Veteran director Chung Ji-young returns with the new film My Name, a deeply personal story that revisits one of the most painful chapters in modern Korean history — the Jeju April 3 Uprising.
The film centers on the long-lasting emotional impact of the tragedy through a two-generation narrative rather than focusing only on historical events themselves. According to reporting by The Korea Times, the story follows Jeong-sun, played by Yeom Hye-ran, a mother struggling with unresolved memories connected to the uprising, and her 18-year-old son Yeong-ok, portrayed by Shin Woo-bin, who faces identity struggles and school violence while growing up in 1998.
Rather than presenting the tragedy only as a historical reconstruction, My Name explores how trauma continues to shape families decades later. The film links past and present through a narrative structure in which the mother revisits locations tied to her memories while confronting the loss of her husband and relatives during the violence. At the same time, her son’s experiences with bullying reflect how unresolved social wounds can carry into later generations.
The Jeju April 3 Uprising itself remains one of the most devastating episodes in Korea’s modern history. The conflict began in 1947 and continued into the early 1950s, during which clashes between government forces and armed groups resulted in the deaths of up to 30,000 civilians, representing more than 10 percent of Jeju Island’s population at the time.
Director Chung Ji-young has long been known for films addressing politically sensitive historical topics. With My Name, he emphasizes the importance of collective understanding and solidarity in confronting past violence rather than ignoring it. The film’s message highlights how shared remembrance can help societies heal from state-related trauma and conflict.
Public support for the project has also been notable. Nearly 10,000 citizens participated in crowdfunding for the film, and their names appear in the ending credits as recognition of their contribution.
My Name is scheduled to open in South Korean theaters on April 15, 2026, arriving at a time when discussions about historical memory and accountability remain especially relevant in Korean society.