Korea designates Jeju cave massacre site as national heritage
Deep within the volcanic terrain of Jeju Island lies a damp, narrow lava tube known as Darangshi Cave. For more than four decades, it remained a silent, sealed tomb — holding the remains of eleven villagers, including women and children, who choked to death on smoke in 1948 when government forces blockaded the entrance and built fires outside. Long kept in the shadows of national memory, the site…
A damp lava tube on Jeju Island, known as Darangshi Cave, has been designated as a national heritage site. This cave, nestled in volcanic terrain, held the remains of eleven villagers who perished in 1948. Government forces sealed off the entrance and ignited fires outside, causing the victims to choke on smoke. Previously overlooked in national memory, the cave and massacre site are now to be officially preserved by the government.
This decision marks a broader national effort to address past atrocities, hold the state accountable, and safeguard historically significant spaces that were once overlooked. The move aligns with plans to register another site, Manseojeong, the historic residential quarters of Jang Seok-yeong, a key Korean independence activist who penned the 1919 Paris Petition advocating for national sovereignty during Japan's colonial rule from 1910 to 1945.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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