Socioeconomic Changes in Jeju Island as Seen Through Refugees

Through out our history, Jeju has long been neglected as an alienated borderland. The paradoxical occurrence of residents fleeing to the mainland or affiliated islands, despite the establishment of a new dynasty advocating a strong centralized regime that reclaimed autonomy, was attributed to issues such as double exploitation. In this context, before the emergence of the 2018 Yemeni refugee crisis, Jeju Island had already experienced the refugee issue within our society. The influx of “refugees” to Jeju during the restructuring process of our social system by neoliberalism following the 1990s financial crisis can be understood in a similar context. This study examines the refugee issue and the socioeconomic changes in Jeju Island, focusing on the themes of border islands, mutual economic development, and peaceful settlement. Jeju, being the oldest border island in our country, holds a rich history of mutual economic development with the mainland. Additionally, the unresolved Jeju 4.3 incident is associated with the concept of “Peace” as a potential solution. Despite facing a situation where Jeju lacks support from the mainland, it paradoxically possesses geopolitical and historical foundations that attract international attention. However, sustaining an economy without mainland support or relations is practically impossible, and unilateral policy approaches from the mainland do not yield the expected outcomes. Consequently, economic support policies for border islands and peace settlement policies should prioritize effective support and agreements based on historical context.