Save Jeju Now

No War Base on the Island of Peace

Tag: caisson

  • Open Letter to IUCN #4: Independent Scientists Find Major Flaws & Omissions in ROK Government Environmental Impact Assessment

    The following statement is the 4th open letter mailed to the leadership and/or members of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. It was originally posted here.

    TO:   IUCN Leadership, All Participants, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), 2012 World Conservation Congress, Jeju Island

    FROM: Jeju Emergency Action Committee

    *********
    UPDATE:
     
    INDEPENDENT SCIENTISTS FIND MAJOR FLAWS AND OMISSIONS IN KOREA GOVERNMENT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT (EIA) FOR MILITARY BASE CONSTRUCTION ON JEJU
     
    WE MUST JOIN IN DEMANDING THAT NAVAL BASE CONSTRUCTION BE HALTED
     
    PLEASE VOTE “YES” ON MOTION 181: PROTECTION OF THE PEOPLE, NATURE, CULTURE AND HERITAGE OF GANGJEONG VILLAGE
     
    **********

    IN PRIOR OPEN LETTERS TO IUCN, we referred to the unsatisfactory, Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) prepared by the Korean government to allow building a giant naval base to home-port Korean and United States missile-carrying warships. The South Korean Navy conducted the EIA, concluding that its construction would have little impact on the surrounding environment, including on the ecosystem of Tiger Island, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. While the Navy’s 2,000-plus-page document appeared rigorous, external scientific reviewers found it excluded key impacts to endangered coral and wildlife species and ignored other significant factors.

    As we also reported, over the last month, an independent team of researchers, including IUCN affiliated members, were doing a separate study to assess the accuracy and biases of the government report and to indicate its own findings and recommendations. The researchers felt they needed to operate secretly, even when diving along the reefs, because the government has been deporting people when it suspects they might shed light on the terrible impacts of the military base, or on the police brutalities visited upon the local indigenous villagers of Gangjeong. (More than two dozen researchers and scientists from several countries have already been deported by the government, including one member of our own team, Dr. Imok Cha, the highly renowned physician from the United States.)

    Today we are pleased to provide links to two of the independent assessments and one communiqué from the researchers:

    “An Independent Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of Coral Communities Surrounding the Intended Site of the Gangjeong Naval Base—Including Analysis of Previous Research and Findings.” This report is by Greenpeace-East Asia, Green Korea United, and SaveJejuNow, based partly on the observations of a series of deep-diving units, was prepared by Simon Ellis, Dr. Katherine Muzik, , Sanghoon Yun, Boram Bae, Jinsoo Kim, and Dr. Imok Cha. http://savejejunow.org/eia-of-coral-communities-gangjeong-naval-base/

    “Endangered Species Relocation Assessment—Civilian-Military Complex Port Development, Jeju Island, South Korea.” This report was prepared by Endangered Species International (San Francisco.) The individual authors of this report have asked not to be identified for the moment, as they continue work in Korea, and fear government sanctions. http://savejejunow.org/endangered-species-relocation-jeju-island/

    “Sacred and Spectacular Soft Corals of Gangjeong” general observations by Dr. Katherine Muzik http://savejejunow.org/sacred-spectacular-soft-corals-gangjeong/

    MOTION 181
    Protection of the People, Nature, Culture and Heritage of Gangjeong Village

    Because of reports such as these, and others, an emergency motion (Motion 181: Protection of the People, Nature, Culture and Heritage of Gangjeong Village) has now been introduced for an IUCN membership vote this week.

    The Motion asks the Korean government to:

    (a) Take appropriate measures to prevent adverse environmental and socio-cultural consequences associated with the construction of the Civilian-Military Complex Port Project;

    (b) invite an independent body, to prepare a fully transparent scientific, cultural, and legal
    assessment of the biodiversity and cultural heritage of the area and make it available to the public; and

    (c) Restore damaged areas.

