Save Jeju Now

No War Base on the Island of Peace

Tag: caisson

  • Booking a tug boat captain on charge? The fundamental issue is a collusion among the Government-navy -Samsung

    Photo by Jang Hyun-Woo/ Beyond a barge and tug boat, the Beom Island is shown. The Beom Island is the UNESCO Geology Park itself and the sea area around it is the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve where the world-largest soft coral habitats  inhibit. For more photos by Jang Hyun-Woo on Nov. 26, see here.

     

    Booking a tug boat captain on charge? Saving the sharks but a minnow?

    On Dec. 3, the Seogwipo Coast guard is told to have booked a captain named Mr. Koh(60) of a 45 ton tug boat named Samyangho 3001 belonging to the Samsung C & T on the charges of faults on work and violations on the law on the management on the maritime environmental contamination.

    Around 1 am, Nov. 26, the Samyangho has submerged hit by a  caisson broken due to the typhoon Bolaven at the end of August in the Jeju naval base project 1st work area operated by Samsung C & T. It was to return back to the Hawsoon port after finishing its work of tugging a barge that puts in caissons into the sea. (Some media has raised question of why the navy and Samsung informed the fact to the media seven hours later of the accident.)

    It is known that great amount of gasoline had been shipped on the boat and part of it was leaked to the vicinity sea water. (For the details of the accident, see here)

    It is told that the Seogwipo Coast Guard booked the captain on charges on the destruction of ship following the fault on work, seeing him have made an accident by neglecting attentive works during the night time operation; and on the violation of maritime environmental destruction in relation to oil leak.

    It is an another example to dilute the essence of event to investigate and book the tug boat captain who has merely made a contract with the navy, the order-placing subject, and Samsung  C & T, the main construction company who brought upon themselves such accident by enforcing unreasonable construction (destruction)

    The Samsung C & T has illegally opearted its floating dock without permission to carry 8,800 ton caisoon made in the Hawsoon port to the Gangjeong Sea in the beginning of this year. On March 11, 2012, the Samsung C & T floating dock has also made an accident to hit three fishing ships when it was to moor into the outer port of the Hwasoon port in the situation when high sea wave warning had been informed

     

    Disclose the fundamental reason behind the death of a crew on the day of the budget snatched in the National Assembly!

    On Nov. 28, the very day that the ruling Saenuri Party unilaterally railroaded 2013 budget bill on the Jeju naval base project in the National Assembly, the problem of the navy’s unreasonable enforcement of construction became obvious with the death of a chief mate, Mr. Kim (43, living in the Jeju City) of a tug boat named Jungseungho (216 ton) at 11:25 am. He was hit in the head by rope on the sea 300 meter southward from the Hwasoon port, Andeok-myoen, Seogwipo City. Of course, most conservative media was silent on that  most mainstream media did not dealt with it with great concern.

    According to the Seogwipo Coast guard and headquarter of the Jeju Fire Fighting and Disaster Prevention, 10 meter rope was broken and hit the head of Mr. Kim when the tug boat, Jungseungho, was dragging a barge named Sanchung 2700 with the rope. The tug boat belonged to the T Construction company, a participating company in the naval base construction.

    Mr. Kim, shocked, fell down into the sea. Even though the captain of Jeungseung No. 3  immediately saved him into the land and moved him to the Seogwipo medical center, he died. The Nov. 28 Jeju media mentioned that the Seogwipo Coast guard is investigating on correct reason for the accident, calling for Mr. Kim’s colleagues. However, we haven’t heard yet on the afterward in the media even after a week. Even though it happened on the very day of the railroaded budget in the National Assembly, the Government and National Assembly evaluated it with weak concern.

     

    The exploiting structure on the workers in the construction areas of Hwasoon and Gangjeong should be disclosed.

    Otherwise, as disclosed by the testimony of a worker who exposed on unreliable caisson production, the workers in Hwasoon are not getting proper wages at proper time. They are also having difficulty to communicate with the foreign workers with whom they can hardly communicate in language in works. The foreign workers are even taking charges of the works as company thugs along with the Korean thugs employed by the companies.

    The situation of Gangjeong is similar regarding workers’ job condition. According to the facts disclosed from Nov. 10 to 19 when there were no night time entry/exit of construction vehicles, at least 18 workers have been laid off when they complained on the bad work condition. The workers who came to hear that they would get 4 million won monthly wage and get higher daily wage 150,000 won, compared to daily wage 60,000 won for the Vietnamese workers, were expelled as soon as they taught techniques to the Vietnamese workers and became useless. The Korean workers are told to have questioned why the Vietnamese workers should be employed in the so called National security project and why they so often take photos of construction site with their phones.(Is it right that it is a national security project?) (For details, see here).

    We even hear that some Vietnamese workers quit the jobs because of coldness staying in  containers on the cold coast. According to a peacekeeper, they were even mobilized as ‘Gochak‘ (detention circle usually being done by the police) thug around 3 am, Nov. 26,Monday. The peacekeeper, looking at the Vietnamese workers who only finely smile  concerned about possible incident with them with whom he cannot properly communicate with same language. (For details, see here.)

     

    Salvaging broken caissons by cutting? The Jeju naval base project of irresponsible destruction on environment, occupation and human rights should be immediately stopped and all the budgets on it should be totally cut!

    According to the Dec. 3 Jeju media, it was confirmed that the navy is considering not to remove seven broken caissons (by typhoons) that became the cause of recent submersion of a tug boat in the naval base construction on Nov. 26 until the typhoon period, next year.

    It is told that Yoon Seok-Hwan, a navy captain and Construction Director of the Jeju naval base project committee explained that “salvage of caissons are not urgent. They do not even affect such as environmental damage in current situation.”

    Has captain Yoon  already forgotten the Nov. 28 accident when a tug boat hit the broken caisson and leaked oil? Does he ignore the fact that the caissons of which each costs 5 to 10 billion won in production and its price is 1.5 billion won have been poisoning the sea with its cement materials and chemicals such as retardation material inside it?

    Beside safety matter, local fishermen are already having difficulty in navigation and having trouble in their occupation because of caissons put in the sea like reefs.

    The navy assertion that cement dusts that would occur from cutting of broken caissons would less affect environment than explosion of those brings fury beyond its absurdness

     

    The enforcement of construction came from lie and manipulation by the Government

     It has already been disclosed that the Office of Prime Minister who declared enforcement of the Jeju naval base construction on Feb. 29, 2012 had replaced official simulation report by the technical verification committee with the report that the Ministry of National Defense had ordered to Samsung and that was merely a reference material. The Government lie and manipulation have been disclosed through the exposure by Jang Hana, National Assembly woman who made public the meeting minutes of the technical verification committee on Oct. 10 and testimony by Professor Kim Gil-Sou, member of the technical verification committee on Nov. 19. Before Feb. 29, there was a declaration by the President Lee Myung-Bak who declared the enforcement of construction in his speech upon the  4th anniversary of his inauguration on Feb. 22. On the same day, the chief of the Seogwipo Police station was replaced with  Lee Dong-Min, a man from the main land. And the blast of the Gureombi Rock that would be done for two months started on March 7.

    If the Presidential Candidates look on such illegal and unreliable national policy project and allow the naval bass budget to be passed in the National Assembly, even though it has become clear that all the state of things were clearly of collusion among the Government, navy and Samsung, they will be greatly punished.

    Jeon Joon-Sou, chairman of the technical verification committee belongs to the think thank (국가미래연구원, Institute of National Future) of Park Geun-Hye, the Presidential runner of the ruling and conservative Saenuri Party (See here). He has been also promoted as a member of the local development committee on the Jeju naval base project. He has pressured the members of the technical committee not to conclude on construction stop and not to change base layout (* though change of base layout was needed for the proper function for 150,000 cruise), which is told to take 150 billion won more.

    Park Geun-Hye, Presidential candidate of the ruling Saenuri Party, who says so and so on her ambition to make the Jeju as the 2nd Hawai’i and Moon Jae-In,  Presidential candidate of the Democratic United Party who still mentions on the Civilian-Military Port of Call should stop their words on them and take position on construction stop, whole budget cut and revocation of the naval base project!

    Otherwise, Samsung has demanded 23 billion won reasoning of construction delay. See here.

     

    We should stop the Fascism of Samsung in Jeju

    On Jan. 21, 2011, Woo Geun-Min, Jeju island Government and Samsung C & T whose  total yearly sale price is 4 times more of the whole yearly budget of the Jeju Island government made a secret contact behind the open cause of the Samsung C & T’s support for the Island Government  to reach the goal of 1 trillion won export.  If we can say it is Fascism that the root of democracy is destroyed by the corporate greed, we have already seen the Fascism in the regime of the Lee Myung-Bak who originally came from Hyundae. If Park Geun-Hye, the daughter of the military dictatorship, Park Chung-Hee, becomes the President, the Fascism of Samsung  will more stifle the Jeju. We should stop this Fascism in Jeju.

    If the naval base is built in Gangjeong and Jeju becomes militarized, the only jobs for workers would be building of military bases. The vision and concrete practice for peace industry is needed than any other time in Jeju.

    …………………………………………………..

    Reference

    http://www.jejusori.net/news/articleView.html?idxno=123131
    ‘공사강행’ 제주해군기지, 이번엔 항해사 사망
    2012.11.28 16:12:17

    http://www.pressian.com/article/article.asp?article_num=10121128173120
    새누리당 ‘날치기’ 한 날, 제주해군기지서 인명 사고
    해군기지 공사 관련 세번째 사고
    2012-11-28 오후 05:39:37

    http://www.jejusori.net/news/articleView.html?idxno=123305
    제주해군기지 앞바다 예인선 침수사고 선장 입건
    2012.12.03 13:48:26

    http://www.headlinejeju.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=166337
    해군기지 공사현장 침수 예인선 선장 형사입건

    해경, 업무상 과실 등 혐의 적용

    2012.12.03 15:09:05

    http://www.jejusori.net/news/articleView.html?idxno=123312
    파손된 제주해군기지 케이슨 1년 동안 묵히나?
    2012.12.03 15:21:23

    Presidential election poster put on the walls of the village, since the start of the Presidential election period, Nov. 27.
    Around 5:40 pm, Dec 3, if construction vehicles come, company thugs remove the lumbers people have filed up in front of gate. Then the police remove people. Despite this windy and rainy weather, construction still goes on after weekend break. 24 hour entry/ exit of construction (destruction) vehicles started again on Monday, Dec. 3.

