On December 27th, 2014, the fishing vessel was crashed by a part of concrete structure that was washed away. The whole part of concrete structure is laid right off the eastern seawall for protecting the newly built caissons from strong waves. But it eventually caused the wreck of the fishing vessel owned by one of Gangjeong villagers.
The parts of concrete structure are laid in the sea so it is not easy to notice them quickly as fish vessels approach the port. Moreover when it happened, it was about at 2 am in the dark. Although there are lights installed on the concrete structures, some of the structures laid closer to the sea have not any light.
Fishermen say they already expected this kind of accident would happen soon. On December 16th, the fishermen association of Gangjeong Village already visited the office of the construction site and demanded to remove those concrete structures right off the seawalls that have become obstacles to enter the port by making the space narrow. But they said their demand is ignored by the navy.
In this December Edition:
Gangjeong Mayor’s message for 2015, Encountering of Nanjing and Jeju’s suffering, Navy plans crackdown on 24 hour sit-in tent, A priest’s getting pushed down by a construction vehicle and the negligence of police, Republic Of Korea Navy Chief involved in corrupt arms purchase, Love is the only answer, tangerine harvest season, The struggle by villagers and Island people to stop the resumption of the construction
for military residence, Palestine Come and See, Korea loses Father James Sinnott, Christmas Eve in Gangjeong village, Metburi report, United Progressive Party, Introducing Gangjeong struggle through movies, trial updates and much more!
Since November, people have taken 24 hours sit-in in front of the military residence construction area inside the village. A big sit-in tent and village bus block the whole main gate of it. (Photo by Park Yong-Sung)
People resist to the lying navy who enforces the building of military residence inside the village
Admiral Hwang Ki Chul, the incumbent chief of Naval Operations of the Republic of Korea Navy since September, 2013, who is recently denounced for his scandalous involvement in the corrupt arms purchase from an unknown US arms company years ago (see here), has made a remark that the navy would never build military residence inside the Gangjeong village unless villagers agree with it. His lie still loudly rings to the ears of people who clearly remember what he said.
But as Kim Sung-Chan, one of his predecessors, has later violated his own words that the navy would never expropriate villagers’ lands and would never start base construction without villagers’ agreement, Hwang and the navy has been setting to build 72 households of military residence on the way to the port inside the village, without consultation and agreement with the villagers (for more on the navy plan of military residence and people’s strong opposition to it, see the top articles of Oct. and Nov. newsletter, here and here.)
As soon as the navy got permission from the Seogwipo City Hall on Oct. 7, this year, it moved two containers into the military residence construction area for 72 households, set up the fence, and installed surveillance camera on the top of its main gate.
The navy’s enforcement of the military residence construction started along with the setting for the construction of a cruise terminal which is a part of so called ‘Civilian-Military Complex Port for Tour Beauty Project,’ an official name of the Jeju naval base project, ridiculous though as the navy seems to prefer to a ‘pure’ navy base. The location of the latter is much nearer to the port. Signs of construction information for those swarm along the way to the port where one does not miss a scene of the transformed coast and sea covered with ugly base construction facilities and monster-like pollution-pouring barges.
With urgency to save the 450 year old village from the building of military residence inside the village, people have begun to stop construction vehicles going to the area with 24 hours’ sit-in booth in the center road of the village and later on, with a large sit-in tent just in front of its main gate. The only village-owned bus was tightly chained next to the sit-in tent, totally blocking the whole gate from all the construction vehicles.
Now, the sit-in tent site just in front of the military residence construction gate is people’s another struggle fronts along with the base construction gate site in the eastern part of the village and Samgeori(a three-fork road) where people have set a communal restaurant and residence containers for the purpose of occupation against navy’s robbing-off the area.
Budget was passed with an unreliable condition, ‘Occasionally allocated’
Despite people’s clear demand to cut the whole 2015 Jeju naval base budget, especially that of military housing project inside the village (for the details, see here), it was on Dec. 2 when the South Korean National Assembly passed the whole 2015 Jeju naval base budget of 298 billion won (about 290 million USD), but with the decision to compile the budget as the ‘occasionally allocated,’ which means the budget is compiled and managed by the Ministry of Strategy and Finance which would hand over the budget to the Ministry of National Defense whenever ‘a condition’ is implemented.
