Gangjeong Struggle Reached 4,000 Days & Beyond/ A New Era. No THAAD Base Construction! No Naval Review!/ The Night for the Memories of Vietnam and Jeju/ Kings Bay Plowshares/ Gangjeong Villagers Join Annual Okinawa Peace March/ Women of the Philippines & Jeju Talk Militarization / Gangjeong is April 3rd/ Sewol Ferry Tragedy Remembrance/ No SMA! No Money for USFK!/ Ann Wright Visits Gangjeong Village/ Mang-gi Chose Prison in Refusal to Pay Fines/ Poetry Night: No Jeju 2nd Airport/ Nullify the 2nd Jeju Airport(Air Base) Project!/ International Women’s Day for Peace and Disarmament/ad. On Inter-Island Solidarity Peace for the Sea Camp in Jeju 2018 etc.
In the article on Kings Bay 7 (page 3), a sentence is corrected to “They pled not guilty and expect a trial date to be set in early August.” (rather than “They pled not guilty and are awaiting trial in early August.” Pre-trial hearings are expected on Aug. 3)
A Symposium for the Denuclearization of Jeju/ Kim Kwan-jin, THAAD, & Lockheed Martin/ Father Mun Chose Prison/ The 6th Year Anniversary of Gureombi Rock Blast/ / 37 Days’ Fast Against Corporation Welfare/ Peace Award to Okinawa/ The Epitaph Covered Under Mural Painting of Lotuses/ Rohingya Refugees Demand Human Rights / Nuclear Cruise Missiles and Zumwalt/ Former President Lee Myung-Bak Jailed Amid Corruption Scandal / Cruise Terminal Construction/ Moseulpo Radar Base / Trial Updates / “No Jeju 2nd Airport” Poetry Night/ etc.
In this December 2017/January 2018 Issue Edition :
Withdrawal of Navy Lawsuit, Start of New Year; Rejecting Militarism on the 80th Anniversary of the Nanjing Massacre; Martha Hennessy’s St. Francis Peace Center Visit; Naval Blockade & Nuclear Posture Review; Nuchi Du Takara (All Life is a Treasure); International Solidarity (Solidarity with Ahed); ‘Sirens normalize the potential for war’; Round 3 of Jeju 2nd Airport Contention; Trial Updates ; “Night & Day” Recital; Peace School Updates; More on The Memory of the 25th Hour; etc
In this issue, there are many issues that we could not include due to limited space. All they are precious to share. Please check out some links among those:
Steady Onslaught of Foreign Warships at the ‘Island of Peace’/Trump is not welcome!/ Please Sign The 4·3 Petition/ Maine Peace Walk for Conversation & Community/The Real Name of ‘Seoul ADEX 2017’ is ‘Murder Weapon Exhibition’/ Remembering Yang Yonbg-chan/ Visits from Okinawa and Japan/ The base’s illegal monitoring and human rights violation/ The SCM and the Jeju navy base/ The Hunger of Kim Kyung-bae: 42 day fast against the 2nd airport/Trial Updates/ A Long Journey to Peace – Two Grandpas’ Story/ Keep Space for Peace Week in Soseong-ri and Gangjeong/Peace Education Update/ Tabling in Seogwipo/ Queer Festival etc.
Nov. 23 press conference (Photo by Choi Hye-young)
It was for the 1st time that a US nuclear submarine came to Jeju . Still, there was no prior media report about the entry of US nuclear submarine into the Jeju navy base which means even the media reporters could get the news at the last minutes. It was peace activists in Gangjeong who discovered it first. And strangely, there was not a TV broadcasting company in the press conference on Nov. 23, which is unusual. We suspect that the navy is really trying to hide the fact of the entry of US nuclear submarine into the Jeju navy base from the eyes of Island people and the world! WHY!
The SSN Mississippi (SSN-782) which entered the Jeju navy base at 10am, Nov. 22 and is known to leave next week is a quite an offensive arm which can penetrate close to the coast of so called enemy country and destroy its big cities in 2 -3 minutes with its 12 Tomahawk cruise missiles and torpedo. It has attacked Iraq, Afghanistan, Kosovo etc. And known to be one of the most threatening arms to North Korea. It is told to have left Yokohama US base, Japan on Nov. 10 and joined a war exercise near the Jeju sea before coming to Jeju!
In Dec. 1991, the North and South Korea governments made a joint declaration of ‘non-nuclear zone of the Korean Peninsula,’ which prohibits military use of nuclear. The declaration was made effective in Jan. 1992. By the declaration, allowing the port-entry of nuclear submarines is in violation of the joint declaration. (South Korea has no nuclear submarine so far)
North Korea has carried out nuclear tests 6 times since 2006. The government of George Bush Jr had targeted North Korea as one of seven countries in its Nuclear Posture Review. And the US and South Korean militaries have conducted war exercises which includes the scenario of preemptive strike against it and decapitation of its leadership.The joint declaration has already been broken. Still it is important for South Korea not to arm itself with nuclear since non-nulclearization of the Korean Peninsula is a necessary premise for peaceful unification of Korea.
