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No War Base on the Island of Peace

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  • International voice opposing to the 2nd Jeju Airport is spreading!

    Morning at the planned Jeju 2nd airport (air force base) area, Seongsan, eastern Jeju, Korea (Photo by Kim Soo Oh, 2018)

    An international petition in English language which demands to call off the Jeju 2nd airport (air force base) has begun on Dec. 9, 2019. It was followed by Chinese and Japanese language versions on Dec. 15th, also.

    In its press release on Dec. 18th, the Jeju Islanders’ Emergency Committee to Stop the Jeju 2nd Airport (hereafter, ‘Island Committee’) stated that total 507 internationals including Prof. Noam Chomsky and feminist Gloria Steinem, as well as other renowned scholars and activists in the world signed on the petition as of 7am, Dec. 18th (Korean time). Many of media in South Korea covered the news of international petition as to draw attention from one of main South Korean portal sites.

    Some English articles regarding the international petition also came out. Please check them out, here (this article also explains some backgrounds around the issue)and here. For the Japanese language article of former, see here.

    It is not so certain to what degree the international petition in opposition to the Jeju 2nd airport project has helped to change a course for the benefit of people. However, on Dec. 19th, Minister of Environment (MOE) announced its decision to demand supplements on the Jeju 2nd airport project-related Strategic Environment Impact Assessment (SEA) draft again to the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport (MOLIT), which was a great release for the people who oppose the project.

    People’s worst imagination before MOE’s decision on Dec. 19th was that MOE might agree or conditionally agree with the MOLIT’s SEA draft, which must be followed by the MOLIT’s public notification on the Basic Plan of the Jeju 2nd airport project, making the project legal to the difficulty of people who oppose to it. In such circumstance, Kim Kyung-bae, a resident in the planned area of 2nd Jeju airport in Seongsan, eastern Jeju, has decided to carry out his 3rd time fast in front of MOE and MOLIT building in Sejong City, main land of Korea from Dec. 11th. (please see his story, here) Otherwise, the need of international petition to halt the project also came out from such urgent situation.

    The result of people’s efforts is positive, one can say. Without MOE decision on the MOLIT SEA draft this time, the SEA draft is full of flaws, lies and missing. From its start on the project, the MOLIT has been focusing only to enforce the project for years, thoroughly ignoring many Islanders’ opinions against the project. However, its greed is now blocked by the MOE demand on supplement of SEA draft. There is no deadline defined for the MOLIT to give supplements to the current SEA draft which will be back to the MOE. Once MOLIT gives answer to MOE, the latter should make final decision of either agreement of disagreement with the SEA draft. People greatly want the MOE’s ultimate answer to MOLIT is latter because it would critically thwart the MOLIT’s drive for the Jeju 2nd airport project. It will be ideally good because the 2nd Jeju airport will be very likely to be an air force base. To halt the 2nd airport project means to stop further militarization of Jeju, also.

    Therefore, we are so grateful to all the internationals who signed to the petition during this critical time.

    The MOE and other government institutes can pretend to ignore the news of international petition. Still, some of the government employees such as one of aids to the MOE Minister Cho clearly said that he saw the news. And he said he would deliver the internationals petition to Minister Cho. We hope Minister Cho and President Moon Jae-in, and other politicians sincerely hear international voice. The issues of Jeju 2nd airport is not only for the Jeju islanders. As the petition reads, it is much related to our effort to save the Earth and human beings from environment destruction, democracy regression, militarization and moreover climate crisis. We so thank internationals who shared concerns.

    Our update on the struggle will be continued. And collecting signs for the petition is continued. If you haven’t signed to the petition yet, please take one minute for sign (please choose one language per person). If you have done, please consider to spread petitions so that we can more pressure South Korean politicians to halt the project!

    Here are the petitions again for your reference. Please spread it. In each petition, you can see the names of signers who agreed for their signature to be made public.

