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At the Gwandeokjeong protest…
we were toward the back.
We heard the mounted police trampled a boy,
and word spread quickly that the boy had died.
I don't know what happened then.
I was scared.
From all over, I heard gunfire. Bam! Bam!
Many women were killed on Jeju Island.
People were forced to line up on the grounds of a school,
and a machine gun mowed them down.
On the school grounds?
Awful.
Police lined up students and shot them?
It wasn't just schoolchildren.
Villagers and people fingered as "reds" were dragged there.
They were shot to death at the school, by the police?
In front of everyone?
The massacre in Jocheon is famous.
There's a well-known story of a pregnant woman who was killed.
My uncle's second son
had returned from Japan and joined a guerrilla unit in the mountains,
with a group of others.
They brought his corpse to my uncle,
outrageous as it is to imagine.
Right in front of my uncle, unbearably…
they stabbed the corpse with their bayonets.
Uncle shouted, "Are you even human? A beast has more of a conscience."
They say he yelled at them.
Their rifles had a bayonet on one end, and wood on the other.
They hit my uncle on the head with the wooden stock.
From behind. Bam! That made my uncle's eyes pop out.
He died later.
It was a shame to lose him.
Since you're talking about 4.3, you must be dreaming about it.
You must have many memories.
I remember, I remember.
After being treated for an aneurysm,
Mom began talking about her experiences as an 18-year old,
during the 4.3 Incident on Jeju Island.
Your dad liked to water.
Yonghi…
There's that scene in your movie, where you say, "Dad loves watering."
That was "Dear Pyongyang."
I said, "This is the only housework Dad will do."
He didn't do housework. -Look.
It's dried out, poor thing.
I'm angry because you don't have a boyfriend.
Who would be good?
Anyone you liked.
Really? I'm filming. This is evidence.
I know. -You can't object to anyone.
Great!
But no Americans or Japanese.
That's not "anyone." How about a French man?
A French man? -Well, no.
You have lots of conditions.
Anyway, a Korean would be good.
That's essential.
What kind of Korean? There are many kinds.
A Korean… a Korean like me.
Any nationality?
South or North doesn't matter.
What about a Korean-American? -No good.
No Americans.
Keep it up!
You should take him to a spa!
Let's eat.
OK, let's have dinner.
This is a feast.
Buy Mom a treat with my gift.
He'll put the money away. He won't use it.
Give her a gift. She won't spend on herself.
I'll give Mom something, but you should treat her.
I've already taken care of that.
I'm giving her everything.
The house, money… everything is hers.
Really? -The house is in my name.
Really? The house is in her name? That's terrific, Dad.
Awesome. -I resisted.
You know, he had a new doorplate made.
I said, "You're not dead yet." He said, "It's love."
How sweet. -I was surprised.
Remember how surprised I was?
See, it's my name.
I'll put it up tomorrow.
I'll put it up next to the door.
You'll take your name down?
I will. -What are you thinking?
I'll attach my calling card. That's enough.
When did you make that?
A while back. 4 or 5 years ago.
If we waited until he died, we'd have to pay taxes, so he put it in my name.
Let's eat.
It is what it is.
It is what it is!
Mom knows the songs.
I'll sing "The Song of Jeju," OK?
I'm going to sing "Jeju," dear.
Il cho nun…
I don't remember it all.
Il cho nun Seongsan…
"Il cho" refers to…
It's Seongsan, the peak on Jeju Island.
It's "ilchul," dear.
"Ilchul."
The sunrise!
The sun rises from Seongsan.
"Nakcho," the sun sets.
The sun sets at Sabon, beautiful sights all around
"Sabon" is the name of a peak.
The gorgeous white clouds below Mount Halla
Ehera! Jeju is an isle of wonder
Prospering farmers, an isle of riches
In the homes, laughter never ceases
It's peaceful.
Life is good on the island
Ehera! Jeju is an isle of wonder
Is that on? Stop!
Why?
You shouldn't film everything.
You tell me to stop, but go on singing.
Good morning.
Here's some tea, for Dad and Kono.
Yonghi remembered to bring you flowers.
My father died in Osaka in 2009.
He was born on Jeju Island in South Korea,
but Mother took his ashes to my brothers in Pyongyang.
Because of my films, I am not allowed in North Korea,
so I still haven't visited his grave.
Do you want to be buried with Dad?
Yeah, you can put me in with him.
That means we'll have to take your ashes to Pyongyang.
Yes. Then you can ask them,
"Please put the ashes in my father's grave."
You'll live another 20 years or so, so this is down the road.
20 years? -You'll live to 100, I'd guess.
You have a good appetite, and you sleep well.
I wonder if I'll be able to visit the grave.
I don't know if I'll live 10 more years.
10 years? I think you'll live longer.
