Category: Appeals & Statements

Save Gureombi! Save Yang Yoon-Mo!

Jeju Sori, March 5, 2012 (with a video)
People’s press conference in the morning

On March 5, 2012, the Island governor expressed his position demanding on temporary reservation of the naval base construction (destruction). However, it is very likely that the Seogwipo Police station under the central government scenario would allow the navy to blast the Gureombi rocky coast. People are being intensely organized to fight against the blast on uncertain but coming-soon day. Please pressure more the Island governor Woo Keun-Min. The life of Yang Yoon-Mo who is identified with the Gureombi rocky coast and who hits the 28th prison fast as of March 6 may depend on your help: Please save Gureombi and Yang Yoon-Mo!

(1) Save Gureombi, Save Yang Yoon-Mo!

March 5 began with people’s determined press conference in front of the Seogwipo Police Station around 11 am amid rain drops. It was rainy all day. Villagers and people from the Island, nationwide, and international (Angie Zelter) demanded the authorities to stop the plan on the blast of the Gureombi, to stop construction immediately and appealed to save Yang Yoon-Mo who has been told that he would cut even water and bits of salt if the coast begins to destroyed in earnest by the naval base destruction. (For photos/ video, see an attached photo and those in the links)

(2) The Island governor demanded a temporary reservation on the naval base construction (destruction) and ‘fair verification,’ on base layout.

Around 1pm, the Island governor Woo Keun-Min made public his position, in the form of four people’s joint statement. The statement was titled ‘press conference statement by the four demanding a temporary reservation on the construction [of naval base] for fair verification.’

The four are, beside governor Woo: Oh Choong-Jin, chairman of the Jeju provincial council, Kim Dong-Wan, chairman of the Jeju branch of the Saenuri Party (* former Grand National Party, the current ruling party of South Korea) and Kim Jae-Yoon, chairman of the Jeju branch of the Democratic Unity Party

You can see the whole original Korean script, here:

The point of the statement is, in a word, that the four cannot accept the position of the Central government that currently enforces the Jeju naval base construction. The four’s main demand is a ‘fair verification’ that should be a prior task before any continuing construction (destruction) regarding the current controversy on the fatally flawed base (harbor & bay) layout, on the premise of the so called ‘beautiful tourism port for mixed civilian-military use,’ where free entry & exit of the 150,000 cruise are guaranteed.

While the villagers, of course, oppose the idea of so called ‘beautiful tourism port for mixed civilian-military use,’ which is only a fake, the governor’s such statement was positively interpreted by many people in the sense that it ‘provided a ground for the peaceful settlement of the naval base issue though being late, since it was declared amidst impending matter of the blast of the Gureombi rock.’ (A part of the comment by the United Progressive Party, March 5)

A Jeju media interprets such Island government and politicians’ position that the central government has brought upon itself by its unreasonable enforcement on naval base construction ignoring even the opinion by local government, not to mention the villagers and Jeju Island people.

(3) Despite the Island government’s position, the navy’s enforcement on the blast on the Gureombi is very likely. More pressure on the governor Woo Keun-Min is indeed needed.

Above all, there is little possibility that the measure authorized by the highest decision frame of the national policy control meeting of the central government, of which the content was stated by the Prime Minister on Feb. 29, following President Lee Myung Bak’s open announcement to enforce the Jeju naval construction (destruction) on Feb. 22, is to be changed.

A bad sign can be glimpsed by the Island governor’s failure to meet the very two- chief of the Jeju Provincial Police Agency (Chung Chul-Soo) and chief of the Seogwipo Police Station (Lee Dong-Min)-who were absent in their offices at the time of the visit by the governor himself and Oh Choong-Jin, chairman of the Island council who had wanted to deliver their faced wish to them to pose on the plan on the blast of the Gureombi.