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    Photo and caption by Paco Booyah/ In Seoul at the Gwanghwamun Methodist headquarters, the 2nd Methodist prayer gathering for the release of Jeju peace prisoner Methodist pastor Jeong Yeon-Gil and other Gangjeong prisoners of conscience, Dec. 3
    Photo and caption by Paco Booyah/ Jo Hae-Won, wife of imprisoned Methodist pastor Jeong Yeon-Gil, gives a short moving talk at the Seoul 2nd Methodist prayer meeting for the release of the pastor and other prisoners. Pastor Jeong Yeon-Gil has been imprisoned for 89 days since climbing and occupying a caisson dock in September.

     

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    See also Yonhap News

    Tension lingers on Jeju Island over naval base construction

    By Kim Eun-jung

    Dec. 4, 2012

    (Post by Christian Karl)

    ‘Hi, interesting article. It may be the Yonhap bias, but I noted a few things I took exception to. 1. they take as fact that “2 cruiseships” will be there along with 20 warships – i.e. the tourist-military thing; 2. people have staged protests “or as long as 2 years” (I know much longer); 3. villagers, etc, “occasionally clash with police” when we know that every time the trucks come the police clear people away from gates, 4. the “opposition lawmakers boycotted” the budget hearing – is that true? never heard it. We heard Saenuri party rammed it through without the opposition being there. What say?’ (Comment by Koh Ae-Rin)

     

    Today (Tuesday’s) Korea Times, in 3rd page article on Moon Jae In’s idea of building a athletic venue in DMZ for 2018, also says “Moon and his party have called for a halt on construction of a naval base in Jeju Island, claiming that the military seaport will destroy the environment in the country’s resort island.” I think Yi Whan Woo, the reporter, is mistaken about Moon’s intentions, but we can hope that is what Moon is committed to – peace for Gangjeong  (Post by  Catherine Christie )

  • Samsung Tugboat Hits Broken Caisson

    Photo by Jeju Sori, Nov. 26, 2012/ A tug boat in the red circle submerged. See more photos by Jang Hyun-Woo, click HERE

     

    1.  A tug boat belonging to Samsung C & T hit a broken caisson and submerged during the night construction, spreading gasoline oil on the sea

     

    In the early morning of Monday, Nov. 26, the news on the illegal night time naval base construction on the sea rang the media.

    A 45 ton tug boat belonging to the Samsung C & T submerged beginning with its bow  around 12:10 am on Nov. 26 in the Gangjeong Sea where the navy-contracted companies are working for building the naval base. The sea wave and wind were strong during that night. And the accident site was about 100 meter distant from the coast of construction area.

    Photo by Jeju Sori, Nov. 26, 2012

    It was later confirmed that the tug boat hit a 8,800 ton caisson (a concrete structure of 20.4m height and about 8 stories apartment building size) in the sea, which has been one of seven caissons that have been broken and damaged  by the typhoon Bolaven at the end of this August and abandoned in the sea since then . The tug boat was to return back to Hwasoon port ( *40 minutes car distance from the village) after the caisson floating dock’s makeshift stationing of another 8,800 ton caisson

    It is weird that the company contacted the Seogwipo Coast guard after seven hours of incident.

    In the tug boat, there were 7 crews including captain. All those were rescued thanks to a dredging barge nearby. But the coast guard could not rescue the boat as of 9am.Nov. 27.

    Photo by Jeju Sori, Nov. 26, 2012

     

    The Seogwipo Guard mobilized security and express ship on the sea. It was known that about 10,000 liter of gasoline had been loaded on the boat. Despite prevention work for any oil leak, oli was leaked to the worry of environmental contamination.

    A peace activist, Jo Yak Gol writes:

    The navy and Samsung  were in emergent to brought kitchen cleaning material of 800 liter (about 60 bottles of 13 liter) to remove oil leaked in the Joongdeok Sea, Gangjeong village. It means they would pour  such chemical material into the Gangjeong Sea. [..]

    Seven caissons of which total production costs are 35 billion won and which have been abandoned in the sea four months ago by the typhoons greatly threaten maritime safety, being like reefs in the sea. Still the navy does not take any measure on those.

    The Gangjeong fishermen are angry, saying it is too dangerous for them to navigate fishing ship during the night since the navy has not equipped any proper safety facilities in the naval base construction. The fishermen says they were also at the risk of accidents many times. They say the navy keeps silent even though they protest to the navy on it. The navy-contracted workers themselves know it is too dangerous for them to navigate ships here so they cannot even retort back to Gangjeong fishers’ protest.

    The navy and Samsung’s reckless enforcement of construction has eventually bought another accident[..]

    The Gangjeong Sea located in the corner of  typhoon is improper for naval base because of powerful current of water and wind even in the routine time. Further the Government made a base design for US nuclear aircraft carrier, [nuclear submarines], and Aegis Destroyer. The Office of Prime Minister has even lied and manipulated a mere reference (*made by the Ministry of National defense) [as if it is the technical verification committee’s official report ] for cruise  to forcibly fit into the base design even though it never fits to it.

    According to the testimonies by the workers, the caisson have been unreliably built short of standard and cannot properly function. Won’t the caissons be trashed when they are buried as those unreliable are roughly stationed in the strong sea wave and wind, according to false layout?

    Reckless construction (destruction) even during dangerous nights has brought such incident. Is it weird that we have heard some crews were sick the other day but they were secretly cared for by visiting doctor and nurses to the barge? And how about the maritime environmental destruction? The rushing construction(destruction) is bringing such human and nature disasters. Cut all the budgets for the Jeju naval base project!

    Please remind:

    The Samsung C & T has been accused to the Prosecutor Office for its illegal operation on floating dock without inspection in the beginning of this year

    The Samsung C & T floating dock has hit three fishing ships of which two ships became to submerge and one ship sunk down on March 11, 2012 when it was to moor in the outer port of the Hwasoon port.

     

    Reference :

     

    http://www.jejusori.net/news/articleView.html?idxno=122988
    [속보] 삼성물산 예인선 제주해군기지서 침수
    2012.11.26 08:45:54

     

    http://www.jejusori.net/news/articleView.html?idxno=123008

    삼성물산 예인선, 8천톤급 케이슨과 ‘충돌’ 침수

    2012.11.26 11:50:17

     

    http://www.headlinejeju.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=165737
    제주해군기지 공사현장 예인선 침수…선원 7명 구조
    해경, 경비함정 7대 투입 배수작업 전개
    012.11.26 09:10:52

     

    http://www.headlinejeju.co.kr/news/articlePhotoView.html?idxno=165780

    제주해군기지 공사현장 예인선 침수원인 “케이슨과 충돌”

    바지선에 연결해 침몰 막아…기름유출 우려

     

    http://www.mediajeju.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=137051

    해군기지 예인선 침수 원인은 케이슨과 충돌

    2012.11.26 12:56:14

     

    2. Meanwhile, the villagers made a statement on the Samsung C & T’s demand on the amount of loss for the delay of construction. Here is a statement(translated)

     

    Regrading the Samsung C & T’s demand on the amount of loss for the delay of construction

    It has been known through media that the Samsung C & T demanded 23 billion won for the loss and additional cost by the construction delay of the Jeju naval base (so called Civilian-Military Complex Harbor for Tour Beauty), while Daelim, another main-contract company of the naval base project is told to plan to demand on the loss, too. And it is informed that the Samsung C & T reported that the delay of construction occurred because of activities by opposition groups.

    To say in a word, it is like ‘the thief turns on the master with a club.’ The Samsung C & T got the order on the maritime construction of the outer facilities such as breakwater, becoming in charge for the 1st construction work area. If there was any  people’s activity of obstruction on construction, it was to point out on the uninstalled silt protectors, the measure on the reduction of floating materials, following the Environmental Impact Assessment. People were just stopping illegal construction since [the Samsung C & T] has enforced construction (destruction) even without proper installation of  immobile silt protectors among the double-layered silt protectors.

    If the Samsung C & T had proceeded construction with proper installation of silt protectors from the beginning and still there were activities of obstruction of construction, the Samsung C & T is right to assert its claim. However, its construction delay happened because it has been disclosed of its illegal constructions (destruction) so has gotten correction orders many times from the Jeju Island. The construction delay was more caused from the maritime condition that has not been ready due to strong wind such as typhoon.

    If it is a construction delay happened due to natural condition, it is righteous that a service order agency that has miscalculated the days of impossible construction for natural condition takes responsibility for it. If construction delay occurred because illegal construction was driven and disclosed, it is righteous that applicable company is punished, rather than the company says so and so on the compensation on the amount of loss. Therefore if the Navy Headquarter or Ministry of National Defense demands a right to indemnity against local residents, the world will laugh on it.

    Even though the construction might have been delayed because local residents repulsed back against construction, the state should naturally compensate for the construction delay. It is because the state has the responsibility for smooth construction with its [responsibility] of persuading local residents in its driving for a national policy. Further it is a [so called] security project in the words of the Government. The Government should be responsible for all the loss and legal disadvantage that have occurred, being awakened that the project has become rather destroying security, not only destroying a local community but even dividing citizens’ opinions on it.

    Gangjeong Village Association

    Nov. 26, 2012

     

    ……………………………….