But people say, once you've decided where you'll be buried,
you end up living longer.
Do they? -Yeah.
That's why I was always asking Dad, "Where do you want to be buried?"
In heaven, he's saying, "I can't go to Japan. Come to me soon."
How old were you when you married?
22
22?
Wow. I'm…
52
Or is it 53?
I was 22, and we were together 58 years, until Dad died.
He was such a cheerful man,
we'd have fun if he were alive, and it'd be easier for me.
If you asked him a favor, he'd say, "I got it. I'll take care of it."
He never yelled at the family.
If other men put on airs, I'd have nothing to do with them.
Are you lonely now?
Nothing to be done.
It's our fate to die.
Once known as Ikaino, this is Ikuno Ward, in Osaka.
My mother was born and raised here.
A microcosm of Korean society in Japan,
more than a quarter of the population has Korean ancestry.
Regardless of ideology or citizenship, more than 90% of the Zainichi here
originally came from southern Korea.
Lives burdened with poverty and ethnic discrimination
were further upended by the division of Korea.
Everyone was forced to declare loyalty to the North or the South.
Daily life divorced from politics was inconceivable.
Having turned 20, my mother met my father here.
In the 60s, with South Korea under military dictatorship,
many Zainichi turned their hopes to North Korea, the "paradise on Earth."
Father became an activist in the pro-North Korean association, Chongryon.
They had 3 sons…
and finally I was born.
We've moved.
Look at this. It's Hyoni.
His Youth League uniform.
This doesn't have a post.
I always sent white shirts and pants to my grandchildren.
Where should I put this?
Who's in the photo?
Oh, this?
Your brother, when he was well. Like a movie star.
Raised by parents dedicated to Kim Il Sung,
my brothers received a loyalist education in North Korea-aligned schools.
The oldest, Kono, loved classical music and was an excellent student.
When I was 6, my three brothers
moved to North Korea under the "repatriation" program.
Kono, then in college,
was designated a "human gift" for Kim Il Sung's 60th birthday,
and was forced to go to North Korea.
The government medals sent to my parents
served as insurance for my brothers.
Deprived of his music, Kono developed bipolar disorder.
Mother devoted herself to raising funds to support him,
and visited Pyongyang every year.
Despite all her efforts, the illness defeated Kono.
In 2009, Kono died in Pyongyang.
The flowering heart of loyalty will be in full bloom
As we embroider the beautiful rivers and mountains of our homeland in silk
Let us live forever under our dear leader
After sending her sons to the North, Mother closed her restaurant
and joined Father as an activist.
Her parents and siblings also moved to North Korea.
Her sons got married and had children,
and her support shipments increased.
She visited annually for 30 years,
and sent supplies for 45 years.
Mother provided support for the entire family.
Do you have plenty of money left?
Not plenty.
Why not?
Ahh, I'm tired.
When you get to be your age,
the family helps manage your money, because it's hard for you.
I'll look at your bankbook, okay?
On Saturday, they're closed.
Mom…
Here, the electric bill was deducted in December, right?
And you withdrew 50,000 yen.
Is the balance still there?
120,000 yen. -It's all there?
It's there. -It is?
Let's withdraw some to pay back your friend.
Yes, I owe her 50,000 yen.
And, Mom…
you owe another 400,000 yen.
Yes, that's all.
But that's a lot.
Yes, it's a lot.
When you need to pay your debts, you can't think about gifts.
Don't think about sending presents here and there.
To be sending money to the family, when you have to borrow…
I know you want to, as a parent, but you have to repay loans.
Life may be hard in North Korea, but you've done enough.
The boys have to make it on their own.
You won't live forever, and what about the grandchildren?
Do you think I'll send money? I can't do that.
They'll never be independent.
You shouldn't feed them. Kim Jong Un has to do that.
It's tough, but they're family.
You've done enough. I'm not saying you shouldn't send anything at all.
You can't send as much as you have.
It's different from when you worked, now you're living on a pension.
And I can't send to just one family.
That's right. There are many who need support.
So you have to reduce the amount you send.
You can't do what you once did.
You didn't have jobs that made you rich, you've got to face that.
You have to come to terms with that.
If you don't have savings, you can't send a lot to your kids.
I earned pretty much, working from home.
But you sent all that.
Enough to buy several houses.
You've done plenty.
You did all you could.
Everyone knows that.
I bought this house with the money I made from sewing.
And you sold the other house, and sent the money to Pyongyang.
The boys know that well.
I visited my aging mother less out of love than a sense of obligation.
My patience for her lasted only 2 or 3 days.
The day I left to return to Tokyo, we fought about money.
Mother felt like a burden.
After my brothers moved to North Korea,
I was raised in Japan like an only child.
At school and at home, it was forbidden to criticize the homeland.
Though the textbooks left me cold,
I pretended to be a model student.
