Light Aircraft Carrier, Jeju Naval Base, US Indo-Pacific Strategy/ The 2021 Gangjeong Peace Activist March/ The release of Song Kang-ho/ Accusing the Navy Chief of Staff on Gangjeong Stream/ Ocean Action/ Update on the struggle against the 2nd airport project/ The New Space Era of South Korea with Rockets/ Opposition to AUKUS/ Rocket Lab: Privatized Militarization of Space in New Zealand/ US Militarization of Guam and the Marianas/ Updates from Henoko and Miyako/ The War Drum-beating 53rd ROK-US SCM etc.
Gureombi Rock will be returned back to us without fail / Naval base entry road is destroying Gangjeong River / Gureombi Rock and Kim Jong-Hwan’s Operation/ Why Do I Fast?/ Udo and Hundertwasser/ From the trees of Guam and Hawaii/ Okinawa Opinion Statements/ More Coal-Fired Power Plants? /Lets’ save Ha-je Village and the Hackberry Tree/ Keep Space for Peace Week/ SCM and THAAD/ Jeju Navy Base should be watched/ A Sewol Ferry Survivors’ fast in front of the presidential house/ Nuclear Weapons Banned Formally/ Congratulations to Christine Ahn, recipient of the 2020 US Peace Prize etc.
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.
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, 2019Photo by Kim Mi-kyung, a picketing in front of a hotel where 2019 Sustainable Development Jeju International Conference was held, June, 18, 2019
For the construction of the 2nd Jeju airport in Seongsan, east of Jeju Island, at least 12 Oreums (parasitic cones), 42 wells of spring water, 43 species of birds, 11 lava caves and 16 cultural shrines are at the risk of destruction/ Image from google.
It was February 20th, the next day of opening of Island Council provisional meeting that Won Hee-ryong, Jeju Island governor, announced his will to drive for the 2nd Jeju airport project. His deed infuriated Island people as they were demanding the Council to make a resolution to stop the basic planning for the 2nd Jeju airport. About 27 of 43 Island council members were signing to the draft of resolution by Feb. 19th, also. Further, Won’s lengthy statement intended to persuade the Islanders to accept the project was full of data manipulation and lies. By the latest poll, only 3 of 10 Islanders are in favor of the project. One of the noticeable points of Won’s statement was his repeated denial on peopel’s suspicion that the 2nd Jeju airport could be used as an air force base.
So far, the 2nd Jeju airport is reported as a project driven only by the South Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport (MOLIT). It is very rare that the Ministry of National Defense(MND) appears in the news, in relation to the 2nd Jeju airport. Despite that, many situations strengthen Islanders’ suspicion that it is an air force base. Even an Island Council member was clearly saying to the hunger strikers that it is nothing but an air force base when they visited him. I was one of them who talked with him.
Upon this, one of major local TVs called KBS Jeju, made a series of news regarding the controversy over the issue of an air force base. The below is a translation of its news on Feb. 22, 2019 . Here I also translated the history of MND drive for the air force base in Jeju at the bottom of this page.
It was around 1970s when the South Korean Ministry of National Defense(MOD) planned an air force base in Jeju, which includes fighter planes unit.
2. Since then, the MOD has reflected the plan in its national defense mid-term plans. And in 2007, it changed the title to so called the “Southern Rescue and Search unit” which is alledgedly equipped only with support aircrafts, not fighter planes.
3. However in 2007, Roh Hoe-chan, a backup President candidate for the Democratic Labor Party then and a former National Assembly man who passed away in 2018, visited Jeju and claimed that the Southern Rescue and Search unit is presented with fighter planes.
According to his claim, the numbers of budget, area size including runaway, and
affiliated facility are same between the plans of air force base and Southern
Rescue and Search unit. In detail,
_Budget (250 billion won=around $ 250 million USD)
_ Size of the area including runaway (600,000 pyong=around 2 million square meters=around 200 hectare) _Affiliated facility= 100 buildings
“The MOD should clearly explain. If it had really given up the ability to accept fighter planes, why the budget, area size, and facility size [of Southern Rescue and Search unit] were never cut,” (Roh, a National Assembly man, DLP, then, at the press conference on May 21th, 2007/ recorded)
Then the MOD stated that the size of its plan before the mid-term plan in 2004 was around 1,750,000 pyong (around 5.8 million square meters=around 580 hectare) for the purpose of deployment of a squadron. But it removed the concept of accommodation of fighter planes since the mid-term plan in 2007, it stated.
4. However, in a TV discussion meeting just before the selection of location of
Jeju Navy base, a staff of MOD hinted that a matter of connection between the 2nd
Jeju airport and air force base could be set off any time.
Q: “Don’t you acknowledge that air force power cannot but enter [to Jeju] in relation to navy base (and defense)? Even though it will not be in current stage.?” (Reporter)
A: “Yes, Even though it will not be in current stage..” (Choi Gwang-seob, director of resource management Dept, MND, May 8th, 2007/ recorded)
5. And 10 years later of it, on March 9th, 2017, Jeong Kyeong-doo, current Minister of MND and Air Force Chief of Staff then officialized the creation of Southern Rescue and Search unit and stated that he was considering to install the unit in some places including the planned area for the 2nd Jeju airport.