    Reference

    http://www.headlinejeju.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=165795

    “해군기지 공사지연 손실금 구상권?…천하가 웃을 일”

    강정마을회, 공사지연 손실금 청구 입장표명

    2012.11.26 15:21:03

     

    3. Otherwise there was an event called, Consolidate Solidarity for No Jeju Naval Base Campaign and Asia-Pacific Peace Movement

    Source: PSPD. Click HERE

     

    PSPD, Cafe Tongin (1F)/ PM08:00 Nov. 26 (Mon), 2012

    Sponsored by the People’s Solidarity for participatory Democracy

    The Story tellers who were invited were: Dr. Song Kang-Ho, Fr. Mun Jun-Hyun, Kang Dong Kyun, (Gagjoeng village mayor), Joseph Gerson (US), Liu Yintuo (China), Corazon Fabros (Philippines), and Kawasaki Akira (Japan)

    For more on it, click HERE

    (Post by Fielding Hong)

     

    4. 24 hour construction and 24 hour protest are continued 

    Photo by Jang Hyun-Woo/ Barricades to block the cement trucks. For more photos on 24 hour protest by Jang Hyun-Woo, click, here and here (Post by Regina Pyon)
    Photo by Jang Hyun-Woo/ 100 bows in the morning. For more photos on 24 hour protest by Jang Hyun-Woo, click, here and here (Post by Regina Pyon)

     

    Video by Jo Yak Gol (Source: Click here)

     

    Video by Ki Gami/ 11pm, Nov. 27 (Source: Click here/ post by Regina Pyon)

  • Samsung C & T demands additional construction cost of 23 billion won, reasoning of delay, for people’s protest

     

    Photos by Lee Woo Ki/ During the 24 hour construction that started since Oct. 25, people slept in front of construction gates to stop the construction vehicles. For more photos by Woo Ki Lee, See here(Night) and here (day)

     

    It was confirmed on Nov. 23 that Samsung C & T that is in charge of the 1st work area of the Jeju naval base project has demanded the Ministry of National Defense (MND) additional construction costs of about 23 billion won, reasoning that its work in the naval base project is being delayed because of opposition groups’ obstruction of construction. According to Sisa Jeju, the personnel in the Samsung C & T have started to discuss on it with the MND about a month ago.

    Hearing that, the Gangjeong Vllage Association and opposition groups strongly refuted on it, saying it is illogical that people’s taxes are to be wasted by giving additional costs on illegal construction.

    The Samsung C & T reasons people’s protest for the delay of construction

    According to the Jeju Sori, the Samsung C & T said to it on Nov. 23 that it “is consulting with the MND regarding the payment on construction fees etc since the naval base construction has been delayed more than a year.”

    The Samsung C & T that is building the outer breakwater of the naval base has gotten from the MND project right on the 1st work area of the Jeju naval base project, which is about 300.7 billion (300.751,000,000) won sum of money for construction, as of Jan. 2010 standard.

    The 1st work area is of a large size project on constructing west breakwater of420 meter and south breakwater of 1,076 meter. Currently the Samsung C & T is preparing for the construction of breakwaters, building 8,800 ton caisson for each in the Hwasoon port, Andeok myon, Seogwipo City. See the map below.

    Source: See here/  Naval Base construction layout

    The matter raised by the Samsung C & T is about the delay of construction. It asserts that construction is being delayed since the Gangjoeng village Association and opposition groups against the naval base have obstructed the entry/exit of construction vehicles and invaded into the inner side of the construction site.

    In fact, the Samsung C & T started construction from February 2011 which was a delay from its original plan. Its current work rate reaches only about 20% (39.1 billion won), far behind its purpose of 80 % (248.7billion won) for November, this year. According to the Jeju naval base project committee, the total work rate as of November currently reaches only to 24.4 % (239.5 billion won) by the standard of executed budget, among the total construction cost of 980.5 billion Korean won. The work rate by the Daelim in the 2nd work area is known to be only 21.4%.

    It has been known that the Samsung C & T, analyzing that it could not carry out construction for more than 15 months because of obstruction on construction by the opposition groups against the naval base project, earmarked 23 billion won in the name of labor and construction material costs.

    It is known that the loss price has become bigger following the construction postponement as the rent fee for the expensive maritime dock facility that the Samsung C & T has taken for the west breakwater construction amounts 200,000,000 to 300,000,000 won a day.

    Navy personnel resonates to Samsung C & T, “the construction has been delayed about 14 ~15 months as the opposition groups occupied the Gureombi Rock area by the early period of September last year and obstructed construction by blocking construction vehicles and interrupting  barge movement since then, too. We will decide the matter of preservation on loss price by contacting each construction company through legal examination.” The completion year of the Jeju naval base project has been postponed from 2014 to 2015.

    Regarding the Daelim industry that is in charge of 2nd work area of mooring dock, east breakwater and formation on land area, the Sisa Jeju reports that the Daelim industry is demanding  the MND to preserve 1.5billion won of loss following construction delay, while the Jeju Sori reports that it has not demanded additional construction cost.

    Photo by Cho Sung-Bong/ 14th caisson that was made by Samsung C & T in the Hwasoon port is entering the Gangjeong Sea at the cost of environmental destruction on Nov. 15.  The vicinity of the Beom Island in the background of the photo is the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve  with the UNESCO-designated soft coral habitats.  The Island itself is the  UNESCO-designated Geology Park. Stationing caissons without verified simulation  is  a total ignorance of even the Island governor’s demand. For more, see here.

     

    People, even the National Assembly members, refute against corporate greed

    Upon such behavior of navy-contracted companies, not only the Gangjeong villagers but even the Jeju-based/origin National assembly members are infuriated using the phrase of ‘the thief turns on the master with a club.’ in their remarks.

    Kang Dong-Kyun, the mayor of the Gangjeong village said, “The Naval base is illegal construction. It was without proper procedure. And environment is being destroyed. “Billions of caisson that have become scrap irons ( due to unreliable construction) tell that.” (# One caisson is told to take production cost of 5 billion won)

    “The naval base construction project itself  has been filled with serous problems from the beginning process of location selection to the performance during and after environmental impact assessment. It is righteous to stop illegal destruction. “

    “You should not appropriate billions of construction costs with people’s tax again because illegal construction fee has been delayed. The 23 billion won that the Samsung C & T has demanded is absurd.” ”

    Go Gwon-Il, chairman of the Villagers’ Committee to Stop the Naval Base also pointed out. “Is the Samsung C & T really qualified to demand additional costs? The Samsung C & T has enforced construction without the installation of silt protectors on the sea last year. If the Samsung C & T had driven construction observing the law, it had not arrived into this situation. Wrong national policy cannot but be repulsed back by citizens’ resistance on it. The injustice of naval base construction should be first examined.

    Jang Hana who has constantly raised problesm on naval base emphasized that ‘The villagers and activists have stopped naval base construction since it is illegal. The demand by the Samsung C & T is like to “Save a stranger from the sea, and he´ll turn your enemy.”

    Kim Jae-Yoon, National Assembly man said, “Whole matters occurred because the MND has not properly carried out the subsidiary opinion of the National assembly. The Ministry of National Defense is constructing naval base under the cover name of civilian military complex port for tour beauty.”

    He also said that “The social costs of villagers’ suffering are much bigger than the large sum of money of construction that the Samsung C & T asserts. The MND should compensate the villagers not Samsung.”

    In case the Ministry of National Defense pays for additional construction fee to Samsung C & T, there could be raised of a claim for damage against the opposition groups such as the Gangjoeng Village Association. If then, it could be expanded to lawsuit war.

    Photo by Jang Hyun-Woo/ Catholic priest Moo Kyu-Hyun protests against illegal construction. See more photos on people’s protest, see here.
    Photo source: PSPD (People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy)  Hankyoreh newspaper, Nov. 22 Advertisement: People’s campaign to stop construction(destruction) and to cut whole 2013 budget on the Jeju naval base project. See the related site here
    4,582 citizens joined to fund the newspaper advertizement campaign.

    ……………………………………………………………………….

    Reference

     

    http://www.jejusori.net/news/articleView.html?idxno=122917

    삼성 공사방해 수백억 요구, 강정 “적반하장”

    2012.11.23  10:04:19

     

    http://www.sisajeju.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=165085

    제주해군기지 시공사, 공사지연 손실보전 230억 요구

    “해군기지 반대측 방해로 공사 늦어져”…국방부, 손실액 보전 법률검토

    2012.11.23  11:17:10

     

    http://www.headlinejeju.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=165519

    삼성, 국방부에 ‘해군기지 공사지연’ 손실 230억 요구

    “230억 물어내라”…강정마을에 구상권 청구목적?

    2012.11.23  09:46:49

    http://www.jejudomin.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=36535

    삼성, 해군기지 공사비 230억 추가 요구

    반대단체 방해 이유…강정마을회 등 강력 반발

    2012.11.23  12:48:56

  • Villagers state on Island Council exposure and step for legal suit against the Island governor

    Photo by Cho Sung-Bong, in his photo essay, Nov. 20, 2012. For contents, see No. 3

     

    1. People’s Nov. 20 statement on the exposure of the Island Council on Nov. 19

    ( Translated. Original Korean statement can be seen here)

     

    Title: The ruling and opposition parties should cut the whole 2013 budget for the Jeju naval base project as the decision on drive for the Jeju naval base project by the national policy control meeting turned out to be a clear fabrication!

    In the inspection by the Administrative Self-Governing Committee of the Jeju Special Self-Governing Island Provincial Council yesterday on Nov. 19, it was confirmed again that the government has doctored the meeting results of the technical verification committee to finish the committee’s technical verification committee report in the earlier period without design change and construction stop, thanks to the testimony by Prof Kim Gil-Sou who has participated as a member of the technical verification committee managed by the Office of Prime Minister. It was also exposed that there were models of 4tug boats not two boats in the 2nd simulation of which the report was made public by the Office of Prime minister. Further it was also exposed that the report was not the technical verification committee officially acknowledged but a mere reference.’

    The Office of Prime Minister has officially taken the 2nd report, asserting its basis that it was manifested following the recommendation by the technical verification committee. However, it turned out that the 2nd simulation report is clearly a fabrication in content and procedure.