In my 30s, I escaped from Japan.
Then, resolved to face my family,
I returned to Tokyo.
This ginseng is for stuffing chickens. It's 8,000 yen a box.
I'll put some out here.
You're doing that so I can film?
To make our visitor healthy…
They're large.
30…
40
40 pieces.
40 pieces of garlic from Aomori.
You can't go out.
You have to watch, until it's done.
Like taking a bath.
Will 2 cups be enough?
Shoot that.
The soup…
it gets a little cloudy.
I'll cut some more of this.
That's bok choy.
Bok choy is mild.
It's not too hot.
When you come to Osaka, you should take some kimchi back to your office.
The soup looks delicious. -We'll let it stew.
Good.
It's humid today.
It'll rain later.
A suit in this heat?
Welcome.
Mom, he's here.
He's here.
He's in a suit despite the heat.
Come in.
Nice to meet you. I'm Arai Kaoru.
Pardon me.
No problem.
I've never seen you in a suit.
Pardon me.
Please sit here.
I'm Arai Kaoru. Glad to meet you.
Thank you.
Make yourself comfortable.
I brought some summer fruit.
Yonghi…
Please. -Thank you.
Thanks for going to the trouble.
My family is from the city of Nagano.
Nagano is very nice, compared to Osaka.
I moved to Tokyo 20 years ago.
I work now as a writer in Tokyo.
She has some good points, but we spoiled her.
Not at all.
Please treat her well. -I will.
Please treat me well.
Is your mother well?
She lives in Nagano.
She's 66 or 67 years old.
I often see on TV, there are many tourists.
She lives in the town of Obuse,
which is very popular with tourists.
They make wine there, and there's a famous sweet shop.
I've never been to Obuse.
The fruit I brought includes some grapes from Nagano.
You can eat the skins.
Sounds delicious.
There's some difference in our ages. I'm now 39.
I'm the younger one,
but I've come today to ask you to allow me to marry Yonghi.
Please bless us.
Thank you.
Nowadays, age doesn't matter much,
if the couple is compatible, and understand each other.
He looks strong.
He's 12 years younger, Mom.
You probably thought it was 5 years. Is 12 years OK?
Remember that.
You should take off your suit. You're sweating.
Take off your jacket.
You have a change of clothes?
You should change.
It's muggy today.
It's going to rain.
Do change clothes.
Put on a T-shirt and shorts. -I couldn't.
Are you hungry? -Yes.
It's already 2:00.
You haven't had lunch.
Are you OK? -I'll take off my jacket.
And your tie, too.
Yonghi. -Coming.
Hold this here.
Here goes!
Sorry to be so casual.
That's cooler. -I'm revived.
The kitchen is hot, but it'll cool down.
Awesome!
We took a whole chicken,
and stuffed it with this, garlic and ginseng.
It stewed for 4 hours, so they got soft.
The meat, pulled from the bone, which we'll devour gracefully…
It's a dish that's hard to eat with refinement.
Garlic and ginseng,
stewed for 4 hours.
From early today. -Help yourself.
Thank you.
Thanks for coming in the heat.
Actually, the weather…
It's cloudy, so it's not really scorching hot.
How is the meat? -Delicious.
The flesh is firm, isn't it.
Tastier than young chickens.
This is enough for 5 people? Maybe even 6 people.
You stuff it with garlic, and cook it slowly,
so you change the flavor of the chicken itself.
The flavor penetrates all of the flesh.
It would cook in 30 minutes, but that's why you stew it longer.
But Kaoru often says it.
Sort of like Dad did.
Very often.
He's blushing.
I wonder…
I guess I do. -"I love you. I love you."
It's good to say that.
It doesn't cost anything.
Everyday, "I love you, Yonghi."
That's OK.
You wouldn't feel bad, hearing that.
It was unusual for Mother to laugh so much…
even though she had said I shouldn't date or marry a Japanese man.
These are my sons, in grade school.
And Yonghi, in kindergarten.
That's me.
Mom had this photo of her and Dad framed.
It's to have at our house.
How nice.
Please display it. -Thank you.
We'll put it someplace where we can see it.
Please do.
This was taken…
when activists from Chongryon went to Pyongyang.
Yonghi's father is in the first row, 4th from the right.
Oh, I see.
In a prominent position.
I borrowed these portraits when I made "Our Homeland."
Mom shipped them to Tokyo.
The props manager was delighted.
They survived undamaged.
You borrowed these. -Yes.
I'll be going now.
I want to meet your mother.
We have to meet, face to face, so I'll make the trip.
You have to exercise, so you can make it to Nagano.
Thank you. -Thanks much.
Thanks.
That way. -OK.
To my Japanese partner,
Mother said her sons and grandkids were living happily in Pyongyang.