    Stop the Jeju 2nd airport(Air Force Base) Project! (English language petition)

    中斷濟州第二機場(空軍基地)建設國際連署書! (Chinese language petition)

    済州第2空港(空軍基地)中止のための国際請願 (Japanese language petition)

  • The prayer of Kim Kyung-bae

    Kim Kyung-bae and Fr. Huh Chan-ran, Sejong City Dec. 20, 2019/ photo by Choi Sung-hee

    On the night of Dec. 20, Kim Kyung-bae, a resident living in the Jeju 2nd airport-planned area of Nansan-ri, Seongsan, ended his 10 day street fast as he dramatically met Cho Myung-rae, Minister of Environment (MOE) before his decision to end the fast.

    Dec. 20 hit the 10th day of Kim’s street fast. The white letters in the black banner read, ” The 10th day street fast struggle for [the MOE’s] disagreement with [the MOLIT’s] SEA on the Jeju 2nd airport.”

    Kim has started fast to demand the MOE to disagree with the original draft of Strategic Environment Impact Assesment (SEA) made by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport (MOLIT).

    On Dec.19th, the MOE sent the MOLIT the 2nd demand of supplements on the SEA. The MOE has already made the 1st supplement demand this October. And to the draft before the original, this June, also. Everytime, MOLIT answer to MOE regarding the SEA was unreliable and insincere.

    After the MOE’s such announcement, the greatest issue for Kim was whether the MOE’s supplement demand to the MOLIT included the issue on the legally-protected species. Media articles on the MOE demand did not show that it included the issue. Therefore, Kim decided not to end the fast, which he carried out even without tent on the street in front of MOE and MOLIT building (both are in the same building), government complex, Sejong City, since Dec. 11th.

    Snow fell down on the vinyl the two used for cover during the night of Dec. 19. Photo by Choi Sung-hee in the morning of Dec. 20, 2019.
    Kim Kyung-bae with his friends. Photo by Choi Sung-hee, Dec. 20

    And finally, in the evening of Dec. 20th, Minister Cho heard the new that Kim would not end fast. Minister Cho met Kim and Kim’s supporters/ friends on the night of Dec. 20th (just last night!). Kim told Minister Cho about the legally-protected species in the planned area of Seongsan, which are missed in the MOLIT’s SEA.

    Hearing Kim, Cho, who had not been informed of the issue, asked Kim videos of those species in Seongsan. Minister Cho said to Kim that he would do his best.

    Kim who could finally end the fast expressed thanks to everyone, including Fr. Huh Chan-ran, co-executive representative of Islanders’ Emergency Committee to Stop the 2nd Jeju Airport. Fr. Huh stayed with Kim from Dec. 12, sleeping with Kim under the cold sky, and holding a mass for Kim on the sit-in site.

    Fr. Huh Chan-ran held a a mass for Kim Kyung-bae at Kim’s street sit-in fast site, Sejong City on Dec. 16th (source)

    Kim who has carried out long term fasts respectively for 42 days and 38 days in 2017 and the next year, also, wrote the below on his facebook post when he and the others little expected that he would meet Minister Cho soon in hours.

    “I must save not only my life but all the lives along with me. The lives which would be expelled or killed from the planned area for the 2nd airport. [There are legally protected species. Some of those are] Falcon, a natural monument, as well the 1st class endangered species; narrow mouth toad, the 2nd class endangered species; chuckoo, a natural monument.

    I will not halt my street fast struggle unless the issue of legally protected species is included in the MOE’s demand of supplement again to the MOLIT”

    And in his another post on his 4th day fast, he wrote as the below.

    ” The fourth day of fasting in front of the Government complex building in Sejong City

    Last night, my mother who will be soon 90 years old called me.

    She was about to cry.

    “Where are you?”

    “Yes, I am somewhere.”

    “Are you OK?”

    “I am very fine.”

    “Don’t do it so long and come back home soon.”

    “Yes, mother, it will not be long. I will be back, soon.”

    She came to know of my fast through the news. She must have cried again after she hung up her phone, just as she cried for a long time to see my cast-worn leg when I was greatly hurt during the protest this October.