The Jeju Island government stated on Dec 3 that the National Assembly condition meant an agreement between the navy and Jeju Island Government which had requested the former not to build military residence inside the village, following the result of its meeting with the representatives of the village association last month(see the headline article in Nov. newsletter, here). The Island government even stated that the execution of budget for the building of military residence became impossible for the navy without consultation with the Island government. It stated that it would do its best to consult with the navy so that the navy could purchase military residence in nearer and better location rather than building it in the currently planned site inside the village.
However, no matter how confident the Island government appears in regards to its interpretation on the ‘occasionally allocated budget,’ such condition is not clearly written as a collateral condition to the budget passed by the National Assembly. Doubts are reasonably raised on such budget allocation, given that the Ministry of National Defense, and the Central Governments have never observed such National Assembly condition even in written forms. The Government-specifically the Ministries of Strategy and Finance and National Defense could be very arbitrary in its decision to allow the execution of the budget and to execute it respectively.
(See a reference article in a Jeju media in Korean, here)
The Navy’s shameless warning to dismantle people’s sit-in tent
As the date of Dec. 9, 2014, the navy sent the village mayor the 1st warning notice to dismantle people’s sit-in tent and other sit-in facilities by Dec. 16, in the name of the Jeju Civilian-Military Complex Port Building Committee.
Otherwise, on Dec. 10, the Jeju naval base project committee sent a written warning to the village association that it would carry out an administrative vicarious execution which means it would dismantle people’s sit-in tent and village bus unless the village association is volunteering to remove it by Dec. 16. The warning even threatens villagers that they may be even enforced to pay all the execution fees.
The notice was recently sent again to the village with the due date by Dec. 22. Barbarous however the navy’s plan is, a lawyer tells on the legal matter. According to the lawyer:
‘Even though there is an issue of violation of Constitution when a special group so called military directly carries out an administrative vicarious execution against general citizens, which oppresses their right to property and freedom, it has an authority on an administrative vicarious execution by the positive law, in cases the state or local self-governing organization is an enforcement administration of the applied construction.’
The village association, confirming its will to fight against any outside oppression, declared that it would keep the sit-in tent and other sit-in facilities to the end. The Seogwipo City to which the village belongs to, has not cooperated to the navy in regards of dismantling villagers’sit-in tent, as the City is under the order of the Island government.
The village denounced the navy saying that military residence building project denies the local residents’ right to self-governing decision and the existence basis of the village association. Not only that, it is an explicit extension of the Jeju naval base project, not to mention that it seriously threatens the villagers’ right to live. (see the collection of the articles on the navy letter and villagers’ protest statement in Korean here)
The Jeju Pan-Island Committee for the Stop of military Base and for the Realization of Peace Island, which is composed of 31 parties, civic groups, and religious groups within the Jeju Island, denounced the navy in its Dec. 12 statement, saying that “it is exposed that the navy’s showy rhetoric by now such as ‘agreement by villagers,’ ‘conflict settlement,’ is merely a kind of a ‘false psychological war,’ which intends to mislead public opinion on the basis of military operation.’
It is not clear yet when the navy would finally carry out its administrative vicarious execution, mobilizing its thugs and police.. Is the navy who has used sugar-coating words such as ‘co-existence of civilian-military’ and ‘civilian-military complex,’ willing to clash directly with the people? The time is approaching.
And regardless of the navy’s shameless deeds, people keep their 24 hour sit-in in the tent. A peace activist writes:
“Whatever, the politics, administration, and media do, there may not be much we can do. We have only our bodies and hearts. Nothing to be changed. We continue to sleep in the tent, clean it, perform traditional music, watch movies inside it, pack tangerines for fundraising, file fire woods, make fires in furnace, and stop vehicles with our bodies… regardless the navy comes to dismantle our sit-in tents whenever…”
People lightens a whole night with fire in front of the military residence construction area on Dec. 18 (Photo by Kim Eun-Hye)
To save the village and to realize a true Peace Island, people’s fight will never end. A new year is approaching: The 10th anniversary of the Jeju designated as the “Peace Island’ by the Government.
