This is why we need to write local history!
Rewriting Korean history from Jeju's perspective, beyond the central region.
Jeju, a remote area left out of the central history.
If you focus on Jeju's history, you will see a completely different Korean history.
Discover the true history of Jeju, unseen anywhere else, through the unique perspective and voice of Jeju.

The first edition of 『Rewriting Jeju History』, published in 2005, became a signal for the writing of local history by restoring the voices of local regions that had been marginalized in Korean history for the first time.
But now, 20 years later, it's still difficult to find "local history," and the insights this book offers remain as relevant as ever.
Just as a completely different Korean history emerges when centered on Jeju's history, a new perspective on history emerges only when read from a local perspective, breaking away from nationalism and the central government's perspective.
This is why writing local history is necessary.

This book is organized into 12 topics that follow the flow of time from Jeju's prehistoric culture to the truth about the April 3 Incident.
These twelve themes consistently present a discourse from the periphery rather than the central perspective, sharply overturning the state-centered narrative of Korean history.
The author's profound love for his hometown of Jeju is palpable, but he maintains a consistent historical perspective of "the perspective of the periphery," so he is not blind.
The true history of Jeju, unseen anywhere else, is now revealed through the unique perspective and voice of Jeju.

This pottery with a hole pattern was later spread to various places in Jeju Island.
It left its traces from Hallim, Jeju City, near Sangmo-ri, to Gwakji-ri, Jeju City, and then to the southern area of ​​the tomb site in Yongdam-dong, Jeju City.
It is particularly significant that these perforated pottery fragments were discovered in Yongdam-dong.
This is because Yongdam-dong was the main stage for the formation of Tamna Kingdom.
Ultimately, the Sangmori culture is one of the roots of the formation of Tamna, and its culture is believed to have some connection to the direct ancestors of the current Jeju people.
But it doesn't seem like any great power holders have emerged until then.
This means that even though people from the Bronze Age culture were introduced to the Korean Peninsula, they did not form a large power.
Among the relics and ruins they left behind, there is nothing that symbolizes great power.
This is well explained by the fact that it was only during the Tamna Kingdom period, which was based on the Iron Age culture, that reasonably plausible dolmens were built.
--- p.34-35 「1.
From “Jeju’s Prehistoric Culture Seen from the Perspective of the Frontier”

Jeju Island, with its unique landscapes and unique characteristics, is richer in myths than any other region in Korea.
Among the many myths of Jeju that contain the history of 18,000 gods, there is even a myth of the creation of heaven and earth called 'Cheonjiwangbonpuri'.
This Cheonjiwangbonpuri, which says that in the beginning when only darkness and chaos existed, the heaven and the earth were divided and the world was created, is sung by shamans during the Chogamje, the beginning of a large ritual.
With the exception of Jeju Island and some parts of the northern part of the Korean Peninsula, there are virtually no regions in Korea that preserve the myth of the creation of the world.
It is not very common even worldwide.
Of course, this book will only examine the myths related to the birth of Jeju Island and the creation of Tamna, the first kingdom established on Jeju Island, rather than the birth of the universe.
This is because the topic was limited to Jeju history.
--- p.45 「2.
From “The Formation and Founding Myth of Tamna”

Why did the Mokho Rebellion drag on so much longer than the Sambyeolcho Rebellion? The answer seems to lie in comparing the length of time Sambyeolcho and Mokho were stationed there.
Sambyeolcho was stationed there for a little over two years, but Mokho was stationed there for about 100 years.
It is said that Mongolians lived with Jeju people for 100 years.
This point speaks to the ‘support base of resistance’ that the Mokho forces have.
The resistance's support base? Now things get a little awkward.
What would have happened if young Mongolian soldiers had been on Jeju Island for 100 years? Records indicate that between 1,400 and 1,700 Mongolian soldiers entered the island.
It was a natural phenomenon that descendants were born between these people and the women of Tamra.

--- p.102-103 「3.
From "Goryeo, Mongolia, and Tamna"

The reason the central aristocrats were reluctant to visit Jeju Island was not only because of its poor economic power or backward culture.
Above all, it was because I took it as a demotion.
Once assigned to Jeju, opportunities to interact with influential figures in central politics were reduced, and this naturally had a negative impact on promotion.
Moreover, crossing the sea was a dangerous task that could even lead to death, so it became an object of avoidance.
… … As a result, it was rare for local officials who came to Jeju to make good decisions.
My daily routine was to just look up at the northern sky, thinking about how to return to Seoul.
The government office where the Jeju pastor worked even had a pavilion called Manggyeongru (望京樓), which means ‘a pavilion looking toward Seoul.’
It seems that it wasn't just a building that I would occasionally climb when I thought of it.
Among the government buildings in Jeju-mok, the largest was Manggyeongru.
The same goes for Yeonbukjeong (戀北亭), which means ‘pavilion that longs for the north’ in Jochon.
--- p.173-175 「6.
From “The Frontier Island of Jeju and the Yangban of Joseon”

The rebellions in the Jeju region in the 19th century were generally similar to those in Joseon.
But on the other hand, a peculiar appearance also appears.
This is because there were special circumstances unique to Jeju Island.
Representative examples include the Yang Je-hae Rebellion in 1813 and the Bang Seong-chil Rebellion in 1898, which both raised the slogan of establishing an independent nation.
The Gangje Geom Rebellion of 1862 and the Bangseongchil Rebellion of 1898, both of which were caused by the Hwajeonse incident, also show the unique social and economic conditions of Jeju Island.
Lee Jae-su's rebellion in 1901 was also unique.
Although it is similar to other civil rebellions in that it is a resistance against feudal contradictions, the aspect of resistance against foreign powers represented by Catholicism is what makes Lee Jae-su's rebellion unique.
--- p.315 「9.
From "The Age of Rebellion, Lee Jae-su of Jeju"

In the 2000s, voices began to arise calling Jeju Island the 'Island of Peace.'
… … However, it is difficult to talk about Jeju Island as an island of peace without turning a blind eye to the deep wounds of the April 3rd Incident.
Because only when those deep wounds are healed can peace come in a concrete and real way.
The image of peace is not created simply by the visits of a few world leaders.
The lives of the Jeju people who overcame the pain of April 3rd should themselves become a symbol of peace.
It would be even better if it included the scars and healing from the period before that, that is, the Japanese colonial period.
Only then can Jeju Island, a place steeped in history, overcome the madness of war and be reborn as a land that carries a true message of peace.

--- p.377 「11.
From “The Fate of Jeju in the Whirlwind of War”