    Whenever I am fasting, she can hardly eat. I feel so bad to exploit my body like this since my mother took such care of my frail body when I was a child. She tried to feed me with all the food known to be good for a person with poor health.

    However, mother!

    I don’t want you to have to see my outcry when my dearest home is forcefully taken away from me for the airport runway. And I don’t want you pass away seeing the horrible sight of being dispossessed of your lifetime beloved house- where you raised six children with great care, your house which is only 200 meters from the planned airport and is one of the homes to be moved first.

    I think it would be more unfilial.

    Therefore, mother, please be strong.”

    A photo of Kim Kyung-bae’ s mother (from Kim’s SNS)

    Finishing his 3rd fast, he can finally see his mother and baby falcon in the garden of his house back in Seongsan, before the New Year.

    The MOLIT has a final chance. It should answer MOE with the SEA draft supplemented on the issues MOE demanded. The issues include noise and migratory bird sanctuaries nearby the planned area. There is no deadline for MOLIT to give answer back to MOE. And once MOLIT gives MOE answer, MOE should make a final decision. It would be (conditioned) agreement with the MOLIT SEA or disagreement with it. If the MOE answer is former, our struggle to stop the Jeju 2nd airport (air force base)would be much harder because the MOLIT would have a pretext to make public notification on the Jeju 2nd airport project, which would make legal of the project. If it is latter, the MOLIT project on the 2nd airport will be much thwarted, along with the Ministry of National Defense(NMD) greed who covets to install the Southern Search and Rescue unit (air force base) in the planned 2nd airport in Seonsan.

    Kim Kyung-bae carries out a banner daily with him, “ falcons NOT fighter planes in the sky of Seongsan!”

    “Falcons not the fighter planes in the sky of Seongsan”/ photo by Choi, Sung-hee

    Stop the Jeju 2nd airport(air force base) project!

    # Here are links of some of legally protected species Kim Kyung-bae took record himself. He could find those falcon, narrow mouth toads(known to exist 10,000, around the area), nearby his home, Seongsan, early July, this year, just days after the SEA draft of MOLIT was made public at the end of this June. The false SEA draft stipulated that there discovered no habitats of legally-protected species in the Jeju 2nd airport-planned area of Seongsan.

    https://www.facebook.com/100022368562490/videos/602180963870850/
    https://www.facebook.com/100022368562490/videos/602181033870843/
    https://www.facebook.com/100022368562490/videos/602181137204166/

    Please sign the petition, here.

    Stop the Jeju 2nd airport(Air Force Base) Project!

    中斷濟州第二機場(空軍基地)建設國際連署書!

    済州第2空港(空軍基地)中止のための国際請願

    (written By Choi Sung-hee/ part of text was thankfully edited by Kaia Curry)

  • Gangjeong Village Story: September/ October/ November 2019 Issue

    In this September/ October/November 2019 Edition :

    Jeju Fights Back: An Overview of the Latest Struggle/ The Deceptive Government Drive for the Jeju 2nd Airport Project / Map of overdevelopment projects in Jeju / Inter-island Solidarity for Peace of the Sea in Kinmen (Special pages)/ Jonah’s Whale Came to Gangjeong/ Looking at the Jeju 2nd Airport in a time of Climate Crisis / Jeju April 3rd went to the UN Human Rights Council/ 2030 Peace Vision Symposium/ The Pentagon Plans to Build a Billion Dollar Radar on Sacred Hawaiian Ground for a Missile Defense System (Excerpt)/ Okinawa and Miyako Visit to Jeju/ Kings Bay Plowshares Trial Update/ UNC’s abusive use of the UN Flag/ The Indo-Pacific Strategy and Jeju navy base/ etc.