Protest banners are hung inside and even neighborhood village . The banner reads, “Navy! you are the outside power that destroys our hometown, Gangjeong! – Anti-navy base committee of the Gangjeong village” Choi Yong-Beom, Co-vice mayor of the village and a peace activist (Photo by Park Yong-Sung)A banner by the anti-naval base committee of the Gangjeong village, hung inside the village. The navy plans to station about 7,000 people in the Jeju naval base that is currently being built. You may remember that the whole population of the Gangjeong villagers is less than 2,000. The banner explains the urgency of the struggle to stop the navy’s current project to build 72 households of military residence outside of the base but inside the village. (A photo by Choi Yong-Beom, Co-vice mayor of the Gangjeong village)
A rough translation of the banner above:
“Gangjeong villagers!
Currently the navy is saying that it is driving only for 72 households for patrol boat crewmen. And it stated that it has already purchased 34 households of civilian apartment in the outside and it would additionally purchase 184 households of apartment next year to use those as military residence.
Then, will the navy’s military residence construction plan end only with it?
The navy has originally stated that the numbers of people who would station in the [currently being built] Jeju naval base would be 7,000.
Only with that fact, you can roughly guess the size of military residence. It is estimated that the maximum numbers of people who would be accommodated [in the currently being built military residence] inside the base would be no more than 5,000, even with combining all the numbers of people in 987 households for the singles and married, and of enlisted men’s barracks. It is planned that the military residence outside of the base would be mainly used by the company and field grade and it is estimated that the required numbers of the households for those would be around 500 at the minimum to 2,000 at the maximum.
The navy’s position is that once 72 households are constructed in the Gangjeong village, it would, consulting Gangjeong villagers, progress building of additional 359 households, beside the purchase of apartment, . Do you think that is indeed the end? There is possibility that more than 1,000 households of military residence would be continuously built in the Gangjeong village until the size of stationing people fulfills.
In other words, the Gangjeong village would be totally a military village as a result of it. It will be very likely that the navy would secure the initiative of the village association then extend the naval base in earnest through driving for military facilities such as magazine powder keg/ heliports.
Therefore, the navy’s current drive to build 72 households of military residence must be stopped. We should save the history of the 450 year old Gangjeong village.
The anti-naval base committee of the Gangjeong village
Re-blogged from here. To see the related post, see here.
By Steve Maynard, Nov. 28, 2014
The Rev. Bill Bichsel, center, is moved from his protest site by police during the Tacoma priest’s trip to South Korea earlier this month. COURTESY OF EUNMI PANG
The Rev. Bill Bichsel, an 86-year-old Tacoma priest known for his acts of civil disobedience, has returned from a trip to South Korea to protest construction of a naval base there.
Just three months ago, Bichsel was seriously ill and in the hospital in Tacoma. But his health — while still frail due to a heart condition — improved to the point he was able to make the trip using a wheelchair.
He said his doctors didn’t try to stop him from traveling.
“They just shake their heads,” Bichsel said. “They know I’m going so they don’t make a big fuss.”
For nearly 40 years, the Jesuit priest known as “Bix” has protested against U.S. military programs and weapons. He’s been arrested dozens of times for trespassing during protests and jailed more than a half-dozen times.
He wasn’t arrested in South Korea, but he realized the 12-day trip could set his health back.
“I know I could go anytime,” Bichsel said.
He was weak upon returning Nov. 20, but has gotten stronger since. And he was inspired by the trip.
Bichsel and nine other people — nearly all from the Puget Sound area — traveled to Jeju Island to commit what he called “acts of civil resistance” against construction of a base by the South Korean Navy. The base has been under construction on the island off the southern tip of Korea for eight years.
The efforts to stop it has been underway at Gangjeong Village since construction started, Bichsel said. The movement has united Catholics, Buddhists and those of no religious affiliation.
“It’s the most inspiring, unified resistance that I’ve experienced,” he said.
Bichsel said residents of the area believe the base will be used to service U.S. Navy ships. Some of those vessels could be armed with missiles as part of a defense system, he said.
The base is a few hundred miles from China.
The group joined other protesters — including Korean Catholic nuns and local villagers — to block cement trucks from entering the base.
They sat in chairs in front of the gate. Bichsel sat in a wheelchair. While they blocked the entrance, a priest celebrated the Mass across the street about 50 yards away as part of the resistance.
The protesters didn’t move until Korean police carried them away so the cement trucks could enter.