    SELECTED INDEPENDENT FINDINGS

    Below is an abbreviated summary of a few of our independent findings:

    * Navy EIA Dismissed Designations to Protect Jeju Soft Corals: The government EIA made no mention of the great uniqueness, or spectacular attributes of the Jeju soft coral habitat being endangered by the Navy base construction. The base construction is underway in the midst of a large globally unique contiguous Jeju Soft Coral Community—-9264 hectares—-which is, presumably, already protected as Natural Monument 442, by the Cultural Heritage Administration of Korea. The site is only 1.3km away from Tiger Islet, designated as the core area of a UNESCO Biosphere Reserves in 2002.

    Dendronephthya gigantea (top, purple color) and Scleronephthya gracillma (bottom, orange color). These corals are part of one of many large colonies living in the vicinity of the base construction site. Meanwhile, the Navy EIA has asserted that there are no large colonies in this area.

    What makes the Jeju Soft Coral Community possible is its adjacency to a nutritionally rich, tropical current flowing through northern waters, and its remarkable unique combination of ancient Andesite larva rock sea bottom, and abundant vertical walls, down to depths of 60 m. The Korean Navy report neglected to cite a seminal paper by the leading authority on Jeju soft coral, Dr. Jun Im Song. In her exhaustive three-year research of the entire Jeju Soft Coral Habitat, Dr. Song found 82 species of coral, including 42 indigenous species, 24 endangered species (out of 38 total protected species known in Korea.) (See full list in NOTE below.)

    Dr. Song reports “Coral habitat plays a variety of important roles, not only in terms of ecological stability and structure, but also as an important resource for tourism.” In Korea, the great majority of such corals are found in the southern coast of Jeju. At a geo-biologic level, this region offers this rare coral community an ideal potential for continuous propagation. However its location within such a unique region, creates vulnerabilities for ecological stress.

    Dr. Katherine Muzik, a member of the current team researching the Navy EIA, says this: “I can state unequivocally, based on my personal observations and a review of pertinent scientific literature, that Jeju’s octocoral assemblages are unique, spectacular, and worthy of special protection. They form the largest and most spectacular temperate Octocoral forests known on Earth.”

    The Korean government designated this frog (Kaloula borealis) endangered, but refuses to protect it from construction impacts. It relocated some tadpoles, but left all the adult frogs to be crushed by construction. Then it failed to monitor the tadpoles. A year later there has still been no report on their survival.

    * Ignored Endangered Species: The government EIA omitted two endangered species and one endemic species: the Boreal Digging Frog (Kaloula borealis), an IUCN Red List species; the Red Foot Crab (Sesarma intermedium); and also the rare, endemic Jeju Shrimp (Neocaridina denticulata keunbaei) found only on Jeju and nowhere else in the world. It was only after the Navy EIA was challenged by Korean NGOs, that the government indicated it would relocate the above threatened species. But the relocation process has been a failure. According to the independent researchers, no adult frogs were ever moved to safety. They are now being crushed under heavy construction machinery. Some tadpoles were moved, but the agency that was supposed to monitor them did not. When one of our team inquired about this, we were told, “Monitoring was not possible last year.” To date, no report is available.

    Some shrimps were also moved to a new site, but it caused dangerous overpopulation in that location; and some crabs were moved to a new habitat, but that habitat is now being destroyed as well. So, all three species are seriously threatened, and there is no meaningful “monitoring” of the situation.

    * Baseless Claims About Sea-Bottom Habitat: The government’s EIA asserted that the sea-bottom in areas of construction were completely sandy, and that therefore there are no coral colonies within the main construction area. Yet, the government conducted no research of the ocean floor in this area! These claims were only assumptions! The government then placed the area off-limits to outside diver/investigators. However, independent researchers have since pointed out that since Dendronephthya suesoni is found only 500m from the construction site, at the Gangjeong Lighthouse, then it is therefore highly likely that it and other endangered corals also inhabit the construction zone. Furthermore, local dive-masters, who’ve dived there as many as 7,000 times, strongly argue that the government’s assertion is wrong, and that significant coral colonies do exist, attached to rocky areas that can be found in many places within the main construction site.