Chung and Lee, the chiefs of the Jeju province and Seogwipo City police agencies are told to say only later that they would “make a decent decision, (following laws and ordinances) on the matter of allowing [the navy-contracted companies] on the use of gun powders by March 8 (* the police answer-due date for any civilian appeal is given five days, except for weekends. The companies have applied for it on March 2)

(4) The navy-contracted companies have already drilled more than 45 holes in the Gureombi rock to put the gun powders. People are intensely organizing themselves to stop the disaster on the first day of the navy’s conduct of the blast. If carried, the blast is planned to go for five months. People here have to endure very difficult time at least for a month then.

The Seogwipo Police station, after its start on the review on the companies’ application document, entered on field investigation of the naval base construction area in the afternoon of March 5.

According to the Jeju Domin Ilbo:

‘The total amount of the gun powder applied by the navy-contracted companies is 44ton. For the blast, the Samsung C&T will be charged of the 1st construction work area in the land part, while the Daelim Industry and its sub-contracted companies are charged of the 2nd construction work area in the coast.’

The companies are to make the caisson-building area after blast. The caissons of huge cement blocks will be laid on the site of sea-dredging, killing the UNESCO-designated soft corals and the IUCN(International Union of Conservation on Nature) endangered Indo-Pacific bottle nose dolphins.

(5) With your more pressure on the Island governor who has the right to cancel the navy over the license to reclaim the public water and its adjacent surface and who has the right to rescind over the ex-Island government’s wrong decision to cancel the absolute preservation area in Dec. 2009 (* The absolute preservation areas in the Gangjeong village are: the Joongduk coast of which we call most part as the Gureombi and the vicinity area of the Gangejong stream), the plan on the blast of the Gureombi can be at least postponed. It would also save the life of Yang Yoon-Mo who has declared that he would cut even water and bits of salt upon the main destruction of the Gureombi rocky coast.

Please remind his words:

‘If Gureombi (the sacred rocky coastline) lives, I live. If Gureombi dies, I die. Do not cry for me. Cry for the future generations who may not be able to feel the beauty of Gureombi. Gureombi is the medium to connect myself and the sky. The self, the sky, Gureombi have become one. This commitment is a call from God.’

(Note by Mary Beth Sullivan upon her visit of Yang Yoon-Mo on Feb. 28)

Source

To write a letter to Woo Keun-Min:

Mr. Woo Keun-Min
Governor
The government of Jeju-do
312-1, Yeon-dong, Jeju-si, Jeju-do
REPUBLIC OF KOREA
Fax: +82 64 710 3009
E-mail: jejumaster@jeju.go.kr

Also please consider to write a protest letter to:

Mr. Lee Myung-Bak
President
1 Sejong-no, Jongno-gu
Seoul, 110-820
REPUBLIC OF KOREA
Fax: +82 2 770 4751
E-mail: foreign@president.go.kr or president@cwd.go.kr or president@president.go.kr

Mr. Kim Kwan-Jin
Minister, Ministry of National Defense
No. 1, Yongsan-dong 3-ga
Yongsan-gu, Seoul
REPUBLIC OF KOREA
Tel: +82 2 748 1111
Fax: +82 2 748 6895
E-mail: cyber@mnd.go.kr

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Image source:

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References

1. People’s press conference in the morning, Catholic mass in the afternoon, police alignment on the day

[Photos/ Video]

http://www.jejusori.net/news/articleView.html?idxno=111953
경찰서로 향한 강정주민들 “발파시 총력 대응”
2012.03.05 12:36:49

http://www.headlinejeju.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=143899
“구럼비 발파는 대국민 태러 행위…즉각 중단하라”
강정마을회-범대위, 구럼비 발파허가 반려 촉구 기자회견
“상부의 지시 아닌 서귀포경찰서장이 직접 판단해야”
2012.03.05 12:09:55

http://www.seogwipo.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=76982
“구럼비 발파 허가, 파국을 불러 올 것이다”
해군기지 반대 측, 5일 서귀포경찰서 앞 기자회견
“폭파는 도민 모욕이자, 서귀포시민 식수원 위협”
2012년 03월 05일 (월) 12:49:41

http://www.hani.co.kr/arti/society/area/522095.html
‘구럼비 폭파’ 눈앞…제주 강정 ‘폭풍전야’
2012.03.05 20:48

http://www.headlinejeju.co.kr/news/articlePhotoView.html?idxno=143946
강정마을 곳곳에 경찰 배치…긴장감 고조