Without probing further, he just smiled as he listened to her boasts.
Thanks.
Thanks for seeing me off.
The 7:00 bus for Itami Airport is now departing.
All passengers, please board quickly.
He said his heart ached to see Mother,
surrounded by photos of family she could not visit.
Even if we disagree politically, we should share meals,
and the 3 of us in Japan should take lots of photos together, he said.
She's treating us.
You're paying, Mom?
This is heavy.
Are these innards?
Yes, innards.
Wow! -Here's your change. Thanks.
This is… -Garlic.
About a kilo. -From Aomori.
Impressive.
Very firm cloves.
We'll peel them later.
You'll work up a sweat.
It's not too hot, so it's OK.
You have to go with the flow, like Misora Hibari sings.
Do you write at home all day?
Yes, I don't get a stiff neck, but my back hurts.
Should we peel all of these? -Yeah.
This is good quality garlic.
Very firm, well dried. Smooth surfaces.
How many of these cloves…
I don't count them. -Just a lot.
I use that bowl.
One bowl-full is about right.
This is cold!
Awesome!
Some smaller ones.
You fill it up? -Right.
And some ginseng. -Hold on.
You make deep stitches, or they'll tear.
Can you pull this back? -Like this?
That's good.
President Moon Jae-in said
North Korea-affiliated Zainichi should be able to visit the South.
Did he? -In a speech on August 15.
So you can go to Jeju. -I'll go.
If the boss says so, it's bound to happen.
He's president.
Next year, on April 3…
The Jeju memorial. -We can go together.
That would be great.
It'll be my first time.
You'll like it.
There. It's ready.
There.
You bring it to a boil,
then prop it open.
Then you let it stew. -The heat is on.
It's 1:00 now, so we'll stew it until about 5:00.
This'll be great.
Gulp…
These are a set. -Ah, whiskey.
This is it, right?
Dad loved Suntory Old. -The "Daruma"?
Right. Because it looks like the doll.
He's pleased. He's never been treated so well.
It's best when it's still hot.
"Old is best." He loved it.
Great soup!
It's very rich.
You've been licking your lips.
Help yourself.
You're all set?
Yes, I had plenty. -This is luxury.
Add some ground sesame.
Masisseoyo! Masisseoyo!
Good pronunciation.
Delicious.
It's really good.
Koreans eat a lot of sesame, because it's good for you.
Yonghi adds a lot of sesame to miso soup.
It's nowhere near as good without sesame.
You're adding garlic?
It's a topping.
Make-up goes on better after a bath.
It's fine. -OK, I guess.
Is my face too white?
It's fine.
Where's our young lady?
Wow! -Yonghi!
A pretty mother.
Grandma's here. -Your mom's so pretty.
Please sit down over here.
My mother sewed jeogori (traditional clothing).
So I love jeogori.
Red with a navy top.
Mother, please.
I tried on 5 different outfits.
I'll check the angle.
Could we include this? -Sure.
After I had 3 sons, a daughter was born.
We spoiled her terribly.
Here we go.
Turn this way. Smile.
Smile. Here goes.
Another.
Good. Wait while I check, please.
Dad is laughing. "My wife almost never wears jeogori. What's up?"
He must be turning in his grave.
He always cheered up when I wore jeogori.
Bend down closer to Mom.
Smile, please. Big smiles!
Thank you very much.
This is nice. You look pretty, Yonghi.
You wouldn't think Kaoru was Japanese.
Your mother will be surprised.
Professional make-up…
This clothing suits you.
And Kaoru's clothing…
This fabric really makes it shine.
This is great.
When I die, put this in my coffin, OK?
I'll put this next to Dad's photo. -Please do.
Here you go.
Your change.
The bottom…
There.
About this much? -Yeah.
It's 2:30.
It'll be done at… 7:30.
"Funeral Open House."
Invitation: Funeral Open House
They put on a funeral for people to observe?
They show people how the ceremony will take place.
They probably have flowers displayed on the altar.
This is the son of Kang Junghi.
She received an invitation…
to the September 26 funeral open house.
Tuesday morning.
Yes. I just came across it.
My mother is 86 years old.
How insensitive are you, to invite her to such a demonstration?
This happened before and I called to protest.
You must have a list of households with old people.
Inviting a woman over 80 to attend
a demonstration of her own funeral…
Your sensitivity is all messed up.
I imagine you have a mother or a father.
Could you do that to them?
Make a note on your list.
"Don't invite the person at this address."
Don't send it again.
I won't let it pass, if it happens again.
Understand?
That should stop it.
Unforgivable…
Oh, you're back!
If you shoot him wearing that apron,
be careful his mother doesn't see it.
"You're making my son cook for you!"
In fact, I am.
It's well cooked.
Put that on a plate. -We'll eat this, as is.
You're a pro.