    Meanwhile, our independent team’s divers were able to dive along the edges of the construction site, and found 34% coral coverage at a depth of 12 meters. This finding flies in the face of another fallacious statement in the Navy EIA — that there are no significantly large coral colonies living in the vicinity of the base site. Our divers also found “dense groups of the spectacular endangered Dendronephthya putteri corals.”

    * Omitted Three CITES-Protected Coral Species: Three other species of endangered corals were also found by our divers, omitted from the Navy EIA, despite that they are protected by the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES): Montipora spp, Alveopora spp., Dendrophyllia spp.

    * Storm Threats: Typhoon Bolaven, hit the Gangjeong construction site on August 28, causing tremendous damage to the seven giant floating caissons used in construction of the sea wall and weighing almost 9,000 tons apiece. During the storm, all seven caissons were heavily damaged and two of them broke free and sank. The sunken caissons will have damaged coral and other benthic populations in and around the base. Now the government is in a quandary about how to clean up the mess. It has claimed it will use a “floating technique” to remove the sunken caissons, but how that can be achieved was not explained. Base construction workers were overheard discussing plans to blow them up, under the water! This would cause catastrophic damage to the entire underwater ecology. In any case, there is every indication that inadequate precautions have been taken by the base construction team to ensure the protection of the environment during the construction phase of the project, especially in this location known for being typhoon-prone. If there were no other reason to stop all construction, this would be sufficient. Functional ports should be built in protected harbors — not exposed to the open seas, as is the Gangjeong coast. Imagine what global disaster might unfold should a typhoon hit one of the nuclear submarines slated to be ported here.

    * Omits Impacts of Maritime Traffic: The Navy EIA does not mention the effects of constant maritime traffic. It is expected that there will be trauma and mortality to ecologically important coral populations from the constant passing of large ships. A nearby unique and spectacular soft coral garden, measuring 73.800 sq meters (15 acres) is located only 14 m below the surface and many naval vessels have a draft of 10 m or more. Neither does the Navy EIA mention the routes through the shipping channel. The south eastern sea wall of the base is only 250 m from the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve buffer zone. The Navy EIA omitted the fact that cruise ships and aircraft carriers can measure 350 m in length, which is longer than the distance between the base and the buffer zone.

    * Sediments/Heavy Metals: The Navy EIA indicated that there are concentrations of heavy metals in sediments around the Gangjeong Navy base. (This, despite that two key heavy metals, mercury and arsenic were not measured.) However, it confirmed that the heavy metal content of the sediment is high enough to be highly toxic to marine life, released into the water column through dredging or disturbance. The Navy EIA includes only a vague mention of long-term effects of sedimentation. Sedimentation is known to coat corals, increase stress, reduce growth and survival of corals and eventually kills them. Persistent siltation also coats rocks, prohibiting new colonies from taking hold and regenerating coral populations. Fine silt left from the construction may remain in the area for years and get stirred up into the water column whenever there is rough seas or large waves.

    Long lasting sedimentation will eventually kill any corals that have not already been killed by the direct trauma of dredging, fill deposit, or wall construction. Thousands of coral colonies are at risk. These dangers are obviously ultimately unavoidable, and are sufficient to warrant cancellation of this base.

    * Excludes Mitigative Measures Against Oil Spill Dangers: The Navy EIA states that measures should be taken to protect against fuel spills, but does not say what measures can be taken. Fuel, oil and other organic hydrocarbons can have serious effects on marine benthic organisms, even in small quantities. Corals are especially vulnerable to dispersed oils, especially lighter fuels such as gasoline, diesel and light crude. Other fluids associated with engine maintenance and function, such as antifreezes, lubricants and detergents, are also harmful. It is highly likely that once the base is operational there will be a constant release of small amounts of fuel into the environment. This contamination will have long-term negative effects on surrounding coral populations already stressed by other factors such as sedimentation, reduced flow and pollutants such as TBT and other heavy metals. Should there be a major spill or oil from the base site, the ramifications would be even worse, possibly leading to mass mortality in coral populations. The Navy EIA neglects to sufficiently address any of these problems, let alone mitigation.