[현장]구럼비 발파 앞두고 공사현장-강정포구에 경찰 배치
“무슨 계엄상황도 아니고 정부 방침에 치가 떨린다”
2012.03.05 16:13:15

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2. Governoor Woo Keun-Min’s press conference at 1pm and visit to the police stations after it, March 6

http://www.jejudomin.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=28785
“재검증전까지 해군기지 공사 보류하라”
우근민 지사, 제주도 참여 크루즈 시뮬레이션 재실시 요구
강정마을엔 해군기지 정책수용여부 묻는 ‘주민총회’ 제안
새누리당 도당 참여 눈길 “총선정국 피해가자는 의도 아니”
2012.03.05 13:42:17

http://www.headlinejeju.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=143953
정부 방침 ‘거부’ 초강수, 해군기지 공사 중단될까
[해설] ‘마지막 승부수’, 우 지사 ‘4인 공동입장’ 배경과 전망
정부 일방적 발표 큰 반발 자초…검증요구 수용여부 관건
2012.03.05 17:47:11

http://www.headlinejeju.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=143914
“해군기지 설계검증 때까지 공사 보류하라”
우 지사-도의회-여야 ‘4인 공동’ 기자회견…정부방침 ‘수용 거부’
“공정한 검증이 먼저…강정 주민총회 후 수용여부 결정하겠다”
2012.03.05 13:27:37

http://www.headlinejeju.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=143917
[전문] 우근민 지사 등 ‘4인 공동’, 해군기지 공사보류 요청 기자회견
2012.03.05 13:30:56

http://www.headlinejeju.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=143929
우 지사 “구럼비 발파 안될 말…직접 나서겠다”
경찰에 발파허가 보류요청…경찰청장 ‘자리 없고’, 서장면담도 ‘불발’
2012.03.05 14:59:09

http://www.headlinejeju.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=143931
통합진보당 “우 지사 공사 일시보류 요청 환영”
2012.03.05 15:05:01

http://www.headlinejeju.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=143954
“청장도 없고, 서장도 없고”…우 지사 머쓱
우 지사-오충진 의장, 구럼비 발파허가 보류요청 경찰서 방문 ‘냉대’?
2012.03.05 17:54:50

http://www.jejusori.net/news/articleView.html?idxno=111977
지사-도의장 도착 10분전에 자리 뜬 경찰서장
2012.03.05 15:38:14

http://news.khan.co.kr/kh_news/khan_art_view.html?artid=201203052215235&code=950313
“해군기지 공사 보류해달라” 우근민 제주지사 공식 요청
2012-03-05 22:15:23

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3. Detail on the navy plan on the blast of the Gureombi

http://www.jejudomin.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=28779
구럼비 발파허가 여부 6일이후 판가름
서귀포경찰서 “물리적으로 오늘안에 허가 판단 어려워”
화약 신청량 총 44톤 가량
2012.03.05 12:43:16

March 6, 2012
Rebecca Johnson’s appeal letter to the court on behalf of the three arrested (Dec. 13, 2011)

See Organizing Notes, Nov. 8, 2011

Re-post from here

Appeal Letter of Dr. Rebecca Johnson to Judges regarding judicial charges against Kang Young-sil, Choi Sung-hee and Dr. Song Kang-ho

To whom it may concern:
December 13, 2011

Regarding judicial charges against Ms Kang Young-sil, Ms Choi Sung-Hee and Dr Song Kang-ho

Dear Judges, Lawyers and Colleagues,

I am unable to be here in person but request that this letter be submitted as evidence in the judicial proceedings regarding nonviolent demonstrations by Ms Kang Young-sil, Ms Choi Sung-Hee and Dr Song Kang-ho at the Hotel Shilla, November 7-8, 2011.

I, Dr Rebecca Johnson of the above address in London UK, was an invited participant at the 10th ROK-UN Joint Conference on Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Issues: The Past and Future of Disarmament and Non-Proliferation, which was held at the Shilla Hotel, Jeju, November 7-8, 2011.