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  • Gangjeong Village Story: June/ July/ August 2019 Issue

    In this June/ July/August 2019 Edition :

    2019 Jeju Grand March for Life and Peace(special pages with short essays and photos) / Jeju announced a massive new port plan/ For the right to self-determination (update on the No 2nd airport struggle)/ EIA, an absolution for environmental destruction: An overall update on the Bijarim-ro/ The struggle against nuclear weapons/ Kings Bay Plowshares Update/ The struggle for Mauna Kea/ Solidarity of Maine and Gangjeong/ Peacebuilding training in Nanjing/ 2019 International Peace Camp in Jeju/ Navy aims to designate military protection zone/ Japan resumed commercial whaling amid ‘No Abe’ and Tokyo 2020 Olympics boycott campaigns/ Military mid-term plan reflects arms race/ SMA and Hormuz dispatch, for whom?/ GSOMIA etc.

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  • 2019 Peace for the Sea Camp

    2019 Peace for the Sea International Camp in Kinmen
    War Memory and Life Experiences: Between the Peace We know

    Peace for the Sea camp was first held in Jeju, South Korea in 2014, and Henoko (Okinawa), Taiwan, Ishigaki (Okinawa) as followed year by year. The camp was back to Jeju again in 2018, and is going to be held in Kinmen in September this year. Participants from the worldwide, like Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Philippines, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Hawaii and other places, come to this camp to exchange the experiences and thoughts about peace together.

    2019 Peace camp will be held under the theme of “war memory” from September 6 to 8 in Kinmen, an island that is set in the front line of war.

    We sincerely invite individuals and groups to join our camp and start a trip of thinking about peace and war.

    ▋Application site: https://pse.is/Apply_E

    ▋Event Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/470502753513673/

    ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄

    2019 Peace Camp information

    ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄

    ▋Time: 2019/09/06(Fri.)-09/08(Sun.)

    ▋Expected participants: 50.

    ▋Fee: USD 160.

    *Including accommodation, transportation, meals, and camp-activity expenses during the camp. Airfare and transportation expenses from your house to Kinmen are not included.

    *Students get 50% discount.

    ▋Application: Due 2019/07/20. –> 8.15

    ▋Contact:

    ├Facebook┤台灣島際和平營

    ├Email┤Ting-Hao Chen, chentinghao0112@gmail.com

    ▋More information and schedule: https://pse.is/Info_E

    ▋General Peace for the Sea website with information from previous peace camps: sites.google.com/site/peaceforthesea/

  • 10 REASONS Why We Oppose the Construction of The Second Jeju Airport

    To download the PDF file, go to here.


    What would disappear with the building of the 2nd Jeju airport (air force base)? According to bird-lover Kim Ye-won (19), the area nearby the planned airport is a paradise for birds. Some of these birds, like Chinese black-headed gulls, are endangered species. About 10 oreums (parasitic cones) are also threatened to have 40 to 100 meters cut off from the top. Photos by and resource partly from Ha Sang-yoon, Segye Ilbo. March 3, 2019.

    1.The eastern Oreum colonies of Jeju will permanently lose their present form as many Oreums (volcanic cones) will be cut.

    2. The caves and the bird sanctuaries at the airport site will be destroyed. Furthermore, there will be high chances of accidents at the airport due to ground subsidence and bird strikes.

    3. The property rights of the locals living nearby the Second Jeju Airport will be limited and they will suffer from serious noise pollution.

    4. There are possibilities that the Second Jeju Airport would be used for military purposes. If the US military decides to use the airport based on the ROK-US Mutual Defense Agreement, Jeju Island will face aggravated risks of military conflicts.

    5. Even though the number of tourists increases, only the airline companies and high-ranking hotels will monopolise the benefits from the airfares and the lodging expenses. Furthermore, the increase in the number of tourists will cause more trash and water pollution.

    6. There will be more traffic congestion because of the increased number of tourists. If road expansion follows accordingly, it will cost a huge amount of financial resources and destroy the natural environment.

    7. There will be an increase of time and costs when it comes to access from outside of the east of Jeju due to the division of functions between the current airport and the Second Jeju Airport.

    8. Due to the tremendous amount of finances that will be spent on the construction of the Second Jeju Airport and related infrastructure, it will be difficult to improve the current airport appropriately and welfare projects for the inhabitants of the province will diminish overall.

