This paper examines the role of museums in shaping public perceptions of past conflict through visual representation. It explores how victim-perpetrator narratives are constructed and visualised within museum spaces and how such representations contribute to the reconciliation process. This study focuses on the visual representation of the Jeju 4.3 Incident in the Jeju 4.3 Peace Park in South Korea. It applies thematic analysis to examine textual descriptions, along with formal and iconographic analysis to analyse images and artworks, exploring the narratives constructed within the museum space. Particular attention is paid to the stakeholders of the presented voices and the format of visual communication in delivering bottom-up narratives. The paper argues that museum representations in the Jeju 4.3 Peace Park contribute to the reconciliation process by providing a space to negotiate different interpretations of the conflicting past. This is achieved by giving victims a platform to share their perspectives, exposing state violence within a state-led museum, and promoting the recognition and commemoration of victims. By publicly engaging with difficult and dissonant heritage, the exhibition reintroduces the conflict into collective memory, encouraging changes in public perception and shaping shared understanding of the past.
Geonyoung Kim (Sun,) studied this question.