South Korea extends deadlines for Jeju April 3 victims to file claims, seek compensation

South Korea will open an additional registration period for victims and bereaved families of the Jeju April 3 Incident starting next February, and will extend several key application deadlines to ensure they can receive proper redress.

The Ministry of Interior and Safety announced Monday that a revised enforcement decree of the Special Act on Finding the Truth about the Jeju April 3 Incident and Restoring the Honor of Victims will take effect Tuesday.

The revision reflects requests from Jeju Special Self-Governing Province and the Jeju April 3 Bereaved Families Association, which called for an additional registration window for victims and family members who missed the eighth registration period.

Under the revised decree, the registration period — which had closed — will reopen from Feb. 1, 2027, through July 31, 2027. Application deadlines for various forms of relief for victims and bereaved families will also be extended.

The deadline to apply for corrections to family registry records — including filings for marriage and adoption — that were left incomplete or inaccurately recorded due to the incident has been extended by two years, from Aug. 31, 2026, to Aug. 31, 2028.

The window to apply for compensation payments to victims has been extended by three years, from Dec. 31, 2026, to Dec. 31, 2029, ensuring that newly registered claimants can receive payments without disruption.

"Remembering the pain of the Jeju April 3 Incident and restoring the honor of its victims and bereaved families is a vital duty of the state," Interior and Safety Minister Yun Ho-jung said. "We have opened the door to registration again so that even one more person can receive official recognition and just compensation from the state."