It that sense, the agreement by Presidents Moon Jae-in and Trump to introduce military strategic assets which include acquirement of nuclear submarine by South Korea was already regrettable.
US nuclear submarines have entered the naval ports of Jinhae and Busan in the south of Korean peninsula for more than 10 years with accidents not well known to the public.
However, the significance of Jeju navy base is in its geopolitical location. It is closer to China and was built to ‘ protect southern sea lane.’ which means the ‘South Korean’ base was primarily built to contain China, on behalf of US Strategic flexibility policy.
That is why the visits by US nuclear submarine or any further strategic assets to the Jeju navy base is threat to the stabilization and peace of the region.
We have resisted long time to stop the construction of the Jeju navy base because it would greatly destabilize so endanger the peace of the region. And what about the UNESCO-designated soft corals, dolphins and other unspeakable lives?
How about the possibility of radiations? Who get profits from this endless war exercises and military buildup?
US Nuclear submarine out of Jeju!
All warships, go away!
Close the Jeju navy base!
Stop the militarization of Jeju!
Jeju is not for a garbage and radiation dumping ground by foreign militaries!
(The navy says there will be no radiation dumping by the SSN Mississippi. But even if it could be true, how about possible radiation release of radiation during its stay in the Jeju navy base!)
Photo by Joyakgol
The status of foreign warships’ visits to the Jeju navy base, 2017
(left on June 20)–> The ship had to unexpectedly leave the port around 6 pm on the same day, cancelling its participation in a joint war exercise with Canada and South Korea, because of discovery of damage in its equipment. Its departure was 10 hours after its docking into the base.
US MCM_14, Chief, enters the jeju navy base on Sept. 26, 2017 Photo by Park Inchun
According to Park Inchun, it was 9:28:24 am in the morning of Sept. 26 that a USS mine countermeasure ship called ‘USS Chief, MCM-14’ entered the port of Jeju navy base. We haven’t heard the purpose of its visit. But its homeport is Sasebo, Japan. It belongs to the 7th fleet of the US Pacific Command.
Trump does not care to make the Korean peninsula as a battlefield (in the name of alliance!) regardless of Korean citizens’ lives. Jeju is not an exception. In any outbreak of war, Jeju would be one of the launching sites. It can be attacked first. We do picketing for the reason to save innocent young lives who may be first sacrificed in the war, also.
Chief, US Mine Countermeasure ship, Get out of Jeju. Photo by Mangi
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_The Strengthening of invasive launching bases: Iwakuni-Sasebo-Okinawa-Jeju_
According to Koh Young-Dae, SPARK, the US marine bases, Iwakuni, Japan, which has recently been massively consolidated, would be operated as an invasive launching base in linkage with the US navy base, Sasebo, in case of outbreak of Korean or other wars. It was the role of Iwakuni during the Korean war, 1950-1953. Sasebo provided ammunition during the Korean war in the past. It can provide ammunition to possible war or emergency in the Korean peninsula in the future as well. In Sasebo, US assaults ships and mine countermeasure ships are stationed. (It is also known to be one of the strategic points along with Okinawa and Jeju)
Kog Young-Dae has said the Jeju navy base is a foothold for the integrated Ballistic Missile Defense system in the Northeast Asia region. The ROK-US-Japan maritime war exercises occur in the Jeju Sea. The sea between Jeju and Sasebo (located on the same latitude with Jeju) is one spot.
[Aug. 15-31] USNS Henson (T-AGS-63), a pathfinder class oceanographic survey ship, surveyed the Jeju sea water.
[Aug. 30] USS Wasp (LHD-1), a multipurpose amphibious assault ship, leaves toward Sasebo
(*In between, THAAD deployment is completed with the deployment of additional four THAADF launchers in Soseong-ri, Seongju, main land of Korea)
[Sept. 18] The two US strategic bomber B-1B and four F-35 B made joint exercise with four F-15 stealth fighter planes of South Korea in the air over the Korean peninsula. The US military planes which flied from Okinawa and Iwakuni dropped bomb of exercise-use into the firing range in Gangwon province. The total cost of planes mobilized on the day amount around $ 1.6 billion USD
(Hankyoreh, Sept. 18)
[Sept. 21] The United States Forces of Korea visit the Jeju navy base (As of Sept. 21, New York time, there was a ROK-US-Japan summit meeting)
[Sept. 23] US B-1B Lancer and F-15 fighter planes flied to the northern tip of the Demilitarized zone and went to north crossing the Northern Limited Line (NLL) in the east side (So called The East Sea/Japan Sea) (Hankyoreh, Sept. 23)
[Sept. 26] The USS Chief, MCM-14 entered into the Jeju navy base, It belongs to the Pacific fleet of the US navy, Its homeport is Sasebo.
