Below is the translation of the Gangjeong Village Association’s statement on May 22, 2012. (Sorry for any mistakes for hurried translation in advance). You can see the original Korean script here.

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Title: The Jeju Island government should take stern legal action on illegal and unreliable construction (destruction) of the Jeju naval base project!

The caissons that would be thrown down in the construction area of the Jeju naval base project are of giant structure of 38m length, 25m width and 20m height for each. Considering such giant structure of 8,800 ton for each, it should be natural that the [steel] frames of those should be strictly made as in the layout. However, there has been a controversy that the frames of the caissons [..] have been made unreliably.

(# The Jeju Sori May 12 article reports on the raised suspicion on unreliable caisson production by Samsung, see the bottom)

[The government] has seriously ignored democratic procedure without holding any hearings for the villagers during its process to get villagers’ agreement but allowing only the people who were bribed before; has annulled absolute preservation areas [in the village] in snatched way; and has been lack of persuasive explanation on the urgent reasons for security matter. NOT ONLY THAT, even though prior environmental review following the law on protection of natural environment had to be done before selecting location, it was done AFTER A YEAR of location selection while the government having APPROVED the project WITHOUT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT. The whole process of naval base construction (destruction) was of the extreme of irrationality throughout all its process.

As if it is not enough to get the permission on the altered condition, holding down the law on protection of cultural treasure by the force of the Ministry of National Defense, it PROCESSED construction(destruction) EVEN DURING the excavation period on buried cultural treasures, using shortcut method of so-called ‘partial construction.’ The purported ‘Beautiful Tourism Port for Mixed Civilian-Military Use,’ of which the name was put to deceive the Island people, while the government clearly promoting a military-only port, has been proved out to be DUAL FROM THE BEGINNING.

While port operation rate has been suspected with the exposal of flawed layout, the Jeju naval base project that is now being in conflict with the position of the Jeju Island government for the matter on the two cruises’ simultaneous port entry & exit is now bringing reputes as the [central government] attempts to establish A MILITARY FACILITY PROTECTION ZONE in the current stage, which can be done ONLY AFTER permission for building completion according to the Port Act (law on harbor and bay). It is really suspicious whether it is truly a national policy further with the matter on unreliable construction (destruction).

In a word, it is ‘an example of business wasted of national tax’!

Furthermore, blast has been enforced even though the Gangjeong village association has warned many times that precise investigation is needed on the underground water vein, concerning about the water source of the Gangjeong stream. And now the blast has been enforced, the front sea and the port area of the village are now being increased with damage for daily dirty water, despite no rain. The Jeju Island government that has not taken any measure is committing DERILICTION of DUTY even though it was confirmed that the silt protection layer has never been restored by the result of underwater investigation and the village has submitted the Island government its opinion statement on the date of May 15, demanding construction stop at least until the completion of reduction measure following the law on the Environmental Impact Assessment and Public Waters Act.

Further unbearable is that the Island governor has not made public any of its position even though he himself was humiliated when a low-level personnel of the Prime Minister Office scolded the Island government for its boycott on the simulation [on May 16] and declared on enforcement of construction (destruction) […] on the very day.

(The Jeju Island government boycotted the simulation as the Prime Minister office refused to accept its demand on the simulation on three among five cases.)
The Gangjeong village association strongly demand the below to the navy and Jeju Island government.

The navy should not hide any more on the unreliable caisson production. It should remove away related caissons not to mention two caissons that it has already provisionally installed in front Sea of Gangjeong [..]

The Gangjeong village association clearly says that it would constantly take measure of accusation on the chief of the naval base business committee and joint chief of naval operation, by the proofs on the fields of dirty water flow because of enforced destruction despite damage on the silt protection layers.

The Jeju Island government should take precise investigation on the underground water regarding the Gureombi Rock and should be clearly responsible for its dereliction of duty in post management and supervision of environmental impact assessment based on related laws. If it finally abandons its responsibility, the village association would constantly raise dereliction charge against it with criminal cases. And the village association warns it that the village would stage the movement on the resignation of [governor, Woo Keun-Min] if he is not be with the village despite the fact that it is becoming clear that it is only a naval base ( # not a civilian-military dual port).

Finally it is nothing but impudicity that the navy that has been allocated only 4.9 billion won for the item of layout compensation because the National Assembly has cut 96% budget on the Jeju naval base project [due to exposed frauds in process and layout of the project] plans to hold an environmental impact assessment fair following [the plan] of building of military official residence, in the Kimjung Culture Hall on May 29. How does the navy dare to hold such fair when its budget for purchase of land for that business that will be taken in the vicinity of the village, has been ALL CUT? If it attempts to place an order on that business by diverting budget previously approved, we would definitely ask it for that charge.

To save Gangjeong, the Life and Peace village, to realize the Jeju, the Peace Island, and to build peace without threat of war in Korea, Northeast Asia and world, the Gangjeong village association and villagers will fight to the end, along with people in the world who support the Island people and Gangjeong village.

May 22, 2012

Gangjeong Village Association

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Image source: Jeju Sori, May 12, 2012. See more photos here.

Photos presented by an informant to the Jeju Sori. The informant claimed that the caisson-producing subcontract company of Samsung in Hwasoon port has been doing unreliable caisson-production works by reducing the amount of steel frames of caissons, in violation of layout.

In the photo on the combination of steel frame, lower part is connected with the reinforcing rods of 800mm while upper part is connected with far shorter 200 mm.

According to that informant, the strength of structure is weaker when the joint of the reinforcing rods is shorter.

He also said, “If caissons are unreliably constructed, the possibility of damage by shocks due to sea wave and big military vessels when they come alongside the pier becomes higher. Even verification becomes impossible once those caissons are thrown into the sea.

It is known that about 220 workers including 180 Vietnamese and 40 Koreans are working on caisson production doing all-night works in Hwasoon port.

The Samsung C & T is to throw 57 caissons of 10 stories height caissons into the 1st work area of the Gangjeong Sea for coming 19 months.

(# If the construction is completed, it is expected that about 89 caissons will be put into the sea as a whole.)