    Therefore the decision to drive construction by the national policy control meeting on Feb. 29, 2012, which was held based on the report, is regarded as not valid from the origin, too. In detail, the decision of the national policy control meeting came out based on the 2nd simulation report and was concluded on the premise that it is guaranteed for 150,000 ton cruise to enter/ exit of port and to safely come alongside the pier. The premise was conditioned though, that west jetty dock is structured into the changeable and navigation route is changed by 30 degree angle. As the very basis of the decision turned out to be fabrication, the decision by the national policy control meeting can not be established as valid any more.

    It was also confirmed that three dimension modeling on the harbor and bay set up in the 2nd simulation was processed borrowing the harbor and bay model established in the 1st simulation. It is a serious reason of disqualification because even though the 2nd simulation is a test formed on the premise of 30 degree angle navigation route, it directly borrowed the area-detailed basic resource for the case of 77 degree angle (vicinity of navigation route, current, wind direction and wind speed). Because it is a test processed even without investigation on the area-detailed geographical and natural conditions in the vicinities of  the 30 degree angle navigation route, it is a test that lost even the value as a report.

    The matter is that there is a great concern that the revival of the 3rd simulation agreed between the Jeju Island government and Office of Prime Minister could be processed, borrowed of three dimension model used in the 1st and 2nd simulation. It is told that it takes six months only for collection of the area-detailed basic resource and for composition on the three dimension model for targeted ships and harbor & bay. Therefore, given the current situation, there is a high possibility [for the Prime Minister and Island government] to borrow the 1st and 2nd simulation models for the 3rd simulation,

    However, we claim that the test lay-out should be inevitably carried out on the ground of clearly collected area-detailed basic resources to take fair and objective verification that the Jeju island government has emphasized many times. Also the researchers who led the 2nd simulation that was proved out to be fabrication should be excluded in the selection of the researchers to join the tests. It is because objectivity and fairness cannot be secured if the tests are processed by re-employing the scholars who have abandoned their consciousness.

    [To conclude] the 2013 budget of the Jeju naval base project (Civilian-Military Complex Port for Tour Beauty) of which only re-verification would take at least six months should be righteously cut.

    Thereupon, we demand like the below.

    Accepting the inspection result by the Administrative Self-Governing Committee of the Island Council yesterday(Nov 19), Governor Woo should revoke his position on the pass of the Jeju naval base budget and declare the demand on objective and fair simulation.

    We request the Island Council to deliver the inspection result of the Administrative Self-Governing Committee and to make efforts for the 2013 Jeju naval base budget to be wholly cut.

    To realize stop on construction and re-examination on project that Moon Jae-In, Presidential candidate has pledged, the Democratic United Party should not make any concession regarding the principle of budget cut before fair and objective verification

    Finally, the Saenuri party should agree with the whole budget cut for the 2013 Jeju naval base project , bearing in mind that it would be the critical elements in executing the national policy project to lose people’s trust on the Government and National Assembly to allocate budget for the project that does not secure fairness and objectivity such as of procedural flaws and in which unjust behavior such as layout flaws and unreliable construction would be confirmed.

    Nov. 20, 2012

    Gangjeong Village Association, Jeju Pan-Island Committee for the Stop of Military Base and for the Realization of Peace Island (26 groups), National Network of Korean Civil Society for Opposing the Naval Base in Jeju Island (125 groups)

     

    2. Villagers steps for legal suit on the reclamation matter

    ( Korean language reference: See here)

    Regarding the Island government’s license of the navy on the reclamation on public water and its surface in the Jeju naval base project (so called Civilian-Military Complex Port for Tour Beauty, the Gangjeong village entered for legal step on Nov. 20. The Gangjeong village delivered to the Island governor its application letter on the demand of the cancellation of the navy on the license on the reclamation on public water and its vicinity surface, demanding the governor to reply on his acceptance or denial of it by Dec. 5, 2012. The village said that if the Island governor rejects the application by the village or does not reply to the villagers by the defined date, it would enter the procedure on the lawsuit for the cancellation on the denial disposal on application, based on the law on the administrative lawsuit.

    On Oct. 22, 2012, the village has made public if Woo Keun-Min, Island governor does not cancel the navy of the license on the reclamation on the public surface and its water by Nov. 7, it would inquire him civilian and criminal responsibility for it.

    Reminder: The Navy Headquarter got the reclamation license on the public water and its vicinity surface from the Busan Regional Maritime Port Affairs and Port Office, without submission of diagnosis report on the date of March 3rd, 2010. It is an act that the Office permitted the reclamation license for the law-violating project, which is unlawful. Otherwise, the right to permission and cancellation on the reclamation construction on the public water and its vicinity surface was handed over from the Ministry of Land, Transportation and Maritime affairs to the Jeju Island in September, 2011.

    (See also Headline Jeju, Nov. 20, 2012 강정마을회, 제주도에 해군기지 매립면허 취소 요구)

     

    3. Illegal destruction of the Gureombi Rock  in violation of the EIA

     

    Translation of photo essay by Cho Sung-Bong on Nov. 20, 2012. See original Korean language version, here:

    ‘According to the ‘Agreed Contents of Environmental Impact Assessment,’regarding the Jeju naval base project, it reads that double-layers of silt-protectors should be installed during the maritime construction and use of Fall Pipes and land washing of sands and stones during the input of them into the sea should be carried out.

    However, construction(destruction) is being done with nothing above  is observed.

    Even though scattered dusts and maritime contamination have spread far wide, yet no measures have been taken.

    The article 26 of the law on the Environment Impact Assessment reads that ‘matter on the performance on agreed contents should be confirmed and necessary measures should be taken for the performance of it when agreed contents were not carried out.”

     

     

    4. Night time protest with the resumption of night time entry/exit of construction vehicles.

    Around 11 pm, Nov 20. it is common to be like this every night during night protest. But people don’t lose hope and optimism
    Around 11:20 pm Nov 20. Today small tower of stones. The police took away people’ stuffs of lumbers, bicycles, and other materials this evening. But people’s imagination will be unlimited. Tonight the police threw down all the stones, too, during their roughing out. so people built the stone tower again. it will be again and again over night.
    Around 3:30 am, Nov. 20, Police take away stones then the people will build the stone tower again. people are building stone tower repeatedly and the police are destroying them repeatedly, too.
    Around 7:30 am, Nov 21, People’s recovered tower, after police roughing out of them.

  • Island governor sides with the navy on budget despite suspicious breakwater construction before simulation


    Photo by Cho Sung-Bong/ The 14th caisson. Despite the Island governor’s demand to the navy on Oct. 30 to stop the input of caisson on the sea until the finish of simulation on 150,000 ton cruise, the navy thoroughly ignores that. The navy-contracted company, Samsung C & T moved the 14th 8,800 ton caisson from the Hwasoon port to Gangjeong sea on Nov. 15. See more photos by Cho, here.

     

    During both days of Nov. 16 and 17, issues regarding the budget on the Jeju navy base project were hot, especially with the Island governor’s request to the visiting Democratic United Party members to pass the budget on subsidiary condition. The villagers criticized on it with statement (see its translation on No.3). This article is a summary of four subjects during both days.

    The four subjects are:

    1. Even no discussion: National Assembly discussion on budget was postponed again because of gap between the parties.
    2. Controversy on the matter of fair simulation
    3. Island governor, Woo Keun-Min, sides with the navy. Villagers criticize his will to pass the budget
    4. Suspicion on the navy’s enforcement of breakwater construction before simulation is raised.
    …………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

    1. Even no discussion: National Assembly discussion on budget was postponed again because of gap between the parties.

     The Jeju media report:

    The National Defense committee of the ROK National Assembly had the plan to hold the 3rd Budget and Balance sub-committee meeting in the morning of Nov. 16. It was to talk on the direction on the disposal on the 200.966 billion won budget for the Jeju naval base project, 2013. However the committee could not even discuss on it.

    The Budget and Balance sub-committee has had the meetings on Nov. 7 to 8 and Nov. 12 but those have been with no result as the parties could only confirm different positions between them.

    The National Defense Committee plans to have its general meeting on Nov. 19, Monday, and will try to reach to an agreement. If it is without result again, it will consider on opening the Budget and Balance sub-committee again.

    In the Nov. 19 meeting, talks on the Jeju naval base and inspection on K2 tank will be talked.

    The biggest reason that the disposal on the Jeju naval base budget has met difficulty is because of big gap between the ruling and opposition parties.

    The ruling Saenuri Party (New Frontier party) is insisting its position to pass the budget as the original proposal by the Defense Acquision Program Administration (DAPA). However the Democratic United Party (DP, afterward), the main opposition party has different opinions of whole cut, part cut and conditional pass within the party.

    The National Assembly has cut 96% (127.8 billion won) of 132.7 billion budget last year. However, unused budget of about 107 billion won in 2011 was transferred to 2012 with law-evasive way.

    How you can help? Please pressure as seen in No. 2 of here. The pressure works.

     

    2. Controversy on the matter of fair simulation

    Otherwise, regarding the decision by the Office of Prime Minister on Nov. 15 that it would ‘show’ (not ‘verification) on the simulation of 150,000 ton cruises, accepting the request by the Jeju island government, anti-base groups criticized on it on Nov. 16, saying, “The [Office’s] acceptance on simulation means that the Office acknowledges itself that there was problem on the trust matter in the 2nd simulation.”

    The groups including the Gangjeong Village Association, Pan-Island and National Organizing Committees  to stop the Jeju naval base, criticized that the Prime Minister Office’s acceptance of simulation is merely to pass the budget on the naval base project.

    The groups also said:

    “However, the limitations in the conditions of simulation that the Jeju Island government and Office of Prime Minister agree with each other are too clear to clarify on the citizens’ suspicions on the safety of the navigation by 150,000 ton cruises . The Jeju Island government has asked simulations on five types but the Office reduced them into two because the Office hard pressured the Island government to concede it.

    The groups also pointed out:

    “Among the three researchers in the ‘show’ team, two are recommended by the Government. Further one of them, Lee Yoon-Suk, professor of Maritime University has already brought serious controversy on objectivity and fairness matters in his order of service in the second simulation [of which the report came out on Feb. 23, 2012].”

