Unlocking History: What You Need to Know About the Jeju 4.3 Incident in ‘My Name Is’

On the 2nd, a press conference for My Name Is (directed by Jung Ji-young) was held at CGV Yongsan I’Park Mall in Seoul’s Yongsan district. Jung joined actors Yeom Hye-ran, Shin Woo-bin, Choi Jun-woo, and Park Ji-bin to discuss the film.

My Name Is centers on characters whose lives are shaped by the 1949 Jeju April 3 Incident. Through the story of a mother, Jeong-soon (Yeom Hye-ran), who has had to hide her name for 78 years, and a boy, Yeong-ok (Shin Woo-bin), who wants to erase his awkward-sounding name, the film returns the audience to the pain of that history.

Jung, who has explored Korea’s social undercurrents in films like Broken Arrow and Black Money, brings a neglected historical tragedy back into focus with My Name Is.

At the event, Jung said he had seen reactions from Korean expatriates and international film figures, but he was curious how audiences in Korea would respond.

He added that although he had long been interested in the April 3 Incident, he initially assumed someone else would tackle it. He was concerned that addressing the subject might require revisiting inter-Korean tensions or ideological debates, so he had tried to avoid it.

Still, Jung did not want to lose the ideas in his script. After two years of revisions, he finished the film. Recognizing that it would be difficult to place the April 3 Incident front and center, he instead depicted scenes of comparable violence to tell the story.

Jung noted that many people remain unfamiliar with the incident. \”Many residents of Jeju still suffer from this trauma. It’s an unresolved pain,\” he said. \”I hope this film prompts viewers to encounter the April 3 Incident, to become curious if what they see differs from what they know, and to seek out more information.\”

Jung also expressed his admiration for Yeom Hye-ran, who anchors the film. \”I first met Yeom on The Boys, where she played the wife of lead actor Sol Kyung-gu. Although the part was small, I was struck by her performance — vivid and full of nuance. I wanted to work with her on a larger project. While I was developing this script, Yeom said she wanted to collaborate again, so I cast her as the lead and completed the screenplay,\” he said.

My Name Is opens on the 15th.

[TV Daily reporter Han Seo-yul news@tvdaily.co.kr]