Three police officers picked Bichsel up in his wheelchair four or five times a day and pulled him to the side, he said.
He and the others would then go back and resume sitting in front of the gate.
“It’s sort of like a choreography,” said Bichsel, who uses a wheelchair because he can’t walk long distances.
The protesters, who numbered on average about 20, slowed the trucks but didn’t stop them from entering the base. No one was arrested, Bichsel said.
He also protested at the Jeju Island base during another trip in September 2013.
The priest said he’s demonstrating against the “continual militarization of South Korea, as well as our world, through the U.S. military.”
Local residents “know eventually the base will be built, but that doesn’t stop the villagers from standing up against it,” he said.
Bichsel, whose trip was financed by donations, said he was inspired by the commitment of Koreans who oppose the base.
“We get from them just a tremendous sense of faithfulness, living out what you believe, trying to stop the militarization.”
Bichsel has no immediate plans to return to South Korea. He’s planning his next act of civil disobedience much closer to home Jan. 17.
That’s when he plans to take part in an annual protest against nuclear weapons at the Navy’s Bangor submarine base on Hood Canal.
In this November Edition:
People demand to cut the full 2015 Jeju navy base budget, a shrine under threat of destruction, remembrance day for Yang Yong-Chan, visitors from the US Pacific Northwest, Okinawa trip reflection including recent Okinawa election, Henoko movie viewed in Gangjeong, Prof. Sasha’s presentation on the success of anti-base movements, women’s international solidarity, airborne arsenic dust damaging farming, a visit by a mother of a Sewol victim, two activists injured, trial updates and an introduction of the 12.13 Nanjing massacre event, and more!
In the past, Jeju as a colony of Japan was forced to be militarized by Japanese Imperial military. Alddreu Airfield in Jeju was originally developed in 1926-30 during the Japanese Imperial period. The base was used to support the Japanese forces’ invasion into China. During World War II, the base was used for training of Kamikaze pilots and by the end of the war it housed 2500 naval aviation troops and 25 aircraft in hardened aircraft shelters (Wikipidia).
To begin the historical dialogue between Nanjing and Jeju, we can at least trace back to the year of 1937 when Nanjing Massacre took place. In 1937 before Japanese Imperial military occupied Nanjing City and conducted massacre on December 13th, the Nanjing people’s suffering of war had already begun since the air-attack by Japanese fighter jets began in August until December 1937. Many of those fighter jets took off from Jeju’s Alddreu Airfield. More killing was committed due to the function of Alddreu.
#Current situation
A new base is being constructed in Jeju again, and this time it was somehow forced by both Korea and US government, and then somehow passively accepted by Jeju people themselves due to the issue of national security and economic growth, a sad path in which the people of Okinawa have also gone down.
Jeju has been the historical base provider, but we could hardly find any information that has been carried out to reflect on the militarization history of Jeju and the impact it had on its people. Not surprisingly, the suffering and the post-trauma of Nanjing, China, or in a bigger picture, North East Asia has not been seriously considered as a related issue to Jeju.
In Nanjing, it is clear to see this year that the history and territory dispute between China and Japan becomes sharper and more emotional (China-Japan’s relation has become worse especially since the “purchasing Senkaku/Diaoyu Island” policy was launched in 2012). The China’s legislative body set December 13th as a national memorial day to commemorate the victims of Nanjing Massacre as a response to the Japanese government’s denial on this historical event.
It was said that designating a national Memorial Day is a peaceful and wise action rather than conflicting militarily. However, through all these incidents, we can sense the created atmosphere has led both sides to be stricter to their way of nationalism and militarism. As a result the new Jeju Naval Base among many other new base projects in our region.
#Invitation
We invite you to commemorate the 77th year of the Nanjing Massacre, not in Nanjing but in Jeju, with a different lenses to reflect the history, present time, and our future.
We invite you to feel the pain of Nanjing and Jeju, and to witness the encountering of two kinds of suffering.
We invite you to draw a more peaceful future of Jeju, North East Asia, and the world together.
Come to join us!
