[Anchor]
President Lee Jae-myung paid tribute today in Jeju to the victims of the April 3 incident.
He also called for the complete abolition of criminal and civil statutes of limitations for crimes of state violence.
Reporter So Jae-hyung reports.
[Reporter]
Dressed in a black suit, President Lee Jae-myung offered incense at the memorial altar for the Jeju April 3 victims.
He called the Jeju April 3 incident an indelible part of the nation's history and honored the memory of the victims.
He bowed to bereaved family members and pledged to do everything possible to fully restore the victims' honor.
President Lee said, \"As president, I feel deeply sorry when I think of Jeju residents who suffered from brutal state violence.\"
He expressed strong resolve to hold perpetrators accountable and to restore victims' rights.
The president repeatedly pledged to eliminate both criminal and civil time limits for crimes committed by the state, citing the precedent of prosecuting Nazi war criminals.
He added that he would reintroduce the related legislation promptly.
In December two years ago, the National Assembly passed a bill to exclude statutes of limitations for egregious state crimes, but Acting President Choi Sang-mok exercised a veto and the measure was nullified.
President Lee said, \"We will ensure that no citizen in South Korea falls victim to state violence. If it happens, the state must be held permanently accountable—just as with the prosecution of Nazi war criminals.\"
The president also pledged to actively counter distortions and denigration of the Jeju April 3 incident and to extend the window for filing compensation claims.
He emphasized he would establish legal grounds to revoke honors awarded for roles in suppressing the April 3 incident, similar to the revocation of medals related to the Dec. 12 coup.
Before the memorial, he wrote on social media that rescinding medals and decorations given to perpetrators of state violence—crimes akin to judicial murder—is belated but necessary.
This is So Jae-hyung for Yonhap News TV.
[Video reporting: Lee Il-hwan, Yoon Je-hwan, Jung Chang-hoon]
[Video editing: Yoon Hyun-jung]
[Graphics: Seong Hyun-ah]
[News Review]
Yonhap News TV inquiries and tips: KakaoTalk/LINE jebo23
So Jae-hyung (sojay@yna.co.kr)