6. At the time, the headquarter of South Korean air force mentioned the 2nd Jeju airport as a prime candidate area for the unit.
“ In relation to the 2nd Jeju airport, we have not had any prior communion (either with MOLIT or Jeju Island). We have had no official talk on it. However, we now think that we should do.” (Yi Sung-yong, a deputy chief of staff for coordination and management, headquarter of air force base, an interview on March 9, 2017)
Later when KBS officially inquired to the headquarter of air force whether it has ever talked with MOLIT or Jeju island, it answered there was never.
7. However, the Jeju airport is already saturated and the runway length of small Alddreu air field is too short for a transport plane to land. Therefore it was pointed out that the air force does have no choice other than preferring to the 2nd Jeju airport.
“As I know, 1.5 km length [of a runway] is necessary for a transport plane to land. The MND is answering in such a way, too. However, The Alddreu air field is short of 500 Meter.” (Wi Seong-gon, currently Seogwipo-based National Assembly man, March 16th, 2017/ recorded)
8. Additionally, Na Woong-jin, director of airport policy of MOLIT then in 2015 said that “ 3.3 million ㎡ is possible for an airport. However, we planned more areas in consideration of possibility of its expansion in the future.”
9. Currently, the MOLIT defined the spare parts of the 2nd Jeju airport as 1.65 million ㎡. And it happens to be similar to the size of Southern Rescue and Search unit expected by air force.
10. Related to it, Won Hee-ryong, Island governor, stated in a Q & A session two years ago that he would discuss with a new President (Moon Jae-in) and set the 2nd Jeju airport to be a pure civilian airport, it looks like he has not talked with the President yet, even nearly two years later.
10. As a result, it will be very likely that the controversy whether the 2nd Jeju airport is connected to an air force base would be continued unless the Government expresses its official position or the MND and air force withdraw from the related plans.
(Narrated by Heo Ji-Young, KBS news)
# The history of MND drive for the ‘Jeju Air Force Base (Southern Search and Rescue Unit)(Jeju Sori, March 2, 2017)
1987 “Jeju air force base’ is reflected in the ‘build-up plan for the mid and long term military strength’
1987 ‘The council for the military restriction zone’ defines the area of Songak Mountain as a military restriction zone
1992 The MND (Ministry of National Defense) and Ministry of Construction and Transportation (Currently Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, MOLIT) agrees to the construction of a new civilian-military combined Jeju airport
1997 The plan for an air force base (flying squadron class) is reflected in the mid-term plan of national defense (1999-2003)
2004 A discussion on the civilian-military joint use on the Jeongseok air field owned by the Korean Airline which disagreed with the idea.
2006 Name of the project was altered from the Jeju air force base to the Southern Rescue and Search unit
2009 A Memorandom of Understanding in relation to the construction of the Jeju navy base was concluded between the Ministry of National Defense and Jeju Island (*and the Ministry of Land and Ocean, then). In the memorandum, included were the matter of *use on the Alddreu air field( an old Japanese naval air field during the Japanese imperialism)
The Article 5 of MOU (about the use of Alddreu air field etc.) reads:
(1) For the growth of the region of Jeju self-governing Island,the Ministry of National Defense (MOD) should let the Jeju Self-Governing Island use so called the Alddreu air field which is under the jurisdiction of the MOD and located in the town of Daejeong, City of Seogwipo, through the discussion with the Jeju Self-Governing Island following the legal procedures.
(2) The Minister of MOD confirms that it does not have the plan to deploy fighter planes in the Southern Rescue Search unit of air force.
The article 5 of MOU, in relation to the Jeju navy base means the air force is seeking another area other than the old Alddreu air field for its base in Jeju. Six years later from the MOU, Seongsan, east of the Jeju would be announced as the area for the 2nd Jeju airport.
2015. The area of Onpyeong-ri, Seongsan -eup, east of Jeju Island was announced as the area for the 2nd Jeju airport (aimed to be completed as early as 2023)
2017, List of Jeju Southern Rescue and Search unit in the National Defense mid-term plan (2018-2022) (planned to be set in 2021)
In this December 2018/ January 2019 Edition : A New Year starts with the struggle against the 2nd Jeju Airport/ Opposition grows against Henoko landfill/ Seeing Yemen from Jeju, study gatherings by the School of Hope/ Remembering Nanjing at Alddreu Airfield/ Visiting Hong Kong Social Movement Film Festival/ Toxic US Bases/ Trial Updates/ Jeju Islanders oppose for-profit hospital/ UN-ROK Joint Conference? By whom and for whom?/ Japan to resume commercial whaling/ Update on Koh Gilchun’s solo exhibition/ December events in the Peace Center etc.
The Nightmare of a Fleet Review in Jeju/ South Korea to have blue-water navy, imperialist ambitions?/ Resisting Empire in the 21st Century/ Korea and the war in Yemen/ Delivery of Jeju April 3rd Petition to the US embassy/MD system extension in South Korea/ Bijarim Road and the 2nd Jeju airport project/ For more than Recognition of Conscientious Objection/ Soft corals threatened with the plan of new dredging/ Gangjeong Activists receive the “Red Award”/ Exhibitions by Koh Gilchun, Oum Mun-hee and Yang Sang/ The opening of Jeju Dolphins Center/ Trial Updates etc.
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:
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.