     

    Reference:

    On July 18, 2012, the Jeju-based or origin four National Assembly members of Kang Chang-Il, Kim U-Nam, and Jan Hana (All DP) have raised an issue that the 2nd simulation on the control of ships, which should be based on observing regulations, has not been properly carried out. The four members pointed out that there are serious flaws in the 2nd simulation and demanded the Government and navy temporary stop of construction and observance on the National Assembly subsidiary opinion in 2011.

    In October, 2011, the sub-investigation committee on the Jeju naval base project that belonged to the Budget and Balance Committee of the National Assembly recommended to the Government to “verify on the matter of free entry/exit of port for two 150,000 cruises through the specialized 3rd institute in need. However, the Ministry of National Defense unilaterally carried out simulation and made public the 2nd report in February 23, 2012.

    Otherwise, the Ministry of Land, Transportation and Maritime Affairs submitted its opinion statement to the four members around July that it is desirable to carry on simulation again because there is a great risk of danger by occurrence of accident, with the low variables given in the 2nd simulation scenario.

    (See the Korean language Hankyoreh article on July 18, 2012)

     

    3. Island governor Woo Keun-Min sides with the navy. Villagers criticize his will to pass the  budget

    Four members of the Democratic United Party, belong to the Budget and Balance Committee of the National Assembly visited Woo Keun-Min, Island governor in the afternoon of Nov. 16. The four members are Park Min-Soo, Yang Seung-Jo, Choi Min-Hee and Choi Jae-Sung.

    The total number of the members in the Budget and Balance Committee is 51. Among them, 21 belong to the DP.

    To people’s indignation, the Island governor Woo asked the DP members to pass the budget on the condition that they stipulate the ‘subsidiary opinion’ of the National assembly last year. To be concrete, he suggested to stipulate that ‘[the Government] execute budget on the premise that the recommended items by the sub-investigation committee on the Jeju naval base under the Budget and Balance Committee of the National Assembly last year to be carried out in substance.” (For detail, see the reference in the below)

    Hearing the governor, the four members promised to the governor that they would actively support for the proposed items by the Jeju Island governor in the National Assembly. However, it is still uncertain for the DP as the party has taken construction stop and re-examination of project as the party opinion since April 11 general election, despite its recent being stirred regarding budget.

    Source: Jeju Sori, Nov. 16, 2012. Governor Woo (right in the photo) asked four visiting members of DP belong to the Budget and Balance Committee of the National Assembly to pass the budget on naval base on Nov. 16, 2012.

     

    Here is the villagers’ statement refuting on the governor’s such behavior (translated from the original Korean statement):

     

    Why does Island governor, Woo Keun-Min represent the interest of navy?

    Island Governor Woo has finally revealed his hidden intention.

    While he has shown his shifting attitude many times such as in the hearing on the navy in May when he was even seem to consider to make order the navy to stop construction, [on Nov. 16] he requested to [the visiting four DP members] to pass the budget [on the Jeju naval base project] with subsidiary conditions as the budget got brake in the National Assembly.

    It has been clearly turned out that the Jeju naval base is a project that would make the Jeju Island to be militarized with the posturing cover of civilian-military complex. The proof is that it is conditioned that ships’ entry and exit of port is only possible under the permission of jurisdiction unit commander in the revision on the enforcement order on Protection of Military Bases and Installations Act. It has also been exposed that the CNFK (Commander of US Navy Forces of Korea) has demanded the layout possible for nuclear aircraft carrier to come alongside the pier and it has been accepted in building of it.

    Through exposed meeting minutes by the technical verification committee under the Minister of Prime Office, we could also confirm the will of the Government who is to drive the project without base design change. The Prime Minister office accepted the joint simulation show to merely pass the naval base budget next year in its hidden intention. It is the calculation of timing that it is to that extent only once the National Assembly passes budget biting the [government acceptance] of simulation verification that could be done only next year.

    Combining all those situations. it is clear that the ROK Government neither concerns with the interest of the Jeju Island nor the public sentiment of the Island people. It is mad only to drive for military base project, hammering away to ignore even the position of the Jeju Island that is stepping toward international tourism site and whose role of bridge in the international civilian diplomacy is being promoted.

    Meanwhile the Jeju naval base project committee has enforced construction (destruction) hourly ignoring the demands by the Island governor. As if deriding his words that there should NOT be breakwater construction before verification, it is enforcing actual breakwater construction by stationing caisson, only without sands filled inside, and processing reclamation in the Metboori (* east tip of the project area) for the construction of breakwater shore protection. (See the below)

    In such situation, governor Woo demanded to the National Assembly to pass the 2013 Jeju naval base budget when the Office of Prime Minister agreed with re-revelation on simulation, which is not re-verification. Even though he says he conditioned that the budget should be executed under proper verification, there is no reason that Island governor demand to pass the budget since the budget that might be passed by then purely comes from the Ministry of National Defense, not from the Ministry of Land, Transportation and Maritime Affairs.

    Why does governor Woo demand the budget from the Ministry of National Defense?

    Is he entirely forgetting that he is the governor of the Jeju Special Self-Governing Island?

    Is he naively expecting that the navy would step for proper verification if it is allocated with budget?

    Why is he requesting to pass the budget in prior to a proper simulation while the navy could be re- allocated with special budget after it as it wants?

    Finally it was proved out that the Island governor Woo Keun-Min has no concern with whether the Jeju naval base would be a proper civilian-military complex port for Tour Beauty or not; and whether the Island people would get any damage from it or not. We don’t need Island governor who takes the lead as the representative of the navy and save only the interest of Samsung and Daelim.

    Nov. 17. 2012

    Gangjeong Village Association

    Reference:

    On Nov. 7, 2011, the sub-investigation committee on the Jeju naval base project under the Budget and Balance Committee of the National Assembly stipulated two recommendation items when they adopted its activity report.

    The first was the recommendation to revise the enforcement decree on the Port Act and Enforcement Decree on Protection of Military Bases and Installations Act and to conclude on the protocol on the joint use on the civilian-military harbor and bay, so that there should be no worry that the Jeju naval base would be operated centered on military port.

    The second is a fair simulation on the possibility of entry & exit by 150,000 ton cruises

    The revision on the decree has been carried out on June 29 while the talks on the conclusion on the protocol is still being processed and there remains the matter of simulation verification. The Jeju Island expects the simulation period at the end of December or January, next year.

    Otherwise, beside budget, governor Woo requested supports on other budgets. Among them, one of the noticeable is request for service work on the ‘basic plan to form the global environmental herb,’ which is for smooth drive of following measure after the 2012 WCC (0.7 billion won)

    (Translated: See the Jeju Sori on Nov. 16, here)

     

    4. Suspicion on the navy’s enforcement of breakwater construction before simulation is raised.

     

    On Oct. 18, 2012, Governor Woo has declared to the villagers in the talk meeting with them that he would ‘stop the breakwater construction in the Gangjeong Sea without fail’ even though it is difficult for him to order construction stop before simulation.”

    On May 1, 2012, even Park Geun-Hye, the daughter of military dictatorship and Presidential runner of the ruling conservative Saenuri Paty said that simulation verification has to be prior to construction on break water. See the Korean article on it here.

    However, the village has raised suspicion on Nov. 17 that the construction being done in the Metboori coast(in the east tip of the naval base project area) could be breakwater construction.

    Source: Jeju Sori, Nov. 17, 2012 (Original source: Gangjeong Village Association)/ Construction in the Metboori coast (east tip of the project area). In the map, the spot is marked with red color,  planned to be the east breakwater shore protection. The current construction on the spot  raises a suspicion that the navy is enforcing construction on breakwater by reclaiming land from the sea before simulation verification.  For more photos by Cho Sung-Bong, see here. The east part is also for docks for submarines and small ships.

     

    Given the photos by movie director Cho Sung-Bong, the sands and stones being put into the sea are in violation of the EIA. Those should be put into the sea after the washing process on the land. There is no washing facility for sands and stones inside the construction area and those coming from the field are directly put into the sea.”

    “The biggest problem is that substantial breakwater construction is being done. Given the photo (above), it is the area spot being reclaimed from the Metboori coast to the sea, along the silt protectors. This area belongs to the east breakwater shore protection ( * in charge of Daelim) and outer facilities on the base layout map.”  See the construction map here.

    “ not only that, the navy is processing the substantial construction on the west and south breakwaters, too, by stationing caissons. By when will the Island government on-look companies’ such law-evasive construction.

    Source: Headline Jeju, Nov. 17, 2012/ Working ships to station caissons to build west breakwater.
    Source: Headline Jeju, Nov. 17, 2012/ Working ships to station caissons to build southbreakwater.

     

    ………………………………………………..

