제9연대 / 9th Regiment of the Korea Constabulary
한국어
1948년 4·3 진압에 투입된 대한민국 국방경비대 제9연대. 초토화 작전을 주도하여 제주 중산간 마을 주민 대량 학살의 핵심 가해 기관 중 하나. 진상조사보고서(2003)는 1948-10 – 1949-03 기간에 전체 희생의 80% 이상이 집중됐다고 확인했다.1
지휘관
| 기간 | 지휘관 | 비고 |
|---|---|---|
| 1948 초 | 김익렬 중령 | 4·28 평화협상 추진 |
| 1948-06 | 박진경 대령 | 강경 진압 주도, 암살 |
| 1948-10 – | 송요찬 중령 | 초토화 작전 지휘 |
주요 사건
- 1948-04-28: 9연대장 김익렬, 무장대 지도자 김달삼과 ‘4·28 평화협상’ 합의. 오라리 방화사건으로 결렬.
- 1948-06-18: 신임 연대장 박진경, 부하에게 암살당함.
- 1948-10-17: 송요찬 연대장, 해안선 5km 이상 통행금지 포고. 이후 중산간마을 초토화 작전 시작.
- 1948-11 – 1949-03: 중산간마을 95% 이상 소각, 주민 2만여 명 입산.2
미군 평가
미군 정보보고서는 9연대가 “마을 주민에 대한 ‘대량학살계획(program of mass slaughter)‘을 채택했다”고 기록했다. 그럼에도 군사고문단장 로버츠 준장은 송요찬의 활동상을 ‘성공한 작전’으로 높이 평가했다.1
English
The 9th Regiment of the Korea Constabulary (국방경비대 제9연대) was the primary military unit deployed to suppress the April 3rd Uprising on Jeju Island. Under its successive commanders, it carried out the scorched-earth campaign of late 1948 that resulted in the destruction of most of Jeju’s midland villages and the deaths of the majority of 4·3 victims. The 2003 Investigation Report found that over 80% of all 4·3 casualties occurred during the operations of its two regimental commanders.1
Commanders
| Period | Commander | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Early 1948 | Lt. Col. Kim Ik-ryeol | Negotiated the April 28 peace accord |
| June 1948 | Col. Park Jin-gyeong | Pursued hard-line suppression; assassinated by a subordinate |
| Oct 1948 – | Lt. Col. Song Yo-chan | Led the scorched-earth campaign |
Key Events
- 28 April 1948: Regimental commander Kim Ik-ryeol reached a peace agreement with guerrilla leader Kim Dal-sam. The accord collapsed following the Orari arson incident, widely believed to have been a deliberate provocation.
- 18 June 1948: Col. Park Jin-gyeong was shot dead by one of his own soldiers.
- 17 October 1948: Lt. Col. Song Yo-chan issued a shoot-on-sight decree for anyone venturing more than 5 km inland from the coast, effectively designating the entire midland population as enemy combatants.
- November 1948 – March 1949: Scorched-earth operations destroyed over 95% of midland villages; an estimated 20,000 residents fled into the mountains.2
U.S. Military Assessment
A U.S. military intelligence report described the 9th Regiment as having “adopted a program of mass slaughter” on the assumption that all midland villagers were supplying and sheltering the guerrillas. Despite this, Brigadier General Roberts, head of the Korean Military Advisory Group, commended Song Yo-chan’s operations as a success and requested that the Korean government publicize them.1
The regiment’s actions represent the clearest instance of direct state violence in the 4·3 period, and the question of ultimate command responsibility — extending to President Rhee Syngman and the U.S. advisory apparatus — remains a core issue in transitional justice discussions.