Yonghi's father would eat the gristle.
Clean to the bone, darling.
It's delicious.
This chicken is delicious, just the right size.
I love Chinese dates.
Yonghi can have this. -That's a lot.
There's not much meat.
All right, I'll eat the dates.
Quite a carcass!
Even when he came home late, he wanted noodles.
He had to have tomatoes. -Yeah.
Say hello to your mother.
Take care of our little girl.
Hello.
Members of the Jeju 4.3 Research Institute
came from Jeju to interview my mother.
They have been visiting eyewitnesses to the 1948 massacre,
conducting interviews in Japan as well.
Where in Hagwi are you from?
What village? -Village?
Hagwi, in Aewol.
Hagwi is large.
In Hagwi… Sang-dong.
Sang-dong?
They called it Kaemul.
Oh, Kaemul!
Hagwi was one of the main locations of the 4.3 Incident.
Jocheon was the most intense,
Hagwi was the next in line.
Villagers suffered the most intense repression.
I still remember it vividly.
It wasn't a large river.
More like a fast-flowing stream.
How many people were gunned down…
The deep red blood…
it turned the water in the stream red. I'll never forget it.
The heads of the farmers were visible. As soon as they moved…
they were shot, rat-a-tat.
People were killed just for farming their fields.
They suffered the most deaths.
Young people were also killed.
My uncle's 3 sons were killed.
My uncle was Kang Hee-man.
Hee-man.
His brothers were also killed,
but I don't remember their names.
The police seized and killed them. -Yes.
Families at the Gwandeokjeong Pavilion rally
were arrested and taken away by policemen with rifles.
I was too scared to go outside.
After that, in your village,
police took away young men, one after another.
After they were taken away,
if someone identified a corpse as their son,
the entire village was burned.
It was hard, since I was engaged to be married.
My mother, who was in Japan,
sent money to relatives, asking them to help me escape to Japan.
They used the money to smuggle you out. -Yes.
I was born and raised in Japan.
I took my brother, and my 3-year old sister on my back.
The 3 of you escaped. How much did it cost?
It cost the same as for adults. It was 9,000 Japanese yen.
That was a lot of money back then.
Where did you board? -In Jocheon.
To walk there took an entire day.
Did you leave at night?
Before dawn. It was still dark.
Between the boat and the waiting room at the harbor,
there was a wooden plank.
If you slipped, you'd fall in the ocean.
I had my sister on my back.
My brother went first.
Below the plank was the sea,
so if I fell, my sister would fall with me.
I had eaten, so I had strength.
I decided it was all or nothing and leapt on board the boat.
On board, I called out "Sangchol!" and he answered, "I'm here, sister!"
We embraced. I said, "We'll join Mother in Japan soon."
I can talk about it now,
but I actually took on a duty.
In Aewol village…
there was a doctor.
I was told to go to his clinic, hand him a memo,
and he would prepare what was needed.
The guerrillas in the mountains needed medicine,
so I thought my job was to get medicine for them.
To help them make the revolution.
At the doctor's home, there was a big drum,
filled with gasoline.
On Jeju, we used a container,
a "hobok," for carrying water.
I was with a friend, and they asked us
to carry gasoline in these large containers.
From Aewol to their base, a village in the mountains.
If we were caught, the supplies would be wasted, and we'd be killed.
My friend and I were scared, carrying gasoline on our backs.
You must have been frightened.
When was that?
Well…
After the 4.3 uprising began?
Or was it just before the start?
Maybe that gasoline was used for the explosion…
At the beginning of the uprising.
It was at dawn.
On that day, April 3…
Around 4 a.m., we heard the sound of gunfire.
In your village? -Yes.
Many people died.
How did you say goodbye? Did he say you should go to Japan?
Your fiancé.
What were your last words, in the mountains?
He came to me in a dream.
She had a dream.
You dreamt about him? -Yeah.
He had long hair, down to here.
He had tied it back,
and the strands spread across his shoulders.
That was the dream.
The day after the dream, a friend of his…
came to pay me a visit.
That's when I heard that he had been killed.
The clinic's name?
The doctor's name was Kim.
He had 8 daughters.
He had 8 daughters? -Yeah.
My fiancé was the oldest boy in the family.
He studied medicine on the mainland.
He was very compassionate.
What was his name?
Kim Bong-hee.
He inherited the clinic, then joined the guerrillas.
Unfortunately, he died.
Beginning that day, Mother's dementia grew worse,
and she began searching for absent family members.
The light is flashing.
I'll go see.
Why is that?
Sangchol, are you there?
Not here. Where did he go?
Not here either.
Where is he?
Uncle Sangchol moved to North Korea, and had already died.
Mother believed she was living with family members who were gone.
After tests, she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's.
The doctor told us to affirm whatever she said.
