploration of the Jeju Massacre focuses on how people become victims of their ideologies, how truth can be concealed on a large scale, and how the later revelation of truth can affect a society. Translated by Hyunsook Kang, Lee Jin-Ah, and John Michael McGuire. Introduction by John Michael McGuire.

About this title

About the Author

Hyun Kil-Un, a native of Jeju Island, has received several literary awards, including Korea's Contemporary Literary Award for his novel Priest and Sacrifice.

About this edition

• Publisher: EastBridge, a nonprofit corporation
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 1891936808
• ISBN 13: 9781891936807
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 213