<the 6th Symposium for Declaration on The Demilitarized Island of Peace >
In commemoration of the 77th year of Nanjing Massacre
Seeing Nanjing in China from Alddreu Airfield in Jeju
Time: Saturday December 13th 2014
Session 1 Commemoration Ceremony: At 2 PM, Alddreu Airfield)
– Tribute poem (by Poet, Kim Suyeol), Tribute song by Singer, Choi Sangdon, Memorial Service
Session 2 Symposium: At 3 PM, Seminar room of Daejeong NH Bank
– Cho Seongyun (Professor of Jeju University Sociology Department) ‘Nangjing in the history of Alddreu’
– Seo Seung ( Professor of Ritsumeikan University) ‘Nanjing Massacre and Japanese Militarism’
– Emily Wang (International Peace Activist) ‘Seeing Nanjing from Gangjeong’
– Park Chan Sik (Historian/the director of truth finding team of April 3rd Peace Foundation) ‘Value of Peace in the history of Jeju’
By bus: 1) From Jeju-si, take bus No. 755, 750-1~4 2) From Seogwipo-si, take bus No.755, 780
= Get off at the stop, Daejeong NH Bank
Co Host Group: People for the Demilitarized Jeju Island of Peace, Inter Island Solidarity for Peace Korea Committee, Gangjeong Peace School
Support Group: Jeju Federation of Environment movement, Seogwipo Citizen’s Alliance, Gangjeong Village Association, Gangjeong Village International Team,
The Frontiers, hotpinkdolphins, Peace Wind, Jeju Peace&Human Rights Center, Martyr Yang Yongchan Memorial Foundation
The nine person Washington state peace delegation to Jeju Island, South Korea is nearing the end of their solidarity visit. Last night they held a meeting with villagers and supporters for extended sharing. Here is a brief report from Emily Wang:
Yesterday night, we had a really inspiring sharing and dialogue with 9 foreigner visitors including Father Bix. With this chance, they shared their experiences and people here also expressed our thankfulness. We encourage each other in this long struggle and have question to each other. For instance, how to deal with anger, trauma…? What we gonna do if the [Navy] base construction is finally completed etc…?
Mira Leslie, one of the delegation who lives in Seattle, writes from Jeju Island:
In less than 24 hours we will depart Gangjeong village. Jean left this morning. The goodbyes started yesterday. There is tremendous gratitude to us for coming here. In some ways I don’t understand that – hosting and feeding ten people for 10 days is a tremendous task. We have had ‘special meal’ almost everyday – and the regular food at the communal kitchen is delicious – but not too varied. Kimchee varieties, rice and soup- yum. We have been taken to tourist spots including the amazing Buddhist temple grounds and there have been several meetings with key leaders of the movement – each imparting intense information.
The community of resistance receives support from visitors – it helps them to have people doing 100 bows and blocking the gate during mass-Eucharistic resistance. The sister nuns are a steady presence – rotating through here from diocese throughout Korea. Foreign visitors are embraced warmly. The community is tired, but still very together (from an outsider perspective). For me, this time will be impossible to forget – and I am sure I’ll ruminate on it after leaving.
How can we to bring this back to our communities – and honor all we have learned?
The town is decorated with natural images – of peace. Peace Zone, dream catchers, sea creatures, Gureombi rock. We learned yesterday at the stone museum and grounds “the very deep meaning of stone here’ – much of it volcanic. It is building material, fencing, tools, food prep, sinks, toys and games, water vessel, art, music….
Last night we sat at the peace center with the activists, priests, and a few towns people. Father Bix and I described some of our peace work in the US and then they asked questions to all of us. They had 2-3 sentence bios of each of us that had been translated and printed. At one moment an activist said – everyone sees the damage done to the environment here – but no one can see the deep anger and damage in our hearts. She asked Sonya who works with trauma teams internationally for advice. You could see the reactions – it wasn’t expected – Korean people don’t talk too much about their feelings.
The village produces lillies for Japan, a sister told me as we walked to the gate today – but many of the lilly greenhouses were destroyed when they started the base. There is still fishing – but it is diminishing as the sea is being altered with destruction of the fragile soft coral reefs, damage from concrete, blasting, construction toxins/waste and later with ship pollution – oil, fuel, human waste.
We were gifted t-shirts today by the international team. The image is of Jeju island with an open mouthed shark on one end – the shark is in US stars and stripes with the Korean script word ‘Imperialism’.