Hand me my pants.
Where's Kono?
Kono?
(My brother's in heaven…)
Kono left for school already.
Which school? -What should I say?
What school was it?
What did you make?
The same as yours. French toast.
Not back yet? -Who?
Kono. -Kono left already.
He said, "I don't want to wake Mom," and he left.
It's just us. Everyone else is out.
Everyone has gone out.
She said to me, "Where's Yonghi?"
Like Agent Smith in "The Matrix."
Is Dad awake?
What? -Is Dad awake?
Dad left early this morning.
Did he?
Looking for the missing family, Mother was confused.
That feels good.
Hello. Thanks for coming.
Hi. I'm Shin from the Heartful Group.
During a short stay at your facility,
is it possible to have her bring family photos, for example?
Some people do.
They have to be taken home again.
You can't leave them there.
Picture books are fine too.
Some have a favorite pillow.
Or a favorite chair.
A familiar futon.
We try to make it a comfortable space.
Yes, that's right.
Does she have any allergies? -None.
No skin or food allergies.
She doesn't like natto.
There isn't anything I won't eat.
Mom, from now on,
when I'm not here, you'll be lonely,
and no one will make tea or dinner, like I do now.
And, if you're alone, we worry there might be a fire.
We'll be together when I'm here,
but when I'm away for work, you'll stay somewhere else.
So you'll have two homes. Will that be OK?
I don't mind. -It's OK?
You'll have two homes, staying here and there sometimes.
Can you? Really?
When I'm here, will you stay with me?
I'll come home. -You will?
You'll stay with me then.
When I'm busy,
you'll stay with your friends, and I won't have to worry.
I'll stay anywhere.
Write her name and address.
Today's date?
March…14.
By luck, we found a Zainichi Korean care manager.
It helped that she understood how Mother misses her sons and grandchildren.
Thank you for your time. -Thank you.
He's going back to Tokyo.
You're going now?
No problem. -I'll take the late flight.
We'll see her off.
Mom, say goodbye to Kaoru.
See you soon.
He's leaving? -He's going home.
I see. -He has to work.
You're going to work now?
That's right.
I'll work for 2 weeks, then come again.
He'll work 2 weeks, get paid, then feed you and me.
That's pathetic.
Why? -Pathetic.
You treated us to soup so often. We're just paying you back.
What is Dad up to?
Dad is, Dad is…
He's working late today.
He was going to Tanimachi. -No, Hyogo.
That's why he's late. He had a meeting in Hyogo.
(Hyogo just popped into mind.)
So he'll be late.
He won't be able to see Kaoru this time.
He'll see Dad next time, have a drink with him.
Yes, and sing some songs.
The spirit of revolution fills the air around Mount Bonghwa
There is no end to those who come to visit
Is this because of the intense spirit of Teacher Kim Hyong Jik?
The waves along the seashore flow into the depths of our hearts
There are 3 verses. It's a long song.
Unbroken by the fierce snowstorms
The green pine trees stand
Filled with the love of our mother Madame Kang Pan Sok
Beautiful springs flow forth
The Myoung Shin School that stood below Mount Bonghwa
Now draws people to study from the whole nation
The strong spirit of liberation devoted to the revolution
Blossomed mightily under the light of our Dear Leader
You really like this song. You always sing it.
When Kaoru comes in 2 weeks, you'll have to teach him.
Why in 2 weeks?
He's going now. I'll see him off and come back.
Come right back. -I will.
Don't worry.
Close the door.
Go to bed now.
I'll wait until you get back.
I'll see you soon, Mom. Be well.
I'll close this.
With our visit to Jeju approaching, Mother got a permit to enter South Korea.
All you need to do is write "Kang Sang Suk" here.
In kanji?
Either is OK. Kanji, or Korean.
OK, I'll use Korean.
Kang Sang Suk? -A historic moment.
Mom, that's "Han." -Oh, "Kang."
"Kang," not "Han."
Is that OK? -Well…
Can you write in kanji?
Which is easier?
Wait, Mom…
It could be a problem.
Can you write "Kang"?
Write "Kang Sang Suk" here.
What's this? Kang? -You made a mistake.
I didn't write that.
You didn't? Well, just ignore it.
Write "Kang Sang Suk." -Erase this.
We can't erase it.
Just ignore it, and write over here.
A South Korean passport. Only one use.
Only once?
It's temporary, since she isn't a South Korean citizen.
Like a refugee visa?
You have to reapply every time?
Not really a visa.
It's a one-time special passport. -What's this book?
This is…
the book on the 4.3 Incident you looked at yesterday.
Oh!
4.3… it tastes very slow.
There, it's done!
We'll follow the flowery dress.
Which way is it?
There are a lot of trees.
The Jeju Mother remembered
was the sea, farm fields, and thatch-roofed houses.
