제주 총파업

XXIV CORPS G2 WS 79 4. CIVIL RELATIONS a. The Press March 01 incidents receive fresh impetus in the press as a result of the general strike on CHEJU I.O (see par 4b), and Chief of Police CHANG, Taik Sang's controversy with the police reporters as to the fixing of the blame for the deaths in SECUL on that date. In both instances, the police were accused by the papers of inflicting unnecessary deaths. Chief CHANG's report, to the Press, of occurrances on March 01 ran afoul of an eyewitness account issued with the byline of "Metropolitan Police Reporters" (see par. 4a, W/S #/8), in which the police claims were refuted. To this Chief CHANG replied, "I sent a notice to the metropolitan police reporters because I heard that they would publish a report on their investigation of the March 01 incident contrary to my note. An individual or a newspaper has permission to publish against my note but the metropolitan police reporters will not be permitted to do so. It makes it appear as though there are two police systems when contradictory notes are issued at the same time. ....Therefore I forbid the pressmen to enter the police office." To this the Press replied, "The mission of the correspondents consists in conveying public opinion in a constructive and critical manner and in giving spur to the authorities concerned for social advances. ....The police insulted us and restricted reasonable freedom of speech. Our responsibility and pride made us close the door of the pressmen's room until you acknowledge your fault." b. The People (1) General Strike Reported at CHEJU City From the island province of CHEJU DO comes a report that a. general strike is in progress in the capital city, CHEJU1, which has partially paralyzed finance, transportation, communications, manufacturing,.. education, small business, food distribution, and has extended to approximately sixty percent of the Korean provincial officials. Reportedly beginning on 12 March, the general strike is believed to be Communist inspired, but participated in by both Left and Right as a protest against the killing of six persons and the wounding of six others during unauthorized demonstrations and rioting on 01 March in CHEJU City. (See Incl. #1 and par. 4b, W/S 77, Industrial leaders and MG officials were called to a meeting with the Korean Provincial Governor on 15 March in order that he might hear their opinions in regard to the return to work of their employees on 17 March. The following were the results of the meeting: .(1) Those expecting their employees to return to work on 17 March: Harbor Master Federation Financial Association Chosun Industrial Bank Tax Office North GUN Officer Chosun Mutual Bank Mayor's Office (SHEJU City) Bureau of Communications (2) Those who expected their employees to continue to strike: Heads of North, South and East Primary Schools CHEJU Branch, Federation Financial Association Monopoly Bureau Provincial Food Bureau Post Office (3) Those who were uncertain as to the action employees would take: South KOREA Electric Company CHEJU Alcohol Company Following the meeting, a Military Government officer interrogated the Korean Provincial Governor as to his attitude toward the strike. The Governor reportedly expressed himself as being unsympathetic, believing that it was unjustified; he volunteered to make such an announcement to the press. The scrutiny of nine petitions reaching the office of the Provincial Governor (American) indicates that the political completion of their authors is extreme Left Wing. The petitions unanimously demand that the police chief be discharged, that policemon be discharged that pro-Japanese be ousted from the police force and that those policemen who fired the fatal shots -- actually, their identities are not known in all cases -- be criminally prosecuted. In almost every instance, demands are made to better the conditions of teachers and faculty in the schools; in most of the petitions, this phrase appears: "Hancel (or object to) the SEOUL National University plan." 1-CHEJU (950-1150)(33°30'N-126°32'E) 4 Wrathful indignation directed against the police was reportedly percipitated by unfortunate events which arose out of specifically forbidden, Leftist-sponsored, Sam Il Day demonstrations. Acting contrary to orders of American MG officers, thousands of singing, flag bearing demonstrators reportedly converged upon the city square in which is located the provincial capitol, District #1 police station and the jail. At another point, another unauthorized column approached the Inspection Command (police) Station with the supposed intent of attack. A mounted policeman, enroute to the District #1 station to report, slightly injured a child who inadvertantly ran into his horse. A jeering crowd, estimated at less than two hundred, followed him to the District #1 police building. Those on guard assumed that it was an attack and opened fire. Previous to this instant, demonstrators had been marching in an "S" shaped column around the square, reportedly veering closer to the jail with the constant threat of attack. Tense, and experienced with the brutal potential of the Communist dominated Democratic Youth Alliance ·--- these policemen were in training at TAEJON during the fall riots -- police guards opened fire and dispersed the crowd. The column that had threatened the Inspection Command Station was dispersed without re; orted casualties. A second incident contributed to the mounting animosity against the local police. Previous to 01 March, a policeman had incurred a fracture in a vehicle accident and was placed in a hospital close to the city square. Fearing trouble, two policemen were stationed at the hospital as a precaution in case of March first rioting. Following the shooting mentioned above, two demonstrators were carrying a wounded comrade toward the hospital. The nervous guard outside opened fire, wounding one; the guard on the inside post, hearing the firing, ran out and wounded the other. COMMENT: More detailed information as to the general strike in CHEJU City is lacking due to a partial breakdown in communications with that city. The most recent reports indicate that the strike is abating. The province of CHEJU DO is known as a Left Wing stronghold with a reported seventy percent of its population being sympathizers or affiliates with Left Wing parties. Notable is the fact that this strike indicates what can happen in a Korean community when the majority of the populace, either Right or Left, obdurately support what they believe to be just demands. As to the police action: the shooting which occurred at the hospital seems irreconcilable with rational thinking. However, it must be borne in mind that those who reportedly did the firing in CHEJU City had been trained in TAEJON and will long remember the profane atrocities committed against fellow policemen by Leftist rioters in the fall of 1946. The supposed proximate cause of the unfortunate situation: Leftist demonstrations contrary to an express order prohibiting them - the same reason which resulted in other deaths in South KOREA on 01 March.