[October] A nuclear-propelled US aircraft carrier assault group including Ronald Reagan is planned to make joint exercise with South Korean navy over the sea water area of the Korean peninsula (Hankyoreh, Sept. 23)
Photo: Mangi(1, 2), Park Inchun (3: USS MCM 14 Chief entering into the Jeju navy base on Sept. 26)
In this August/September 2017 Edition (Specially 8 page):
2017 Jeju Grand March for Life and Peace/ Ishigaki peace camp 2017/ The18 hours’ resistance against THAAD / IPAN calls for THAAD OUT OF KOREA/ Why Iwakuni? / The Colonization of Guam/ Miyako Mothers for a Peaceful Future/ Ishigaki Elders Call for No More War/ Henoko Blue/ Report on the solidarity trip to Korea/ Alliance for Arms Deal/ The Strategic meaning of the Jeju Naval Base and THAAD/ Update on the navy lawsuit/ Dugong Lawsuit Revived in US Courts/ Unilateral Government Information Meeting on the 2nd Jeju Airport Dissipated by the People/ USNS Henson surveyed the Jeju waters/ Sept. 2, the sixth year remembering the Gureomi fence/ Keep Space for Peace week/ May Rest Cho Young- sam and more.
Concern about ‘A Main Military Foothold for the US in the Region’/ Korean citizens surround the US embassy/ Lindis Percy visit to Jeju Island/ Bruce Cummings visit to the village/ The Women’s Struggle is Winning!/ Song of Sanrizuka’s elderly activist/ Government should drop the SLAPPs!/ Is the 2nd Airport Necessary?/ Lift the bans/ Jeju Dolphins in Danger of Offshore Wind Turbine Development/ Trial updates/ Living Citizens School/ “Unending Story” Peace Concert Remembering the Korean War/ Christian Forum for Reconciliation in Northeast Asia/ Advertisements on 2017 Grand march and Peace sea camp etc.
No to the 1st US Warship after 10 Years of Struggle /The United States should not pressure THAAD deployment!/ Resisting THAAD in the United States/ Vietnam Pieta and Fr. Bix statues placed in Gangjeong/ The Navy’s damage lawsuit and the new President Moon/ A Murderous History of Korea by Bruce Cumings / Gangjeong Peace Travel Team / Making a Demilitarized Island with No Air Base / Remembering the Sewol ferry tragedy and Gwangju uprising/ Jeju march 2017 ad. etc.
We reject the US navy’s port entry into the Jeju navy base which would bring to an end the Island of Peace.
The Ministry of National Defense announced that the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Stethem (DDG 63) would arrive in the Jeju navy base port on March 25.
All trust is lost in the words spoken during the Jeju navy base construction that ‘the base would be a pure South Korean base which US military would not use.’
It is, of course, very likely that the Ministry of National Defense and the navy would explain that the visit is not for military operations, but for logistic supply, friendly relation between ROK-US navy military personal, service activity in social welfare facilities and learning about Jeju culture, and they would say that the visit is natural for allied countries to increase amity and cooperative relations between both nations’ navies and to give US soldiers a chance to experience Korean culture.
However, it calls to question why the US navy Aegis ship of all ships is entering into the Jeju navy base while the other war ships are returning back to their home nations or posts. Further, the Key Resolve war exercise this time is said to have been filled with programs for detecting and shooting down missiles and for pre-emptive strikes on the premise of THAAD being deployed in Seongju [in the mainland of Korea]. Because of the planned deployment of THAAD in Soseong-ri, Seongju, the Republic of Korea is already having serious friction with China and the quiet lives of Seongju county people are all being destroyed. Still the ROK Ministry of National Defense is acting only according to the intentions of United States.
On the US Navy Aegis Destroyer entering into the Jeju Navy Base at this moment, we suspect it is by impure intention of the United States who wants to put Jeju Island in the US Missile Defense System. We think the true purpose of the US navy’s activities, such as so called ‘visits on Jeju culture and community service’ is likely to be a cover-up to strategically deploy Zumwalt stealth destroyers to the Jeju Navy Base. Further it is told that the departure dates are not yet set, so what’s the difference from the situation of US Navy deployment?
The United States has stated that her true allied country is Japan and that South Korea is only a subordinate partner. The United States and Japan are showing their shameless intention to use the whole Korean peninsula as their shield and front line of war so that, for their safety, they can stop the spark of war from being extended to their own mainlands. If the US military enters into Jeju Island with whatever form amid the fluctuating situation of Northeast Asia in which confrontation is being deepened and the arms race is intensified, it means that Jeju Island would be put in the center of a whirlpool of hegemonic completion between the United States and China.
Jeju Island would suffer from China’s various retaliation measures, and then would be a target of nuclear missiles as the threat of war increases. And there is a high concern that, with less population and with enough geographic distance from the mainland, Jeju Island would be a strategic trade or trash card in case of war.
For that reason, we resolutely refuse the US navy Aegis ship’s entry into the port of Jeju navy base.
Even though the navy attempts to silence us by filing a lawsuit against the Gangjeong villagers, it should keep in mind that it cannot take away our hearts wishing for peace.
When the US war ship came to the Jeju navy base for the 1st time, we danced in protest in front of the base, as the usual. We knew the USS Stethem was watching us! US Military KEEP OUT! No Jeju Navy Base!
A video by Pang Eunmi
In this April/May 2018 Edition :
In this April/ May 2017 Edition: