The National Editorial Cartoonists Association (President Choi Min) held a caricature event for citizens on the afternoon of the 29th at Seoul's Roh Moo-hyun Citizens Center. The event was organized as the first part of the '2026 4.3 and Friends Concert,' which expands the historical significance of Jeju 4·3 through culture and the arts.
At the venue, members including Kwon Beom-cheol (Hankyoreh cartoonist), Kim Sang-min (Kyunghyang Shinmun cartoonist), Sung Deok-hwan (Kyunghyang Shinmun cartoonist), Ahn Jong-man (professor of webtoon and animation at Sangji University), Lee Dong-su (editorial cartoonist), Lee Hee-won (caricature artist), Jang Bong-gun (former Hankyoreh cartoonist), and Ha Jae-wook (illustrator) participated, capturing citizens' faces in each artist's unique style while engaging in enjoyable communication. As the artists drew, they naturally shared stories about Jeju 4·3 with citizens, creating a meaningful time to comfort historical wounds and share memories with their pen strokes.
President Choi Min stated, "Editorial cartooning is a medium that depicts the spirit of the times and shares that memory," and added, "I hope this caricature event, with the sentiment of 'never parting with Jeju 4·3,' will become an opportunity for citizens to approach this weighty history in a more familiar way, and to connect historical memories across generations."
With strong citizen participation, the on-site response was enthusiastic. One citizen who received a distinctive caricature from an artist said, "In an era where AI easily produces countless works, receiving my own personalized artwork carefully drawn by a renowned editorial cartoonist is very precious and delightful," and added, "Waiting for the drawing was a meaningful weekend that allowed me to deeply reflect on the significance of Jeju 4·3."
The '2026 4.3 and Friends Concert,' beyond the caricature event, featured a talk concert with media critic Jung Jun-hee and film director Byun Young-joo, as well as young artists' reading performances and various citizen-participation programs to share the contemporary value of Jeju 4·3 with the public.
Baek Kyung-jin, chairman of the Jeju 4·3 National Solidarity Committee that organized this event, stated, "In a situation where controversy continues over distorting history or undermining the values of democracy, we determined that a venue to calmly revisit the meaning of 4·3 together with citizens was necessary," and added, "I hope this event, where cultural artists, young artists, and citizens participate together, becomes an opportunity to broaden historical common ground."