    Reference

    http://www.headlinejeju.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=165031
    국방위, 제주해군기지 예산 진통…또 다시 처리 연기
    예산소위서 결론 못내…19일 전체회의서 이견조율
    2012.11.16 12:25:18

    http://www.jejusori.net/news/articleView.html?idxno=122626
    제주해군기지 예산 진통, 19일 전체회의서 논의
    2012.11.16 11:54:40

    http://www.headlinejeju.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=165052
    강정-범대위 “총리실 시뮬레이션, 공정한 검증 이뤄져야”
    “총리실 수용은 객관성과 공정성 문제 스스로 인정한 것”
    2012.11.16 15:16:55

    http://www.jejusori.net/news/articleView.html?idxno=122634
    제주해군기지 시뮬레이션, 공정성 논란 고개
    2012.11.16 14:40:00

    http://www.jejusori.net/news/articleView.html?idxno=122562
    시뮬레이션 준비만 4~6주…올해 불가능할 듯
    2012.11.15 10:34:53

    (http://www.hani.co.kr/arti/society/area/543194.html
    “해군기지 2 차 시뮬레이션 중대 오류”
    제주 출신 국회의원, 공사 중단 요구
    국토부”선박 출입때 사고 위험 커”
    2012.07.18 19:25

    http://www.headlinejeju.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=165050
    국회 예결위 의원들 제주 방문, 예산요청 사안 현장확인
    민주당 소속 의원 4명…우 지사와 면담
    2012.11.16 15:00:30

    http://www.headlinejeju.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=165112
    ‘제주해군기지 예산’ 조건부 통과 건의에 강력 반발
    강정마을회 “우근민 지사는 왜 해군의 이익 대변하나”
    2012.11.17 11:28:51

    http://www.jejusori.net/news/articleView.html?idxno=122648
    내년 제주해군기지 예산, ‘부대의견’ 달아 승인?
    2012.11.16 17:18:38

    http://www.sisajeju.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=164430
    해군기지 예산 난항…국회 예결위 민주의원들 제주지사 만나
    제주도 “예산승인시 부대의견 명시”건의…산지천 현장방문
    2012.11.16 18:07:34

    http://www.jejusori.net/news/articleView.html?idxno=122661
    강정 “방파제공사만큼은 안한다더니•••”
    2012.11.17 13:59:22

    http://www.headlinejeju.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=165121
    “검증도 안하고, 이미 제주해군기지 방파제 공사 시작?”
    강정마을회, ‘매립공사’ 조기착수 의혹 제기
    2012.11.17 15:11:35

  • No night time entry of trucks for a week. What’s happening?/ Night time construction noise has brought complaints from Hwasoon residents

    Photo by Jang Hyun-Woo on Nov. 11/ ‘The blue-roofed housed are inferred to be the residential buildings by  workers.’ See Jang’s more photos of construction site where destruction is being done in thorough violation of the EIA, see here.

     

    1. Workers’ sabotage? Not confirmed yet.

    There have been no night time entry/ exit of cement mixer trucks since last Saturday, Nov. 10. Even though it is told that 24 hour construction is continued inside the construction site. As of Nov. 16, it became a week that cement mixer trucks did not enter or exit the gates in the nights. The police would withdraw from the field in the evening and people could fortunately take break in the nights. On Nov. 16, the last struggle in front of the construction gates was at around 5:40 pm since there were no more trucks and police withdrew after it.

    What’s happening? Is it just a part of normal process for caisson production that needs care period by the next caisson production? Or are the police tired to be mobilized in the nights since they think the navy is crazy, too, to rush for the construction even in the nights?

    There is information that needs much more factual check. So this is just for reference. According to information that should be checked in various aspects, it is told that the Korean workers inside the construction site are sabotaging, intending to rebel against unfair work management.

    It has been known that about 100 workers from Vietnam and other countries have entered into the naval base construction site in the village just before 24 hour construction (destruction). We could imagine their poor work conditions, exploited with low wages.

    And it seems Korean workers are also exploited, which should be never surprising news.

    According to  information, the navy-contracted companies hiring Korean workers laid off them after the workers were mobilized to teach Vietnamese workers how to work.

    In the morning of Nov. 16, peacekeepers in the protest field were told that the construction company unilaterally laid off 18 workers. A laid-off worker coming out of the site told people.

    Beside 18 laid off Korean workers, it is told that some Vietnam workers quit the jobs that morning because they felt so cold to stay inside the containers in the coast within the construction area.

    Regarding 18 laid-off Korean workers, they are workers all working with reinforced rods. There were originally 30 workers working with reinforced rods and now 12 workers are left. The company has made two caissons and the 3rd caisson has been posed in process. It is told that Vietnamese workers would fill the empty job spots.

    While the daily wage of a Vietnam worker is 60,000 won, a South Korean worker gets 150,000 won, it is told. The Korean workers are told to wonder why such so-called important national policy project is built by foreign workers and why the Vietnamese workers often take records of photos on construction site with their mobile phones.

    It is told that while the director of the field is the one who has worked in Hwasoon, the workers here in Gangjeong construction site are employed by the Daelim-subcontracted company called the Jeju T & C, of which the headquarter is told to be in Seoul and which they have never been informed before. The workers were employed from all over the country and there is no specific leader among them.

    The workers have originally been told from the construction company that they would get 4 million won for a month for two years with the job. But the 18 laid-off workers could not get any dismissal allowance since their work term was less than two months. According to the Ministry of Labor, dismissal allowance is given to workers of more than three months. To be worse, they could not get wage from the companies yet. It is told that the companies said to them that they would send wage through their bank accounts later.

    The unfair work management in the Jeju naval base project has already been exposed though in part in the Hwasoon workers’ case. See No. 3, here. The bad and suspicious work conditions for workers are being leaked…

     

    Update on Nov. 17: It is told that beside the Korean workers who are told to have intended strike, Vietnamese workers are also in the mood of organizing strike.  It is clear the caisson work inside the naval base construction site in the Gangjeong village is not being processed well. Even during the daytime on Nov. 17, Saturday, there were no more cement mixer trucks entering after 3:30pm. The police withdrew at the time. It is unusual considering that construction (destruction) has been going on by late evening on Saturday even before 24 hour construction.

    Also, it is told that the employees of navy-contracted security companies are complaining on illegal registration of companies (* for that, see page 4,  Nov. newsletter) and delayed payment of wages. They are in the move to file a suit on unjust employment to the Ministry of Employment and Labor.

    Still despite such already exposed unjust construction including unfair work conditions, on Nov. 17, the Seogwipo City Hall, being pressured by the navy, sent a notice  to the villagers that if the villagers are not volunteering to remove their sit-in tents across construction gates, it will carry on forceful execution of demolition of them. The villagers and peacekeepers are ready to fight to save the sit-in tents next week.

    It also became clear that the residential households nearby the construction site in the Gangjeong village are suffering for the noise during the night time construction. One resident told that she felt like in the hell when she heard the noise of crane during the night.

     

    2. Night time construction noise has brought complaints from Hwasoon residents

     

    Photo: Jemin Ilbo, Nov. 8, 2012, Caisson built in the Hwasoon port

     

    There is not only a matter of work conditions for workers. The 24 hour construction to build 8,800 ton caissons in Hwasoon port (40 minutes car distance eastward from the Gangjeong village) has already been complained by the nearby residents.

    The Jemin Ilbo on Nov. 8 reported (Excerpted translation):

    The residents in Dongha-dong and Ungeun-dong, Hwasoon-li, Andeok myeon (* myeon (township) is the subdivision of gun (county)), in the Seogwipo city are being damaged by the construction noise related to the production of caissons that are put in the naval base construction area in Gangjeong village.

    The residents are especially protesting to Samsung C & T, saying they are experiencing discomfort because of greater noise in the nights as the caisson production is being done for 24 hours.

    The residents have demanded to the Samsung C & T to stop construction from 10pm to 5am and to take prevention measures to reduce the damage by noise.

    However, the position of the Samsung C & T is that it must progress construction even in the night time, reasoning that the caisson production needs unstopping construction due to technical matter; that there would be problem in quality management if construction is stopped in the night; and that the construction period has been delayed for several months.

    Eventually there have been meetings in last September and at the end of October, by the related personnel to solve the civilian complaints on construction noise by the caisson productions, for which local residents, contracted company personnel, and government officers in the Seogwipo City and Andeok Myeon joined. However, solution measures have not been provided yet.

    Kim Tae-Un, Chairman of Hwasoon li stated that “The residents nearby the construction site are being harmed not to be able to sleep again if they woke up from sleep due to abrupt noise occurring from the cranes in the dead of night… Even though we have raised noise issue from the beginning of this year, it has not been properly settled. And the residents are now standing up against it”.

    …………………………………………………

    Reference

    http://www.jemin.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=298043
    심야시간에도 공사 소음 피해 극심
    화순리서 해군기지 투입할 케이슨 24시간 제작
    주민들 “밤 10시~새벽 5시 공사중단 해야”
    시공사 “공사기법•공기문제로 부득이 강행”
    2012 년 11월 8일

    …………………………………………………

    An interesting article to look at:

    http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_international/560972.html
    Korean workers underpaid on US military bases
    Nov.16,2012 16:33 KST

  • Urgent: How you can help us to cut the budget overnight. Please take 1 minute/ People’s emergency press conference

    The National Defense Committee of the National Assembly will have its final meeting in the morning of Nov. 16, Friday, in Korean time. Its’ Nov. 12 meeting was dissipated because of wide gap between the ruling and main opposition party. But since then the Democratic United Party (DP), the main opposition party has shown its compromising attitude that it is considering to agree with the ruling Saenury Party (New Frontier Party) to pass all or part of the proposed budget on the Jeju naval base project, to the indignation of people. The people here have mobilized themselves to protest to the members of the DP through email, phone and SNS. There was people’s emergency press conference on Nov. 15. How you can help us overnight in short time? Please see the part 2 of this article.

    Photo by PSPD/ People’s press conference in front of the National Assembly on Nov. 15, 2012

    1. People’s emergency press conference on Nov. 15

    On Nov. 15, there was people’s emergency press conference to demand ruling and opposition parties to cut the whole  201 billion won of 2013 Jeju naval base project budget in front of the National Assembly at 1:30 pm. The Press conference was hosted by the Gangjeong Village Association, Jeju Pan-Island Committee for the Stop of Military Base and for the Realization of Peace Island (26 groups), National Network of Korean Civil Society for Opposing the Naval Base in Jeju Island (125 groups). Please watch Dungree video Here (Youtube). You can see the original Korean statement here (posted by the PSPD).