70 years later, the island had become a tourist destination.
Mother was wide-eyed.
A school?
Maybe an apartment house.
The cherries are in bloom.
Are there some names you know?
Hagwi. Do you know these names?
So many people died.
There were many victims.
If you know a name, I'll help you find it.
From my village?
I wonder…
Kang… Kang…
Sanggwi village.
Your mother's village was Sanggwi, right?
Mother's village was Hagwi.
She lived in Hagwi. Her mother was from Sanggwi.
Ah, Mother's mother. -Her mother.
Sanggwi village.
Her uncle doesn't seem to have been registered.
Mother's uncle.
What was your uncle's name? -My uncle was…
Kang…
Kang… What was his given name?
Kang Dae-chun? Dae-sung? Dae-hyun?
Mother's memory is not clear.
We looked after our interview,
but we didn't find your uncle's name.
Mother's fiancé? -He wasn't registered either.
His name was Kim Bong-hee.
Yes, Kim Bong-hee. He wasn't registered.
His father was Kim… Kim Pyogil.
Her fiancé's father.
The doctor with the clinic…
He wasn't registered, so his name isn't here.
Do you remember Kim Bong-hee? -Yes.
His father was a doctor.
Kim Pyogil…
There he is! Kim Pyogil.
The son was also a doctor?
That's the father's name.
We were able to find the father of Mother's former fiancé.
But it was not easy to draw out her memories.
There were many victims listed
from Father's village, Daelim, and Mother's village, Hagwi.
Alzheimer's was erasing her memories and disrupting her sense of time.
Was she unable to remember, or did she prefer not to?
In the course of the steady expansion of the Japanese empire across Asia,
Korea became a Japanese colony.
My mother was born in Osaka in 1930
to parents who came from Jeju Island.
It was a time when all Koreans were treated as imperial subjects.
Mother attended Japanese schools, using a Japanese name.
Oh! What's that airplane?
It must be American.
Run!
Mother, I'm scared!
Run, now!
In March 1945, when Mother was 15,
the American military bombed Osaka.
Dropping countless incendiary bombs, they burned the city to the ground.
Having no place else to go,
Mother and her parents took a boat back to their homeland, Jeju Island.
Aug-45
Nominally independent, Korea was occupied by American and Soviet forces,
and two regimes began to emerge.
An election planned for the South, which would formalize division,
was strongly opposed on Jeju.
In 1948, three years after Mother fled there from Osaka,
an armed uprising began on Mt. Halla, in opposition to the election.
Government suppression efforts embroiled the Jeju villagers.
Papa, who's that?
Stay back! Run!
Grandma, what happened?
I don't know.
I'm scared.
Don't worry, Young-sun.
No one from here is on the mountain.
Because of proximity to the guerrillas on Mt. Halla,
all areas more than 5 km from the shore were declared off limits.
Using the tactic of shooting anything that moved,
villagers were slaughtered in the hunt for "reds."
Martial law was declared,
and villages were burned in a scorched earth campaign.
14,532 people were killed.
Mother had turned 18, and her parents had approved her engagement.
Her fiancé was a doctor, and he informed my mother
he would join the guerrillas on Mt. Halla.
He had decided to stake his life, and this was the last time she saw him.
Later, a friend of his told her
he had been killed on the mountain.
Since her fiancé joined the guerrillas, Mother was also at risk.
In order to survive, at 18,
she decided to escape Jeju and flee to Japan.
To meet the boat that smuggled her out,
Mother took her brother and sister and walked 30 kms to the port.
Do you remember walking along the shore,
when you left Jeju for Osaka?
With Sangchol and Suni? -I had no choice.
You remember how hard it was?
Do you remember being near the sea?
The road was along the water.
With your sister on your back, and your brother, the 3 of you.
You walked 30 km, Mom.
How far? -You walked 30 km.
Really?
You walked all the way from Aewol to Jocheon.
When Mother first spoke to me about the Jeju 4.3 Incident,
I remember her saying, "You mustn't tell anyone.
It would be very dangerous."
Usually so plucky, she looked at me with terror in her eyes.
When she was walking 70 years ago, she said,
she saw many corpses of villagers mercilessly killed, and she wept.
To get through police checkpoints,
the children pretended that they were just out for a stroll.
It must have been terrifying.
How did my 18-year old mother muster that courage?
The remains of homes that were burned
are preserved as a testament to the island's tragic history.
I realized there was much I didn't know about my mother,
about this island and this country.
Neither Mother nor I knew the anthem.
But Mother tried to sing along with those around her.
A moment of silence.
President Roh Moo-hyan was the first to participate
in this ceremony, to accept national responsibility
and to apologize to the victims of Jeju 4.3, to the survivors and the people of Jeju.
The young men who were labelled "reds"
defended the country, without fear of death.