On Nov. 18, 2014, activists gathered in front of the National Assembly in Seoul to demand the whole cut of the 2015 Jeju naval base construction budget . Mr. Choi Yong-Beom, co-vice mayor of the Gangjeong village association (right in the photo) joined the press conference, representing the village (photo by a press conference participant)
A press conference to demand the whole cut of the 2015 Jeju naval base construction budget, in front of the ROK National Assembly, Seoul, on Nov. 18, 2014 (Photo by a press conference participant)
On Nov. 18, the Gangjeong village association, Jeju Pan-Island Committee for the Stop of Military Base and for the Realization of Peace Island, and National Network of Korean Civil Society for Opposing to the Naval Base in Jeju Island officially demanded the National Assembly to cut the 2015 Jeju naval base budget of 298 billion won (about $290 million USD) filed by the Government. In their opinion statement, the groups claimed that the Government has habitually ignored National Assembly decisions and promises with the Island people (See the below sources)
The seven reasons to the cut the 2015 Jeju naval base budget
(* Only big titles were translated here. Each details are currently available only in Korean in the below sources)
_Violation of the 2014 budget collateral conditions given by the National Assembly
_Need to reexamine the safety matter of 150,000 ton cruise navigation
_Harbor construction without the measures on environment contamination
_Stagnation on the executive results and annual transfer possibility
_Invalid Jeju naval base project
_Continued human rights infringement and government negligence on conflicts
Proposals by the Gangjeong village association and civic society
There should be an inquiry on the responsibility of the Ministry and navy’s habitual violation of National Assembly collateral conditions.
There should be the prompt stop of military housing building that amplifies conflicts. There should be the whole cut of 9,819,000,000 KRW (about $ 9 million USD) construction budget; of 347,000,000 KRW (about $300,000 USD) supervision cost; and of 36,442,000,000 KRW (about 30 million USD) purchase cost for military apartment.
In relation to entry & exit of the military-related vehicles, the construction budget for 19.5 billion KRW (about $ 18 million USD) for the entry road of which its building has not been agreed with villagers should be frozen until measures for noise and environment matters are prepared for.
Also there should be the cut of harbor & bay facility construction cost of 96.4 billion won (about $ 90 million USD); of land facility construction cost of 112 billion KRW (about $110 million USD); of harbor & bay supervision cost of 2.3 billion won (about $2 million USD); and land supervision cost of 2.3 billion won(about $2 million USD), with an inquiry on the responsibility of the supervising committee’s poor management, as well as a demand that the execution of construction budget should not be done unless there is preparation for the measures on the protection of ecology system and soft corals.
In the project promotion budget, there should be the whole cut of about 11 million KRW (about $10,000 USD) for the events such as local residents-invitation events, visitor-welcome events, conflict-management activities. And in the indirect cost, there should be the cut of about 36.5 million KRW (about $ 30,000 USD) for the public relation material production (booklets, leaflets & other materials) and newspaper advertisement. Those budgets bring concern that they could stir up conflicts as the navy makes unilateral public relation, justifying the Jeju naval base project.
The problem of location selection was proved again. Following the destruction of seven caissons – huge concrete structures for the breakwater installed on the maritime of the Jeju naval base construction site- by the typhoon Bolaven in 2012, three caissons were also pushed or slanted down by the typhoon Neoguri ( with the maximum wind speed 19.5 m/s ) in 2014. Fundamental examination on the matter is necessary.
To resolve the conflict on the Jeju civilian-military complex port, the should-be–clearly-examined in the truth investigation raised by the current Won Hee-Ryong Island government (See the Oct. newsletter, Page 1) are the propriety matter of the village general meeting (* which was manipulated by the navy) at the time of the invitation of the Jeju naval base project; validity matter of environment impact assessment; propriety matter of annulment of absolute preservation area not to mention validity matter of location selection; layout errors in relation to the safety matter of 150,000 ton cruise navigation; and suspicion on the data manipulation raised in the process of simulation and the substance of external pressure. To resolve those matters, the Government and National Assembly should be responsible to act.
Before more construction progress, there should be through verification on the reason of the postponement of layout change on the west side jetty and safety matter of 150,000 ton cruise navigation. Also there should be a prompt environment and legal examination whether the planned sea route (changed) can properly work as the Jeju naval base sea route.
