Pristine Jeju Island, home to one of the world’s largest soft coral reefs, is under threat from plans to build a naval base. Local protesters have been beaten by police, but now the world’s leading environmental organisation, the IUCN, is holding its annual summit there and could turn the tide by speaking out against the destruction. If the IUCN was […]

IUCN leadership refuses to criticize Korea’s destructive naval base that is killing numerous endangered species, and destroying indigenous communities. This stance from IUCN defies its traditional mission, conserving nature and a “just world.” The International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) World Conservation Congress is the world’s largest environmental event. Held every four years, the 2012 World Conservation Congress  (WCC) will be held from […]

On July 5, South Korea’s Supreme Court overturned lower court rulings against the Ministry of National Defense for proceeding with construction of a naval base on Jeju Island without an environmental impact assessment (EIA). It also ruled that the governor of Jeju had the authority to change the designation of absolute preservation areas. This ruling wasn’t just a major blow to residents […]

Open Letter to IUCN

An open letter to the IUCN: Statement to IUCN and WCC    

世界自然保育聯盟(IUCN)9月6日到9月15日將於南韓濟州道中文旅遊區舉辦世界保育大會(World Conservation Congress,WCC)。WCC大會每4年舉辦一次,可說是當前最大的自然保育盛會。諷刺的是,濟州道中文旅遊區距離江汀村僅約十多分鐘的車程,當地正進行海軍軍港開發,但IUCN對此議題沉默以對,讓居民頗為失望。 [...]