How extremist North Korean refugees inflicted terror during a massacre in South



Evergreen How extremist North Korean refugees inflicted terror during a massacre in South A group of young landowners who fled Soviet rule helped to brutally suppress alleged communists on Jeju Island Joon Ha Park \| Lina Park April 15, 2024 SHARE COPY LINK FACEBOOK X LINKEDIN MASTODON Members of the Northwest Youth Association hold a rally for the withdrawal of Soviet troops in front of the National Assembly on May 31, 1948. \| Image: Wikimedia Commons South Korea marked the 76th anniversary of one of the darkest incidents in its history this month — the massacre of tens of thousands of people on the southern island of Jeju due to their alleged affiliation with North Korea. Police forces played a leading role in the killings over a period of seven years, beginning with an uprising in April 1948 and continuing throughout the Korean War. But a number of other groups also contributed to the bloodshed, and one of the most notable was an extremist anti-communist organization formed by young people who fled from the Soviet-controlled North. © Korea Risk Group. All rights reserved. No part of this content may be reproduced, distributed, or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from Korea Risk Group. Get the Daily Update Start your day with the North Korea stories that matter most – as selected by Trending

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How extremist North Korean refugees inflicted terror during a massacre in South

A group of young landowners who fled Soviet rule helped to brutally suppress alleged communists on Jeju Island

Joon Ha Park | Lina Park April 15, 2024

How extremist North Korean refugees inflicted terror during a massacre in South

Members of the Northwest Youth Association hold a rally for the withdrawal of Soviet troops in front of the National Assembly on May 31, 1948. | Image: Wikimedia Commons

South Korea marked the 76th anniversary of one of the darkest incidents in its history this month — the massacre of tens of thousands of people on the southern island of Jeju due to their alleged affiliation with North Korea.

Police forces played a leading role in the killings over a period of seven years, beginning with an uprising in April 1948 and continuing throughout the Korean War.

But a number of other groups also contributed to the bloodshed, and one of the most notable was an extremist anti-communist organization formed by young people who fled from the Soviet-controlled North.

About the Authors

Joon Ha Park

Joon Ha Park is a correspondent at Korea Risk Group. He has previously written on issues related to the two Koreas at The Peninsula Report, and appeared on ABC News Australia, Deutsche Welle and Monocle Radio. He specializes in offering in-depth analyses of South Korea’s defense policy, security relations and domestic politics for Korea Pro.

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Lina Park

Lina Park is the Digital Communications and Events Manager at Korea Risk Group. She previously worked at the Business and Finance desk of The Korea Herald and as a news trainee at NK News. Her past research experience includes work on North Korean human rights at HanVoice and South Korea’s foreign relations at the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada.

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