Residents of Gurye, South Korea, are calling for an investigation into the Padori incident, where 22 locals were killed during a March 1st event in 1948.
Residents from the Gurye region of South Jeolla Province are voicing demands for an investigation into the Padori incident, which resulted in the deaths of 22 residents during a March 1st commemorative event 78 years ago. The call comes from local organizations, including the Gurye Heritage Association and the Gurye Research Society, who gathered for the first memorial ceremony dedicated to the victims of this tragic event. They emphasize the urgent need to uncover the truths surrounding the incident, which has largely been overshadowed by other historical events such as the Yeosu-Suncheon incident and the Jeju 4.3 incident.
The Padori incident took place on March 1, 1948, during a commemoration of Korea's March 1st Independence Movement. Tensions escalated when a protest led by a local schoolteacher, Park Ji-rae, criticized the U.S. military administration. The police, deeming the protesters to be leftist, ordered the dissolution of the gathering and used warning shots, which led to chaos as the residents approached the police station. The police subsequently fired on the crowd, resulting in the deaths and injuries of many. While Park Ji-rae has been formally recognized as a victim, the identities and circumstances surrounding the remaining victims remain largely uninvestigated.
Scholars studying the Yeosu-Suncheon incident argue that the Padori incident should be analyzed in connection with other significant uprisings that occurred in the same year, such as the Jeju 4.3 incident and the Yeosu-Suncheon incident. The historical narratives of such events have repeatedly highlighted how police violence during commemorative events fueled later uprisings. Local leaders, like Yang Jun-sik, chair of the special committee for truth-seeking in the 10.19 incident, stress that without acknowledging and investigating the Padori incident, recognition of similar tragedies will remain incomplete, and the historical context of these actions during the tumultuous late 1940s must be addressed for the ongoing reconciliation and historical closure in South Korea.