Further, there should be total reexamination on the location and military validity as there is a big concern that the Jeju naval base is fundamentally to be used as an outpost for the ROK-US-Japan trilateral military missile defense and naval cooperation targeting China and is to aggregate nuclear arms cost and military confrontation in the Northeast Asia.
Police surround Art Laffin and other activists as they protest at the main entrance of a U.S.-backed Korean naval base on Jeju Island.Fr. Mun Jeong Hyeon, Art Laffin, and another protester during the Mass at the main entrance to the construction site of a U.S.-backed Korean naval base on Jeju IslandConstruction continues on a U.S.-backed Korean naval base on Jeju Island.
I had the opportunity to travel to Jeju Island off the coast of South Korea in the East China Sea from Oct. 29 to Nov. 4. I previously spent four days in Manila, Philippines, where I was invited to speak at the first Asia Pacific Dialogue on Human Rights and Respect for the Dignity of Life with the theme: “No Justice Without Life.” I left an amazing community in Manila standing for life and justice and saying “No” to state-sponsored killing. In coming to Jeju Island, I met another extraordinary gathering of people who are saying “Yes” to creation and “No” to the construction of new naval base that is a crime and a sin.
For several years, I have been closely following this inspiring nonviolent campaign led by local islanders along with priests and sisters to stop the construction of this U.S.-backed Korean naval base on Jeju Island (named the “Island of Peace” by the Korean government).
UNESCO considers Jeju Island and nearby Beom Island, Moon Island, Seop Island, and Hallasan National Park biosphere reserves. The construction of this base, which is a joint Korean, U.S. and Japanese venture with Samsung as the main contractor, is destroying the beautiful ecosystem of the island as well as the majestic soft coral reefs and surrounding ocean life.
The ancient Gureombi rock formation no longer exists, having been blasted away two years ago. Inthe March 2014 issue of the Gangjeong Village Story monthly newsletter, the lead article lamented the second anniversary of the destruction of this sacred formation: “For thousands of years, Gureombi has been a playground, a garden, and a mother’s arms, embracing and embraced by the people of Gangjeong. Thus it was perhaps the most painful and sorrowful moment of this 8 year struggle to experience the partial destruction of Gureombi Rock. Still, though we cannot see Gureombi anymore, it lives on in our memories.”
Ultimately, the U.S. wants to use the base as an outpost to contain China. Peacemakers from the United States, including Bruce Gagnon, Regis Tremblay, David Hartsough, Ann Wright, Jesuit Fr. Bill Bichsel, Nick Mele, Kathy Kelly, Brian Terrell and Michele Naar-Obed, have come here to offer support over the last several years, and the local campaign has been deeply appreciative for this friendship and solidarity.
Upon arriving in Jeju City, I received a very warm welcome by Fr. Pat Cunningham and the Columban religious community, who offered me hospitality for the night. The next morning, Father Pat and I took as bus to Gangjong Village, about an hour from Jeju City. We arrived just in time for the daily 11 a.m. Mass that occurs directly outside the entrance to the base construction site.
Father Pat and I joined with other friends, including longtime renowned peacemaker Fr. Mun Jeong Hyeon, who has spent nearly three years in prison for his resistance, in sitting on plastic chairs stretched out across the base entrance. As grace would have it, I also became reacquainted with two of the local organizers whom I had previously met in D.C.: Sung-Hee Choi and Jung Joo.
There were at least eight people from the community sitting in chairs, blocking the center of the entrance. As streams of cement and supply trucks entered and exited the base, police carried those blocking to the side of the entrance. Then the police permitted those forming the blockade to return to the entrance, where they continued the witness. This back-and-forth went on for at least one and a half hours.
Celebrating Mass and receiving the Eucharist in this context was a very powerful experience. In the face of this monstrous base, which is now halfway complete, the power of eucharistic love, borne out in nonviolent witness, is the means by which true conversion and transformation can occur. Those gathered at the base entrance, along with at least 30 people who also attended the Mass a short distance away, truly believe in miracles and that with God all things are possible.
Following the Mass, the gathered community prayed the rosary. This was followed by a press conference by the Gangjong Village Association, calling for an end to the expansion of military housing units being built in the village as a result of the new naval base. I then was invited on a tour of the port area of the island, where one can see a panoramic view of the massive base construction.