    9. The fluctuation of the real estate price in certain areas near the Second Jeju Airport will benefit the landlords but will generally cause inflation and deepen inequalities in terms of regional development.

    10. The long term construction process will cause irreversible social conflicts among the inhabitants of Seongsan and from all parts of Jeju island.


    Many species live in the Bijarim-ro forest. Among them, fairy pitta is classified as ‘vulnerable’ while Japanese night heron is ‘endangered,’ according to the IUCN red-list. Dung beetles (Copris tripartitus) are one of the endangered species defined by the South Korean government. Drawing by Lee Nan-young and a photo by Bird Korea (inside the drawing).
    The findings are thanks to People Doing All Things to Save the Bijarim-ro.

    This is our chance to make some change!

    Five propositions for a just, sustainable Jeju where the Islanders are the agents:

    1. To make tourist demand management policies that consider the environmental and social capacity of Jeju Island as soon as possible.

    2. To implement improvement projects to resolve inconveniences and guarantee safety of visitors at the current airport as soon as possible.

    3. To prepare measures to guarantee the mobility rights of Jeju residents, such as a seat quota system for residents.

    4. To implement policies and allocate budgets to minimize the damage from noise pollution suffered by the residents living near the current airport.

     5. To legislate the requirement to collect opinions from and to consult with the residents before launching large scale development projects and national projects.

    People of the tent town in front of the Jeju Provincial Hall who oppose the 2nd Jeju Airport

    We want a Just, Sustainable Jeju where the Islanders are the Agents (Decision-makers)!

    Stop the 2nd Jeju Airport (Air Force Base)!

    Stop the expansion construction of Bijarim-ro road, a connection to the 2nd Jeju Airport!

    • Text translation by People of the tent town in front of the Jeju Provincial Hall who oppose the 2nd Jeju Airport and proofreading by Curry.
    Photo by Kim Jae-beom, a picketing in front of a hotel where 2019 Sustainable Development Jeju International Conference was held, June, 18, 2019
    Photo by Kim Mi-kyung, a picketing in front of a hotel where 2019 Sustainable Development Jeju International Conference was held, June, 18, 2019
    Photo by Kim Jae-beom, a picketing in front of a hotel where 2019 Sustainable Development Jeju International Conference was held, June, 18, 2019
    Photo by Kim Mi-kyung, a picketing in front of a hotel where 2019 Sustainable Development Jeju International Conference was held, June, 18, 2019

  • 2019 Jeju Grand March for Life and Peace

    2019 Jeju Grand March for Life and Peace
    “Peace, Let’s Go Together!”
    July 29(Mon.) to Aug. 3(Sat.), 2019
    From Gangjeong-Seongsan-Jeju City

    Internationals may contact jejumarch@daum.net or gangjeongintl@gmail.com

    ☮ Main programs

    • 7/29 (Mon.) 9 AM press conference at the start of the march (in front of Jeju Navy Base)
    • 7/29 (Mon.) ~ 8/3 (Sat.) Jeju Grand March for Life and Peace (from Gangjeong, though Seongsan, to Jeju City)
    • 7/31 (Wed.) Midway Concert (Seongsan Citizens’ Sports Center)
    • 8/3 (Sat.) Peace Concert (in front of Jeju City Hall)

    ☮ March course

    – 7/29 Gangjeong ~ Namwon (24km)

    – 7/30 Namwon ~ Pyoseon (20km)

    – 7/31 Pyoseon ~ Seongsan (19km)

    – 8/1 Seongsan ~ Gujwa (19km)

    – 8/2 Gujwa ~ Jocheon (12km)

    – 8/3 Jocheon ~ Jeju City (11km)

    ☮ Application

    • Apply online or in person at the march (Korean application at http://bit.ly/2019제주생명평화대행진신청)
    • Participation fee : Adults: 1 day 20,000 won / Elementary/Middle/High School students: 1 day 10,000 won / T-shirt 10,000 won
    •   (There are no discounts, but Saturday (no overnight) is free so the total participation fee for adults is 100,000 won).
    • Housing, food, and small souvenirs are provided

