By Jung Da-min 

JEJU Island ― When people talk about Jeju, many focus on its well-preserved nature and its calm atmosphere. One thing that is often left out is the island's tragic history ― the April 3 Massacre (sometimes abbreviated as 4.3) that started in 1948 ― said an American conductor who visited the southern island recently.

"To get to know about the tragedy in Jeju was very shocking to me as an American citizen," said Toshiyuki Shimada, music director and conductor of Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra. He visited the island for the first time to participate in the 2019 Lindenbaum Peace Workshop and Concert and conduct the Lindenbaum Festival Orchestra. "This made my visit here more meaningful," Shimada said. 

Organized by the Lindenbaum Organization (Executive Director Lee Seung-hee), the workshop and concert on Jeju from Aug. 6 to 7 invited prominent professors and musicians from around the world for a discussion on how to contribute to the peace efforts on the Korean Peninsula, under the theme of "Sustainable Cultural Bridge for Peace in Korea." Young students from South Korea and the U.S., including members of the Lindenbaum Festival Orchestra, participated in the two-day event.