WK Planning Committee Members
An Hye An
Johns Hopkins University
I was particularly interested in things related to Jeju. I was proud of myself for being a Jeju resident. That's why I went to Haenyeo school and trained to become an official Haenyeo. Also, I took 6 hours of bus trips by myself, just to see various 4.3 sites with my bare eyes. I filmed my tour and submit it to a contest, and thankfully I won 3rd place. It was my greatest honor not only to win the contest but also to share those films and feelings with others.
Youjoung Kim (Yuna Kim)
Johns Hopkins University
Director of Research of the Planning Committee Members
Hello, I am a PhD student in the Department of Anthropology at Johns Hopkins University.
I was born on Jeju Island and grew up in a family whose kinship is marked by the violence of Jeju 4.3. Before undertaking my doctoral studies, I worked as a researcher and a coordinator at Jeju 4.3 Research Institute and participated as a research assistant in a collaborative project, Political Apologies Across Cultures, conducted by Tilburg University, the Netherlands. For my research project, I am interested in how the violence of Jeju 4.3 is ingrained in the everyday life of the Jeju islanders. My research also explores the ways in which the U.S. military occupation took place on Jeju Island and how the violence is indexed in the U.S military archives. I am thrilled to be part of this historically important project and very much looking forward to the future development of our collaborative work!
Catherine Yang
Boston College
I've learned about the 4.3 Uprising a couple of times through my father, but it wasn't until I took a solo trip to Jeju Island that I was able to learn about my great grandfather's death and passing as a result of being a victim in the massacre. Ever since, I have been interested in spreading awareness about this tragedy and more importantly be able to learn and develop myself as I learn about the processes of remembering a painful history and advocating not just for justice, but for globalization that ensures fairness and equality for all. Being a project leader and executive board for my campus Public Health Club, I am excited that I can partake and support a position in this committee using skills I have attained through my academic life, and I also hope to learn more about other victims' stories and narratives through this opportunity.
Roslyn Lee
Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
I'm Chaemi Lee and currently majoring in PharmD in MCPHS as a 1st-year professional-grade student. I've visited Jeju every summer vacation when I was young and lived in Jeju since 2015. I attended high school in Jeju, which made me have more interested in Jeju, such as the environmental issue and airport issues. As a person who has lots of interest in Jeju and who loves this island, I'm really looking forward to this project and want to study Jeju and the massacre more deeply.
Jangha Cho
Kyunghee University
Luckily, I got to know about the activities of the planning committee of Walden. When I was in high school, I worked in the English Newspaper Club and learned about Jeju 4.3 incident. But at that time, I wasn't deeply aware of the 4.3 incident. I am honored to be a member of the Youth Planning Committee of Walden Korea and study the 4.3 incident. I want to spread the Jeju 4.3 incident's message and plan and prepare for the International Strategy Forum and create an opportunity to grow on my own.
Yujin Lee
Johns Hopkins University
I'm Yujin Lee, and I'm a rising junior at Johns Hopkins University majoring in Economics and Environmental Studies. I was born and raised in Jeju. I would like to learn more about the Jeju Massacre through this forum.
Jeong Hyun Kim
Kyunghee University
I learned about Walden Korea through the introduction of Professor Taek-Kwang Lee at Kyung Hee University. I deeply sympathized with this organization's purpose of delivering a message about justice, peace, human rights, and the environment to the world. I am majoring in cultural theory and philosophy specifically and will be able to apply my major effectively to Walden Korea's activities. I think it would be meaningful to me to correct the Korean history problem related to the United States. Not just learning history by theory at school, but by participating in correcting existing historical consciousness, it will be the best help that individuals can do to prevent attacks and extortion attempts by various countries on Korean culture, which is currently developing into a serious problem.
HyungJin Kim
Northeastern University
As a Korean living outside of Korea, I’ve naturally come to feel the sensitive and versatile nature of foreign affairs to my skin. What's considered a national issue is oftentimes an international one, like I did know there was a massacre in Jeju, but was not aware of the US involvement. We are living in a world where international affairs are inevitable, and I understand the importance of its narrative. I understand the status quo of telling ‘Korean’ narratives to the world, and I empathize with the need for our narratives to thrive, and I have the relevant experience to tell them. I am a founding member and a BOD at human rights organization dedicated to the ‘comfort women’ victims, striving for years to tell the just narrative in the US. I also lead a research project group within the organization, educating ourselves and others. And I have a research experience with one of my professors, I have co-authored an article that is to be published in an academic journal. I feel like Walden Korea and I share an important path, and I am confident that I can contribute to the value that Walden Korea supports.
Naeun Lee
Korea International School Jeju
I am living in Jeju Island since 2015 for about 6 years so I am very interested in Jeju 4.3 incident. I have visited 4.3 peace museum once and I do not know deeply about it but felt resentful about that disaster. I'm really looking forward to be part of the forum related to the Jeju 4.3 incident.
Sohee Yang
Sogang University
The National Assembly of the Republic of Korea
Hello, I am currently working at the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea as a spokesperson of the political party ‘Transition Korea.’ While working at the legislative body, I also involved in a prolonged protest with other Jeju residents in front of my workplace, urging the parliament to pass the Jeju 4.3 Special Act. That moment of solidarity strongly reaffirmed my identity and duty as a descendent of the oppressed. As my father and his colleagues have done so far, I would also like to contribute to raising awareness of the Jeju 4.3 Uprising and building a path to reconciliation.