I flew from London for this Conference, and was asked to serve both as an expert presenter and a rapporteur for one of the sessions. As a panel speaker, I was on the Conference platform when a young woman quietly and peacefully entered the room and held up a yellow banner with the message “No Naval Base”. Indeed, the speaker who was presenting at the time, Professor Han Yong-sup, drew attention to this protest, which was part of a larger but equally nonviolent demonstration at the entrance of the Conference. Like others in the Conference, I was interested to learn more about the concerns that the protesters were raising, and asked questions about this in conversations with several of the participants from the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs and diplomatic service, many of whom are my long-standing friends from many years of collaborative work on security, non-proliferation and disarmament issues. The protest sparked some interesting and informative discussions, but at no time did I or anyone else in the Conference feel worried, alarmed or threatened by the protesters, who behaved completely nonviolent throughout.

I was therefore shocked to be told after the Conference concluded that three of the protesters had been arrested, taken into custody and held overnight. I was even more dismayed when I heard that these two women and religious brother had been hurt and injured by police or hotel staff in the course of that unnecessary arrest. The Conference was on issues of security, disarmament and non-proliferation, and I think it was completely relevant and legitimate for nonviolent demonstrators to try to participate and inform us about a local issue – happening so close to the hotel we were meeting in. Freedom of protest and freedom of speech are important characteristics and rights in democracies, and it should have been important to guarantee these rights and enable citizens such as the Gangjeong protesters to exercise these rights without being hurt or arrested.

From what I saw and heard, the protesters behaved respectfully towards both the international and South Korean participants in the Conference. It is true that they were not formally invited to the Conference, but they did bring us important information. As I wrote in my rapporteur’s report for the United Nations Office of Disarmament Affairs (ODA), their protest “brought home a personal dimension of the relationship between military policies and conventional weapons deployments, missile defences, nuclear weapons and dangers, regional insecurity and potential long term threats to the environment, including space, as well as raising challenging questions about the UN’s role and responsibilities and the links between human rights, environmental protection and disarmament and human security. In effect, this broader context formed the backdrop to Session I’s discussions about whether the achievement of disarmament, nonproliferation and freedom from nuclear insecurity will require a paradigm shift from the framework and assumptions of cold war arms control towards humanitarian-based disarmament, and if so, where such an approach might arise and what it might entail.”

The protesters invited the Conference participants to visit Gangjeong and see for ourselves the environmental and humanitarian desecration being caused by the construction of the unnecessary naval base. As I had time the next day, I visited Gangjeong and spoke with many of the villagers and concerned South Korean citizens. I was deeply concerned at the environmental destruction and that explosives were being laid in preparation for blowing apart the Gureombi. Over dinner on Monday evening (November7), our host, the Governor of Jeju, the Honourable Mr Woo Keun-Min, called Jeju an “Island of World Peace” and expressed his hope that Jeju would be designated one of the new Seven Wonders of Nature. His hopes seem to be completely contradicted by what I saw being done to Gangjeong as part of the construction of the naval base for Aegis destroyers (associated with the launch of armed missiles as part of a ‘missile defence’ force).

I was not distressed by Ms Kang Young-sil, Ms Choi Sung-Hee, Dr Song Kang-ho or any other of the nonviolent protesters who came to talk to us about the naval base. On the contrary, they gave me information that I consider important and relevant to my reasons for being at the UN-ROK Conference. I was, however, very distressed that they were arrested and have been charged for this, as if they had done something wrong or criminal.

I am unable to travel back to Jeju to act as a witness in trial proceedings on this matter, but I respectfully request that this letter be used in evidence on behalf of Ms Kang Young-sil, Ms Choi Sung-Hee and Dr Song Kang-ho, confirm‍ing that their exercise of freedom of speech and demonstration during the UN-ROK Conference November 7-8 2011 should not constitute any kind of offence in a democracy such as the Republic of Korea.

