Buk Elementary School

On March 1, 1947, the 28th anniversary celebration of the March 1st Independence Movement took place at the schoolyard of Jeju Buk Elementary School. It was estimated that approximately 25,000 to 30,000 people - about one in ten Jeju residents - attended the event. This gathering reflected the Jeju residents’ profound desire to expel foreign powers and establish an independent, unified democratic nation.

The commemoration ceremony was not limited to Jeju Island. Both left-wing and right-wing groups held separate events across the peninsula, opposing the U.S. military government. Prior to the event, Jeju residents extensively prepared the commemoration ceremony as they organized the March 1st Commemoration Struggle Jeju Committee on February 17, with Ann Sehun as its chairman. The Jeju Committee determined that Jeju-eup, Jocheon-myeon and Aeweol-myeon would hold their event together at Jeju Buk Elementary School, while other villages would hold their ceremonies at designated locations in each town.

The police, upon receiving information about the commemoration ceremony, declared their intention to fully prevent any protests or demonstrations at Buk Elementary School, suggesting they be held near the airfield outside the town. However, at 11 a.m. on March 1st, the commemoration ceremony began at Jeju Buk Elementary School. Tens of thousands of people gathered, rendering the police’s checks ineffective.

Around 2 p.m., as the commemorative event concluded and participants dispersed, the police shooting incident on March 1st at Gwandukjeong yard took place.