A performance of the Jeju 4·3 original opera Suni Samchon held at the Gyeonggi Arts Center (Image courtesy of Gyeonggi Arts Center)
MARMANDE, FRANCE, April 15 (Korea Bizwire) — A filmed performance of Suni Samchon, a Korean opera based on the Jeju April 3 Incident, is being screened at a cinema in Marmande, France, through April 17 as part of the city’s annual April cultural festival.
The screening is organized by the Marmande city government and the Marmande Opera Festival committee, aiming to introduce French audiences to one of Korea’s most tragic historical events through the lens of artistic expression.
“The screening of Suni Samchon will help shed light on the Jeju April 3 Incident and raise awareness among the French public,” a Marmande city official said, according to the Jeju 4·3 Peace Foundation.
The venue prominently features banners highlighting the opera’s literary origins—Suni Samchon, a novel by renowned Korean author Hyun Ki-young—and celebrating the listing of Jeju 4·3 documents on UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register. Korean novelist and Booker Prize winner Han Kang is also recognized at the site.
“Sun-i Samch’on” by Hyun Ki-young – From Truth to Peace Jeju 4·3 (Image courtesy of Jeju 4·3 Peace Park)
The Jeju 4·3 Peace Foundation is distributing camellia flower pins, a symbol of the Jeju tragedy, at a promotional booth in the cinema.
Jointly produced by the foundation and Jeju Arts Center, the opera adaptation of Suni Samchon seeks to preserve the historical memory of the April 3 Incident through music and performance.
Jeju 4·3 Peace Foundation Chair Kim Jong-min emphasized the significance of the event, saying, “It is a meaningful opportunity to present Suni Samchon to an audience of Marmande citizens and world-class vocalists.”
Lina Jang (linajang@koreabizwire.com)