Yours faithfully,

Dr Rebecca E. Johnson
Executive Director
Acronym Institute for Disarmament Diplomacy
To whom it may concern:
December 13, 2011

See Organizing Notes, March 8, 2011

Dungree video

Nov. 8 to 9, 2011

Nov. 7, 2011

January 5, 2012
Rebecca Johnson’s letter to Governor Woo on Nov. 16, 2011

Photo by Jung Jae-Eun, Media Choongchung, Nov. 12, 2012

Re-post from here

Rebecca Johnson’s letter to Governor Woo

Princeton University, New Jersey, USA
November 16, 2011

Dear Governor Woo,

I was privileged to be invited to speak at the recent UN-ROK Conference on Non-Proliferation and Disarmament held at the Shilla Hotel(* Samsung owned) in Jeju on November 7-8, 2011. At the dinner that you so kindly hosted I was delighted to hear you speak of your desire to see Jeju Island recognised as one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature as well as an Island of World Peace. Together with the UNESCO triple-crowned status, Jeju island is among the world’s most precious cultural and national treasures.

I was also very impressed with the peaceful protesters who came to talk to us about the way in which construction of a new and unnecessary naval base for submarines and Aegis destroyers is causing desecration of Gangjeong village and coastal waters. When the UN Conference ended I went to Gangjeong to see for myself, and was shocked at the devastation being inflicted on this beautiful part of the world. I met Catholic priests, fruit farmers, village leaders and Haenyo divers and heard how the base construction — and in particular the planned detonation of explosives at Gureombi — will devastate their fishing areas and could destroy their livelihoods forever.

I have worked on disarmament issues for many years, and have studied the negative impact of military bases for local populations. As well as destroying the livelihoods of local farmers and the famous Haenyo sea women, the Gangjeong naval base will increase the risks of rape and other forms of violence against women and girls. As it destroys traditional fishing and agricultural jobs, the base will cause an upsurge in prostitution and erode women’s rights, security and safety. Is this what you want on Jeju Island?

I have just heard that Gureombi is scheduled to be blasted open on November 18. I beg you to have this irrevocable destruction of the seabed halted immediately.
As I learned on my visit, the marine ecosystem connected with Gureombi is a precious heritage of the South Korean people and must be protected and preserved. The destruction of Gureombi threatens the surrounding marine life, the traditional Haenyo fishing areas, and the clean water that farmers and villagers depend upon for their survival.

You have the power to stop the use of explosives at Gureombi and Gangjeong, and I appeal to you to halt this violence as a matter of the greatest immediacy and urgency.

You also have the power to order the Navy to stop construction of the naval base so that the interests of Jeju Islanders can be properly considered and assessed. If it is not already clearly recognised what a crime of vandalism will be committed if these explosions and the construction of this unnecessary naval base go ahead, at least halt the construction so that an independent environmental and cultural impact assessment can be conducted before any further violence and desecration are inflicted on the environment and Jeju people.

I am sure that you do not want your legacy to be the governor who enabled the destruction of this unique natural environment and site of ancient Korean relics. I am convinced you would rather be remembered as a protector of democracy and peace on Jeju Island rather than the person who destroyed the livelihoods of local villagers and opened the door to the rape and prostitution of Jeju women – a human rights violation that invariably accompanies military bases such as that which is being planned.

I appeal to you to act with the wise foresight of which I know you are capable and put a stop to the blasting of Gureombi and the wanton destruction of Gangjeong for a naval base that is not needed for South Korean security and which the vast majority of local people oppose. Uphold the principles you expressed at the UN meeting and your promises to those who elected you and stop the blast and construction immediately.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours Sincerely,

Dr Rebecca Johnson
President, International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN Europe, Middle East, Africa)

Dr Rebecca E. Johnson
Executive Director
Acronym Institute for Disarmament Diplomacy
24 Colvestone Crescent
London E8 2LH
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0) 207 503 8857
mob: 07733360955
website: www.acronym.org.uk

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Peace activist Rebecca Johnson visits the Jeju Island naval base site

(Video by No Base Jeju Island)

November 17, 2011