Cranes are visible everywhere on the site, while in the port, there is constant dredging to accommodate future warships. The Korean government has described the new base as a joint military port complex meant to encourage tourism in the beautiful landscape. Despite this and other attempts to deceive the public about the real purpose for the base, local villagers and their supporters refuse to be duped.
In the late afternoon, I met Yang Yoon-Mo, a well-known former film critic who has endured long-term imprisonment and hunger strikes for trying to stop the construction of the naval base. He is one of the more than 650 people who have been arrested for saying “No” to the naval base construction. There have also been 550 indictments for resisters, and about 45 people have served jail sentences for their courageous resistance. Yang and several others have set up a new vigil site at another part of the base perimeter where supply trucks are being redirected from the main entrance. Many villagers are upset that these trucks are now diverted through their neighborhood.
On Nov. 1, All Saints Day, I joined two other friends, Jesuit Fr. Kim Song Hwan and Gayun, in blocking the cement and supplies trucks. Moments after receiving the Eucharist, four police from the base hoisted me in my chair, banner in hand, and carried me over to the side of the road as they had done with Father Kim and Gayun. It was indeed a moving experience in more than one way! Once the traffic cleared, the three of us resumed our positions blocking the main entrance. This would happen two more times, once during the rosary and once when the human chain was formed across the road.
The Eucharist and the rosary have taken on a whole new meaning for me here as they occur in the context of an act of nonviolent resistance. In the face of this new port of death being constructed, I feel a power here that is far greater, that can truly overcome the idolatrous forces of military violence: the self-emptying, transforming love embodied in a living Eucharist.
The resiliency of this community is quite remarkable, and they remain deeply committed to a spirited resistance despite overwhelming odds. After the rosary ended, a human chain of about 30 people stretched across the entire entrance to the construction site. As I was still being surrounded by police who had carried me to the side of the entrance, I was handed the mic to lead several songs. I started off with “When the Saints Go Marching In,” which was followed by “Down By the Riverside” and “Seek Peace and Pursue It,” singing with police literally hovering over me as I sat in my chair. Following the human chain, there was an enthusiastic snake dance, then some exuberant dancing. The police, for the most part, let all this go on but continued to move anyone impeding supply vehicles from going into the site.
On my last day in Gangjeong Village, I joined the blockade at main entrance to the construction site and was carried off four times. After the rosary, I was carried off as I sang “We Shall Not Be Moved.” I later asked Father Kim about the history of having the Mass at the base construction site. He told me that in 2009, Bishop Peter Kang U-il of Jeju Island, chairman of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea, first celebrated Mass on the land designated to be the base. In 2011, Father Mun initiated having the Mass outside the main entrance of the construction site for the base. Father Kim also shared with me that he is assigned to be part of this nonviolent witness to stop the base construction and has been joined by other Jesuits, including his provincial, in blocking the base entrance.
My friend Bruce Gagnon, longtime peacemaker and coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space, was the first one to introduce me, as well as countless others, to the nonviolent struggle in Jeju Island to stop construction of a new U.S.-backed naval base. His inspiring peace work has not only included stopping construction of this new base, but campaigning to stop the militarization of space and for the closing of the nearly 1,000 U.S. military bases worldwide. When addressing the struggle on Jeju Island, Bruce makes an important point that bears repeating: This nonviolent campaign to stop the construction of the new naval base on Jeju Island is an important symbol for the international peace movement. It brings together all the issues — militarization, disarmament, the environment and human rights. I couldn’t agree more with him.
Hopefully, before it’s too late, more people will join and support the courageous people of Gangjeong Village in the struggle to stop the building of this base meant for death and destruction. I encourage people to see Regis Tremblay’s excellent documentary, “The Ghosts of Jeju,” which is the most important resource available about the nonviolent struggle on Jeju Island. For updates about the campaign and ways you can support it, go to savejejunow.org.
[Art Laffin is a member of the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker in Washington, D.C.]
In this October Edition:
Villagers’ opposition to military housing, villagers skeptic over the Island governor’s proposal on truth investigation, Sister Soh Stella becoming the 1st Korean nun to get the court sentence, people’s free speech being blocked in the CBD, international solidarity, sea contamination due to damaged caissons, Chossudovsky and nation-ruing SCM, Gashiri peace festival, Keep Space for Peace week, trial updates and more.