The rhetoric was nothing but an attempt to justify a massacre.
We must face this bitter history head on.
Facing tragic history is not simply required between nations.
We must confront the 4.3 Incident as individuals as well.
In this era, both conservatives and progressives must become fair-minded.
I say to all,
spring is coming to Jeju at long last.
Thank you.
The research institute.
Hello.
Sorry to interrupt you.
The staff of the research institute.
Mom…
Do you remember the director, who visited us in Osaka?
They came to see you.
The staff came to Osaka to interview you.
Do you remember me?
At the time of the 4.3 Incident,
did you see corpses of people who had been killed.
There was someone on a bicycle…
When you were escaping from Jeju, Mom,
you said you saw piles of dead people. Did you?
Yeah.
Aewol village is here.
Did your father stand watch on April 3?
Your father…
Your dad, my grandpa.
What did the 4.3 Incident mean to you?
It's painful to have to remember.
Coming here for the first time, I realize how painful it is.
It was more cruel than you can imagine.
After she moved to Japan,
she couldn't trust the ROK government, so she lived as a supporter of the North.
There were quite a few like her, in the Osaka branch of Chongryon,
people who had survived and fled after the Jeju 4.3 Incident.
Still, she sent her 3 sons to live in North Korea.
I wondered if the 4.3 Incident had that much of an impact on her.
Did she distrust the ROK?
I am something of an anarchist, so I don't trust any government.
But I wondered if the 4.3 Incident was enough for her
to reject the ROK and support North Korea.
I didn't understand why 4.3 was such a big issue, though it wasn't the only one.
But coming here and seeing…
Having memories of this place must've been unbearable.
The research you do must be very troubling as well.
Even a few days here is hard…
I wonder how you deal with it.
In my heart, I have long blamed my mother.
How could she send my brothers away?
But I can't blame her after what I've seen.
It's hard for me to resolve.
You once had a fiancé here, Mom.
He died a long time ago on Jeju.
He died? -Yeah.
He died in the 4.3 uprising.
I was hoping he could have a grave here,
and I looked into getting him registered.
What I found is that his brother is still alive here.
Your fiancé's younger brother is now an old man living on Jeju.
He was asked about you.
He remembered you vaguely.
"Long ago, my brother had a beautiful girlfriend," he said.
"She seemed like a very serious girl."
That must have been you, at 18.
He said that much.
But when he was asked if he planned to set up a grave like these here
for his brother, your fiancé,
he said, "I've had it with 4.3.
"I don't want to recall it.
"So, I won't register him. Just leave me be," he said.
The breeze is chilly. -It's chilly.
What was he like, your fiancé?
When she first talked about him, she said, "Don't tell Dad."
"Don't ever tell Dad."
His name was Kim Bong-hee.
Do you remember him?
Kim Bong-hee.
She's nodding off.
It's a sad story, and it would be painful to remember.
Maybe it's okay to forget…
but not those who did it.
It feels like it will rain soon.
Yonghi, where's Mom?
Mom?
Whose mom?
Your mom.
My mom. My mom is right here.
Where? -Here. Yonghi's mom.
She's like "What?"
This is Yonghi. See?
He is Yonghi's husband.
I am her husband.
Mom, this is Kaoru.
You look at this every day.
It's been awhile.
Yes, it's been awhile.
This is Yonghi. See?
No, this is Mom.
That's Mom?
This is Mom here.
This is the two of you.
This is Mom. This is me, and Kaoru.
He looks good in jeogori, but he's Japanese.
I am Japanese.
Is Yonghi asleep?
Yonghi? Where's Yonghi?
Still awake, upstairs.
Yonghi? She's here too, Mom.
No, she's not.
Dad's not home yet? -He's not home yet.
Oh, he went upstairs. Isn't he sleeping upstairs?
He said, "Go to sleep soon."
Did he?
Will you sleep now?
I'll turn out the light.
Good night.
Oh! The dust is so thick!
It fits. -Really?
"1997."
This is with Kim Jong Il.
Kim Il Sung's corpse is on view there.
It's after he died.
This is dusty too.
Keep the dust from flying.
We worked hard. -We did.
It's a big job.
It's torn.
A letter arrived from my niece, Sona, in Pyongyang.
I began a letter back to her,
so far away that e-mail can't reach her.
I couldn't stop writing, about Mother, the film,
my new family with a husband who loves Mother dearly.
I wrote honestly,
but that Mother no longer remembered "repatriation" because of dementia
I couldn't bring myself to write.
As always,
it was a letter that couldn't be sent.
Believing she lives with all her family,
Mother began praying every day.
Later, she suffered a stroke and is now hospitalized.
Someday, I'll have to deliver her ashes to Pyongyang, where Father is buried.
I have only a vague idea of how I'll do that.