    Some points in the press conference statement read:

    Even though the Budget and Balance committee of the National Assembly 2011 has recommended the government and navy “to objectively verify on the safety matters of entry & exit of port and coming alongside & out of port by the 150,000 ton cruises through the 3rd institute,” the government and navy have ignored it. Despite that, the members of the ruling and opposition parties in the National Defense committee are to pass 200.9 billion won on the 2013 Jeju naval base project, without asking the matter on the execution on the National assembly recommendation item. The Jeju naval base project currently being enforced is in violation of the 2007 National assembly subsidiary opinion of ‘Civilian-Military Complex Port of Call,’ (* the Lee Myung Bak government has enforced the project under the title of the Civilian-Military Complex Port for Tour Beauty) and also in violation of the 2011 Budget and Balance committee of the National Assembly recommendation item, the demand of verification on the possibility of entry & exit by 150,000 ton cruises. It is a case when a strict response by the National Assembly is needed in the sense that those are of ignorance of the authority of the National assembly that monitors the Administrative. Therefore it is reasonable that the National Assembly cut all 2013 budgets on the Jeju naval base, according to the agreement between the ruling and opposition parties. […] However, Han Ki-Ho (* a former high-rank  army commander), member of the Saenuri Party, the person concerned in the ruling and opposition party’s agreement [in 2011] as a member of Budget and Balance Committee and now a chairman of the National defense committee  shows shameless appearance to condemn the voice on budget as if it is from that of pro North Korea.

    Photo by Tommy Shin Jung-Hyun/ People’s press conference to cut the Jeju naval base budget in front of National Assembly on Nov. 15, 2012

    There are some useful points to remind in the people’s protest letters to the two big ruling and opposition parties. Here are some excerpted translations.

    Protest letter to the Saenuri Party: Excerpts

    The government stated only today that it would accept the opinion by the Jeju Island government on simulation verification(It is in fact ‘revelation’ not ‘verification by the words of the Office of Prime Minister)‘. However, it has already been proved out that the [projected] port is difficult not only for 150,000 ton cruise’s entry-exit and coming alongside the pier but also for military vessels to properly enter and exit, through the meeting minutes by the ‘technical verification committee on the entry/ exit of cruse’ set up following the navy resource and National Assembly recommendation. Also construction has been unreliably, roughly-and-readily being done. So caissons that are to be used for port & bay construction have been completely destroyed, too. It is judged that the safety of port itself would not be guaranteed either.

    The Saenuri party thinks the Jeju naval base is certainly necessary for national security. However, if the Saenuri Party truly thinks security, it should take the lead to cut all budgets on the Jeju naval base project. It is because the Jeju naval base currently being constructed in Gangjeong has no validity for project purpose. It cannot even properly be used as a military port.

    The government takes protection of southern sea area and sea transportation lane as the purpose of the Jeju naval base project. However, there is no need to be stubborn to build the naval base in Jeju to protect the southern sea water. The government has already measure of the 3rd fleet in Mokpo that does not need another base in Jeju. Further the task of sea transportation lane is originally the duty of coast guard and it is never appropriate that military vessel steps for that, given the geographical conditions and relationship with nearby countries.

    Furthermore, it has been turned out through navy resource that the main facilities of the Jeju naval base are being designed and built according to the US military demand to fit for the vessels such as the US nuclear aircraft carrier [and submarines] that the US retain

    Protest letter to the Democratic United Party: Excerpts

    The remarks by Park Ji-Won, floor representative of Democratic United Party, who said that ‘[the party] would confirm on the test result on the entry/exit of port and then allocate budget,’ is never realistic, given the time to be taken for verification and schedule on budget review. Further in the situational condition that the Office of Prime Minister and navy enforce construction (destruction), ignoring the resolution by the National Assembly who demanded verification through simulation, there is no other alternative than to cut the whole budget (* so construction is to be stopped) to enforce verification. We worry  to see the words by [Moon Jae-In], Presidential candidate and [Park Ji-Won] floor representative to be over turned in a week.

    It seems that the reason that the Democratic United Party changed its position on the matter of cut on the Jeju naval base budget is because it judged that it would influence not  good effect in the Presidential election due to expected repulsion by the navy and conservative class and political aggression by the Saenuri party. However such position is defensive and passive without clear and reasonable basis.  In last [April 11] election, all the three Democratic United Party members who oppose naval base have been all elected in Jeju. If the candidate and Democratic United Party actively make public to citizens on various problems on the Jeju naval base in the mainland, it can get superior position in public opinion. The Democratic Party should take a lesson of a case that the people have rather punished the Grand National Party(former Saenuri Party) when the DP actively responded to the GP with the ‘war power vs. peace power’ frame,  facing against the GP who intended to win over DP in June 2 local election, abusing the Cheonan ship incident for hunting so called the ‘pro north-Korea’ groups.

    Photo by Hwang Hyun-Jin/ Humorous one man protest in front of National Assembly. ‘With 200.9 billion won, you can feed each of 50 million South Koreans with four strings of Kimbab (rice ball kind)

    Photo by Cho Sung-Bong/ Despite the Island governor’s demand to the navy on Oct. 30 to pose the input of caisson until the finish of simulation on 150,000 ton cruise, the navy thoroughly ignored that. The navy-contracted company is moving caisson on Nov. 14.  See more photos by Cho, here.

     

    2. URGENT: Please take 1 min. to help us. Please copy and paste the below and send it to these address below, with your name. You may change contents, of course. Thanks so much in advance.

    moonriver365@gmail.com, intoan429@hanmail.net,  2030minju@hanmail.net, kjy1@assembly.go.kr, jp311@assembly.go.kr, kmageneral@gmail.com , esh337@hanmail.net,  jinsj@assembly.go.kr

    ( Email address source: click here   )

    Title: Cut the whole budget on the Jeju naval base. The world is watching

    Dear Democratic United Party members of National Defense committee of the ROK National Assembly.

    Please cut all the budgets on the Jeju naval base project. I heard that your party is considering to agree with the ruling Saenuri party to pass the budget in all or part in the National Assembly.  It is a shame that your party considers it despite all illegal, undemocratic, environment destructive, human rights- violating matters of the Jeju naval base project that became clear to the eyes of internationals.  I was also shocked to hear that the Jeju naval base is nothing but the US base as the Commander of the US navy forces of Korea has intervened in the base design for US nuclear aircraft carrier and US submarines.

    Do you truly want the South Koreans’ tax paid for the US war base against China? It will greatly disturb peace in the North East Asia and world. Please remember that your deed will affect not only Koreans but voiceless creatures and people in the world.

    It is unbelievable and shame if your party agrees to pass the budget. Please stand on your original position of cutting all the budget of 201 billion won on the naval base project 2013.

    Thanks for listening.

     

    Photo by Carol Rekinga/ The hungerstrike of Sung Sim Jang, for more photos, click here
    Photo by Kang Han, Catholic News Now and Here/ Construction site, Nov. 13, 2012 (post by Regina Pyon)
    Photo by Kang Han, Catholic News Now and Here/ protest mass in front of construction gate, Nov. 12 (Post by Regina Pyon)

     

    3. Peace activists resist tenaciously and cry for stop of violence

    Please watch this 7 min. video taken by Kim Goon, a peacekeeper that daily appears in the protest site of the naval base construction gate. . The peacekeepers in Gangjeong persistently protest to stop the cement mixer trucks .The video was taken at 3:10pm, Nov. 14. They are fighting for the Jeju naval base project budgets not to be executed but cut, despite the police violence and humiliation.

    “All parts of our body are bruised… We have little time to inform about the field news since the start of 24 hour construction… All of us are longing the day when our routine life of being roughed out by the police will end…. We just hope to save the Gureombi, Gangjeong village and ourselves.” (Kim Goon)

    ( Youtube/ Source: Click here )

     

    Update on Nov. 16

    The police from Seoul were more violent on Nov. 16. They are the maneuver units of No. 21(male) and 24(female). The police were also violent on Nov. 15, probably because the Democratic United Party members showed compromising attitude on budget. A young activist was carried to a hospital during the protest on Nov. 15.

    ………………………..………………………

    Reference

     

    http://cafe.daum.net/peacekj/GeUz/169

    [11월 15일 기자회견] “2011년 국회 여야 합의-검증 없이 예산 없다”- 제주 해군 기지 예산 전액 삭감 촉구 긴급기자 회견

     

    http://www.headlinejeju.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=164947

    제주해군기지 시뮬레이션 검증 ‘합의’…”주야간 검증”

    총리실, 제주해군기지 시뮬레이션 검증 요구 전격 수용

    2개 케이스 시현…주야간 검증…책임연구원 교체키로

    2012.11.15  09:47:42

     

    http://www.jejusori.net/news/articleView.html?idxno=122564

    강정마을회 “민주당 전액삭감 입장 끝까지 지켜야”

    “새누리당 이상일 대변인 발언은 정치적 공세···민주당은 예산 전액삭감 입장 유지해야”

    2012.11.15  11:17:35

     

    http://www.jejusori.net/news/articleView.html?idxno=122559

    정부, 해군기지 15만톤 크루즈 시뮬레이션 수용

    2012.11.15  09:46:23

     

    http://www.catholicnews.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=8445

    “강정마을, 예수처럼 쓰러져도 평화의 표지 될 것”

    ‘24시간 공사’ 이어지는 해군기지 앞 끈질기게 지키는 사람들

    2012.11.15  11:14:37

  • National Assembly Defense Committee starts the examination on budget. Cut the budget for the Jeju naval base project!

    [Nov 5] National Assembly Defense Committee starts the examination on budget. Cut the whole budget for the Jeju naval base project!

    Photo source: See here. The Youth group called ‘100,000 Young People for the Peace of the Jeju,’ is actively working to cut all the budgets for the National assembly. They call for the budget for people’s welfare instead war base. The photo is the press Conference on Nov. 6, 2012. The group has submitted the No. 1 petition against the Jeju naval base project to the new 19th National Assembly on June 5 this year with signs by more than 27,000 people.

     

    The National Defense Committee of the National Assembly starts the examination on the government budget included of Jeju naval base project next year on Nov. 5. The committee is composed of 9 members of the ruling Saenuri Party (New Frontier Party), 7 members of Democratic United Party and 1 independent. See here.

    On Nov. 5, the Gangjeong Village Association, Jeju Pan-Island Committee for Stop of Military Base and for Realization of Peace Island (26 groups) and National Network of Korean Civil Society for Opposing to the Naval Base in Jeju Island (125 groups), delivering the defense committee 19 page ‘opinion statement for the budget cut on the Jeju naval base project, 2013’ strongly demanded the whole budget cut on the project, 2013. See here.

