In the early morning of October 20, 1948 some 3 000 soldiers of the 14th regiment of the south Korean army stationed in Ryosu, South Jolla Province rose against the US fascist colonial rule and for democracy and the country’s reunification and sovereignty.
This mutiny broke out as the soldiers disobeyed the “mobilization order” issued by the US imperialists and traitor Syngman Rhee to put down the patriotic struggle of Jeju islanders and went over an armed revolt.
The revolt developed into a popular one as Ryosu citizens and soldiers of the south Korean army in the adjacent areas joined in the struggle.
The mutineers and civilian people demolished the reactionary ruling organs and liberated Ryosu, Sunchon and several other areas, shouting such slogans as “Long live General Kim Il Sung!” “Long live the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea!” “Go out, US troops!” and “We oppose the separate regime of south Korea!”
In the liberated areas the people’s committees were restored and the legitimate activities of democratic organizations started. Meanwhile, national traitors were brought to people’s justice and a series of revolutionary measures including preparations for enforcing agrarian reform taken.
As of October 27, the rioters thrust their way into 11 counties of South Jolla and Kyongsang provinces and liberated 7 of them. Alarmed at this, the US imperialists and the south Korean rulers placed the riot-torn areas under martial law and hurled 60 percent of the south Korean army of the three services into besieging the liberated areas and attacking the protesters and suppressing them bestially.
As a result, the mutiny failed but it demonstrated the indomitable spirit and revolutionary determination of the south Korean people who stand against the colonial enslavement policy of the US imperialists and the treachery of the domestic reactionaries and for democratic system and country’s reunification and sovereignty.
