The international community is facing global trends of competition and confrontation, such as the U.S.-China strategic competition, the Russia-Ukraine war, the Israel-Hamas conflict, and tensions in the Taiwan Strait. Particularly, the world witnesses the terrible tragedy resulting from the Russia-Ukraine war and Israel's attacks. Consequently, the international community recognizes the serious lack of cooperation amidst various challenges threatening peace. It is a time to learn the lessons from the past and seek the roads to coexistence. Although the world learned from the Holocaust during World War II and adopted the Genocide Convention in the UN, the cries and tears of the weak are still heard worldwide. The Jeju Massacre(Jeju 4‧3 Incident), which occurred during the U.S. Military Government period, resulted in casualties of about 10% of the population of Jeju island under the direct and indirect intervention by the U.S. While the Korean government officially apologized for the brutalities by the government forces during the Jeju 4‧3 Incident and has trying to restore the honor of the victims, the U.S. has shown no response.
The Jeju 4‧3 Research Institute holds the 4‧3 session at this Jeju Forum under the theme of 'Jeju 4‧3, Reflection and Coexistence from the Past' This session aims to reflect on past tragic events, including the Jeju 4‧3 Incident, to explore the future of our society and the paths of cooperation and coexistence. Participants will examine what lessons we should learn from the history and provide insights from a comparative perspective.