Asian Theatre Journal

Abstract:

Jeju Island is internationally known as "the Hawaii of Asia" because of its scenic landscapes. But it is not known that this volcanic island is also called "an Island of Death" in connection with the Jeju massacre (1948–1949) during the April 3 Incident. This article thus focuses on the ways in which the victims of the mass killing are enacted and the cultural implications of conceptualizing deaths of the Jeju Incident are embodied. Given that the Cold War narrative is associated with the reburial of the dead and the search for missing bodies in the context of modern Korean history, this article engages with the way in which cultural memory is performed in Jeju Peace Memorial Park through artistic practices and monuments. Concentrating on the injustice of death, the ethics of the dead, and the relationship between history and memory, this article also includes how this site reveals a futuristic vision of understanding the Jeju Incident.