    Among the 2013 compiled budget for the Ministry of National Defense and Defense Acquision Program Administration (DAPA), The Jeju naval base-related budget for 2013 is about 200.9 billion won. According to Oh Hye-Ran, Secretary of the SPARK, the budget, 200.9 won  is compiled of:

    About 186 billion won (92.5%): Harbor and bay construction

    108.3 billion won: Caisson production & stationing and basic formation of breakwater in the 1st work area ( *Samsung- supervised)

    48.5 billion won: Caisson production & stationing and basic formation of dock in the 2nd work area ( *Daelim-supervised)

    See the related article here.

     

    About 21.9 billion won: Land construction

    Among them, 10.1 billion won (5%): Military residential house (outside barracks).

    (* In detail: The navy plans to use about 9 billion won for the purchase of land and 1 billion won for layout. It is the budget to build 616 households military apartment for the soldiers and their families in about 100,000 square meter size land. However, the navy presentations on the military residential house have been all dissipated because of the villagers’ strong protests on May. 29 and June 15, 2012. About 90% of the villagers who live in the land area that is chosen as the most probable for the military residential house have also submitted their opinion statement that they oppose the navy’s purchase and expropriation of their lands.

     

    See the related article, here

     

    People stated 8 reasons for budget cut:

    1. The validity of the purpose is lack in the Jeju naval base project
    2. The technical matters on the two 150,000 ton cruises’ coming alongside and out of pier and their entry & exit safety have not been verified. ( *The government’s violation of its own MOU with the Jeju Island government on April 27, 2009)
    3. The navy has violated the recommendation items of the Budget and Balance Special Committee of the National Assembly, in 2008.
    4. By the layout, the port will not work even for  military function, [therefore waste of people’s tax]
    5. The suspicion that the Jeju naval base is the US base. [Then why South Koreans’ tax?]
    6. The Jeju Island and Island people demand verification on the current base layout. The Island people and villagers oppose the project and there is possibility that the construction would be stopped.
    7. The suspicion on the unreliable production of caissons that would be used for harbor and bay construction therefore the suspicion on the unreliable harbor and bay construction, as well.
    8. Low budget execution possibility (* The construction has been far delayed, given the navy’s 2011 and 2012 plans)

     

    In the statement delivered to the National Assembly, the groups pointed out, above all, that the navy has thoroughly ignored the recommendation by the sub-investigation committee of the Budget and Balance Committee of the National Assembly that has demanded ‘to objectively verify the matter through the 3rd party institute on the 150,000 ton cruises’ entry & exit of port and safety in their coming along and out of pier.’

    People pointed out the matter of verification on the safety of cruse’s entry/exit of port is critical for the function of civilian-military complex port for tour beauty [that the government and Island government themselves have stipulated as the purpose in their MOU, April 27, 2009]. (*People know that the Government can never verify on it as the base layout has been not for the cruise but for the US nuclear air craft carrier and submarines, as recent exposures clarified it)

    The people demanded to stop whole construction until verification is completed.

    Three Jeju-based National Assembly members, Kang Chang-Il, Kim U-Nam, and Kim Jae-Yoon(all Democratic United Party) and a Jeju-origin National Assembly woman, Jang Hana(Proportional representation of the Youth, Democratic United Party) havel expressed their positions that the budget for the Jeju naval base project, 2013 should be cut.

    Otherwise, for reference, While the government attempts to blind people with the false promise of local economic development with the Jeju naval base project, Park Ki-Hak, Research Institute for Peace and Reunification of Korea has written last year that the Jeju naval base would seldom help local economic development of Jeju. See here.

     

    Photo by the SPARK/ People hold a sign of ‘Cut all the 200.9 billion won budget for the Jeju naval base project, 2012.’

    …………………………………………………………………..

    Reference

    http://www.headlinejeju.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=164118

    “국회는 제주해군기지 예산 전액 삭감하라”

    강정마을회 등, 국회에 해군기지 예산 2010억 전액삭감 의견서 제출

    “예산 삭감해야 할 이유 충분”…국회 국방위 5일 예산심사 착수

    2012.11.05  09:01:23

     

  • No construction trucks entering on Saturday but the coast and sea are full of destruction

    Following the nights of Oct. 30, 31, Nov. 1, Nov. 2 when there were no construction trucks entering into the construction sites so people’s no night time protests, there were no construction trucks entering all day on Nov. 3, Saturday. Village was unusually quiet. All the policemen and police buses that have always parked near the bridge disappeared.

    People’s routine works went on:  7am, 100 bows, 11am, Catholic mass, 3pm, protestant mass, 8pm, candle vigil.  Sitting, watching and keeping gates amidst cold wind from 7am to 9pm.  The peacekeepers who daily make efforts to serve coffee and distribute public material kept the gate from 7am to 6pm, too.  Monitoring went on, too.

    One could see many workers leave the construction site probably for weekend’s rest. One could hear loud voices of some Vietnamese workers. They are already working on construction inside the Gangjeong naval base construction area. About 100 Vietnamese are told to have come. The navy -contracted companies have also employed Some Sweden technicians, too. Their business are international.. hm.

    During the day, you could see destruction is endlessly going on beyond the white navy fence. ‘They are making a dock in the coast to carry the caisson to the floating dock on the sea.” Inside the caisson frame, workers are busily working on. The 24 hour construction will starts on Monday, Nov. 5 again as the workers have already set up the bottom plate to build caisson, people say.

    Nov. 3, 2012
    Nov. 3, 2012

    Sunday break is bliss. But it is a like a quiet night just before the storm again.

    …………………………………………………………………

    Video by Navi, Scenes of caisson production area on the Gureombi Rock and Sea, around 2pm, Nov. 3, 2012

    (Source: Navi)

     

  • 1st caisson made on the Gureombi Rock costs human rights and nature environment.

    Photo by Cho Sung-Bong/ First Caisson built on Gureombi. . . Bigger caissons (8,800 ton)have been built on Hwasoon port. Now the floating dock has located near Gureombi rock to move caissons to Gangjeong sea. For more photos of Cho Sung-bong, see here.

     

    It was Oct. 30 that the first 3,000 ton caisson supervised by Daelim Co. was made on the Gureombi Rock. To build this one, there was 24 hours construction since Oct. 25. No night construction for three days of Oct. 30, 31 and Nov. 1, as the workers needed time to dry it, move it to the coast near to a floating dock on the sea, and resetting for building new one.

    On the same day of Oct. 30, Jeju Island government submitting to the central government(Prime Minister Office)  its final opinion on the simulation verification on the entry & exit of 150,000 cruise, related to the Civilian-Military Complex for Tour Beauty (Jeju naval base project), stated that it requested to the central government not to execute construction on stationing caisson until there is a simulation of which the Island government opinion is accepted. What the Island government should do is to immediately ORDER the navy construction stop, not delaying its critical decision without delusion on the so called civilian-military port (which is in fact a pure military-only port)and 150,000 ton cruise. (See here)

    What was the cost of the 1st caisson?  The navy-contacted company, Daelim plans to build 82 numbers of 3,000 to 4,000 ton caissons to put into the Gangejong Sea, the UNESCO-protected soft coral zone. Given that it takes 5~6 day to build one, it needs minimum 410 days’ 24 hour construction because of cement character, no choice, the navy says (See here)

    However, villagers’ rights to sleep in the night have been robbed off. It was at the price of human rights violation. There have been at least 6 people who were carried to hospital during 24 hour construction so 24 hour protests from Oct. 25 to Oct. 30. See here and here. Many were injured, too. The waste of tax to mobilize 500 policemen every night is speechless. If it was a righteous and reasonable construction, the government does not need to mobilize such stunning numbers of policemen. It is for the navy to get the budget on the naval base project, 2013 (the Ministry of National Defense has proposed 200 billion won for the Jeju naval base construction in 2013) by rapidly moving up construction (destruction)! The navy has promised the National Assembly last year that it would not get the budget if its work rate does not reach 30 % this year.

    It was also at the price of nature environment destruction. See here.

    In the field, many young peacekeepers’ painful efforts go on.   Some sketches during the day of Nov. 1 here.

    Around 11am, Nov. 1. Bishop Kang U Il held the mass in front of construction gate. Recently a Catholic priest, Fr. Lee Young Chan was imprisoned on Oct. 25. interview with an international reporter.
    Around 2:30pm, Nov. 1. Music and dance are people’s positive way to overcome the police violence that they would go through during the police’s roughing out them.
    Around 3:37pm: Fr. Kim Sung-Han and Catholic sister nicknamed Joan D’arc. Right before police’s roughing out people.
    Around 3:30pm, Nov. 1. Another police’s roughing out people. We saw at least two young female activists had tear in their eyes… Many women peace keepers are upset when they are circled around by male policemen. The policewomen are insensitive to the same sex women peacekeepers. Why they are so slow when women need them? Scratch by policewomen nails have been usual … Male peacekeepers commonly appeal pain in their right shoulder. Two of them have been carried by ambulance for it. The photo is the scene that the police take apart people in front of construction gate.
    Around 4pm, Nov. 1. After police roughing out, eating roasted tangerine is a joy though.
    Around 4:30, Nov. 1. Another police’s roughing out people. For 4~5 detained women, there are only three policewomen shown in the photo. The others are policemen who walled against us with multiple layers. The policewomen were to exit often but we protested to them so that they should be with us.
    Around 8pm. People’s candle vigil. Massage one another.

     

    How you can help us? Please pressure the ROK National Assembly members to cut all budgets on the Jeju naval base project. For example, ENGLISH@ASSEMBLY.GO.KR or Moon Jae-In, Permanent Advisor, Democratic United party, Presidential candidate: moonriver365@gmail.com.

     

    Video by Navi

    Scene of caisson on the Gureombi Rock and a floating dock that is to station caissons in the sea around 2pm, Oct. 31

     

    (Source: Village website )