    ☮ Starting times

    • 7/29 Registration at 8:30 AM, start marching after press conference at 9 AM. 
    • On all other days the march starts at 8 AM

    ☮ Other

    • See updates in Korean at “구럼비야 사랑해” website cafe.daum.net/peacekj
    • Trucks carry the participants’ bags while they are marching
    • No pre-march event on the 28th. The march does not provide housing on the 28th.
    • Bring your own water bottle, spoon/chopsticks, towel, toiletries, sleeping bag or light blanket, etc.

  • Gangjeong Village Story: April/ May 2019 Issue

    In this April/ May 2019 Edition :

    “There should be apology and truth examination”/ Second Cruise Not Welcomed/ Opposing the third Zumwalt destroyer/Gangjeong joins 2019 Okinawa Peace March/  Kings Bay Plowshares 7 Update / Gureomi Rock remembered on the Children’ Day/ Linking Korean Historical Traumas in Gwangju / Three women’s statements in objection to military service/ Whose is the Jeju Island government?/ The Jeju April 3rd Human Rights Issue goes to the UN/ Peace Prize for Vietnamese Survivors/ Sewol Remembered/ Jeju has mountains of trash/ Don’t destroy the historical site of Mt. Songaksan etc.

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  • Gangjeong Village Story: February/ March 2019 Issue

    In this February/ March 2019 Edition :
    US Coast Guard in Jeju / First Cruise to Gangjeong “Civilian-Military” Port / 2nd Jeju airport? It is an air force base! / Henoko base construction despite referendum / Solidarity visit in Okinawa / Hawaii-Alaska solidarity resists aerospace industry / ROK military satellite and F35-A fighter jets / Citizens’ campaign for a Jeju Non-nuclear Peace bylaw / The first for-profit hospital in Jeju is being revoked / Gangjeong still in agony as big money flows in the name of development / 7 years since Gureombi Rock was blasted / Illegal and unreasonable proposals of cost- sharing for the USFK / 19 Gangjeong villagers and activists offered pardons without truth-seeking / End of War exercises? / Gangeong Women on International Women’s Day etc.

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  • The 1st passenger cruise to Gangjeong: What if it was your hometown?

    A parody of company ad. (By C)

    On March 2nd, the 1st official passenger cruise Queen Mary 2 came. Some figures who joined in the welcoming event were: Won Hee-ryong, current Island governor, Heo Chang-ok, vice-chairman of Jeju island Council, and Kang Hee-bong, current President of Gangjeong Village Association (whose navy and capital compromized direction is far distant from former mayors of Kang Dong-kyun and Cho Kyung-cheol). Sadly, Gangjeong village association joined the welcoming event along with naval band. Won, the Island governor stated that giant passenger cruises coming to the Jeju Beauriful Tourism Civilian -Military Complex port (Jeju navy base) adjacent to the UNESCO sea would bring increment to the local residents’ income.

    About 1,000 out of 2,400 passengers boarded onto 53 tourist buses which headed to Seongan, Seogwipo downtown, West island etc.
    Peace activists put their signs and handed over leaflets to the cruise passengers in the cruise terminal. In the leaflet, we raised them a fundemental question: “Jeju’s heart is aching due to overtourism and militarism -What if it is your hometown?” Gladly many tourists showed concern with our leaflets. Some of them would even say, “Same, our town, also.” “I oppose militarism and war, too.”

    The question is: How we make crack on the crazy flow of militraism combied with tourism. The question is not only about a military base but also a military base closey related to tourism under the name of civilian-military complex harbor. In this way, the oligarchies combine patriotic fervor with economic fatansy, misleading people and justifying militarism and developmentalism at the same time altogether. And I believe it is not only anout Gangjeong..

    What if it is your hometown?

    Below photos by Lee Ki cheol