    * Toxic Paints, etc.: Navy EIA recommends discouraging Navy ships from using anti-fouling paint Tri-butyl Tin (TBT). TBT is banned on small ships. But Navy ships and large ships are currently exempt from this ban. A large ship such as a navy destroyer can add 200g of TBT into the environment over a 24 hr period. TBT is very stable and can remain in sediment unaffected for 7-30 years. TBT is highly toxic to corals, oysters, clams, and abalones. Coral reproduction and recruitment will be severely restricted by these chemicals as they leach into the water, accumulate and remain active. The Navy report does not suggest how to ensure that such a ban could be enforced, as ships will be arriving from all over the world.

    * Ineffective Mitigation: The Navy recommends completely inadequate and ineffective mitigation measures. For example, it recommends “silt protectors” all around the construction zone. (Errant silt protectors from the base were already seen floating off Tiger Islet during moderately heavy seas on Aug. 23rd. Later, after the August 28 typhoon, every silt protector at the construction site had been ripped to shreds.) The Navy also recommends using “fall pipes” to lower rocks and other materials into the water, which have never proven adequate, and which workers don’t use anyway; workers have been seen recklessly dumping rocks and fill materials into the water.

    * Inadequate Addressing of Water Flow Problem: Because soft corals cannot survive without clean, constantly flowing water, the water flow rate will be severely obstructed by the construction of a large navy base. The Navy EIA suggests that the water flow rate will not be significantly changed in areas 500 meters from the base. But once the base is complete, there will very likely be a significant drop in current flow rates around the East and West sites surveyed by our independent EIA team. This will mean fewer nutrients to corals and will cause sediment to drop down quickly, smothering corals and other bottom dwellers. The Navy suggests an “Ocean Water-Way Activation system” to regulate ocean water flow to protect corals. But there is no empirical evidence that such a process would ever be helpful to maintain coral populations east and west of the base. It is guesswork.

    * Omits Fact that Large Ships Will Travel Through Core of UNESCO Biosphere Reserve: The Navy EIA omits crucial information regarding paths that large ships must take as they enter the port. And yet, this may be the most potentially destructive issue in the entire project. Neither is there is any mention of where ships will gather to wait while seeking entry to the port.

    According to the Navy’s “simulation study” studying wind effects in the port area (February 2012), it was first determined that the sea route that would best avoid impacting the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve buffer zone, (Route #1) would be “too dangerous” for the ship, and might lead to devastating impacts on the sea walls. This is because entry would require a steep turning angle of more than 70 degrees. A safer sea route should be no more than a 30 degree turning angle.

    Both proposed entry routes to the naval base present serious problems. Route #1, the originally route, turns out to be dangerous for ships, as it requires a 70 degree turn with risks of crashing. The Navy now contemplates route #2, which would send ships directly over and through rare spectacular soft coral reefs, with high risk for their destruction. Both are unacceptable.

    Both proposed entry routes to the naval base present serious problems. Route #1, the originally route, turns out to be dangerous for ships, as it requires a 70 degree turn with risks of crashing. The Navy now contemplates route #2, which would send ships directly over and through rare spectacular soft coral reefs, with high risk for their destruction. Both are unacceptable.

    Only last week it was announced by the Korean Department of Defense that the original route (#1) needed to be abandoned, and that a new route (#2) was preferred, especially in bad weather. However, in the new route, ships will invariably have to navigate through the UNESCO Biosphere core zone (See Map) http://savejejunow.org/reports-human-rights-environmental-destruction-naval-base/

    The core zone of the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve contains a spectacular world of soft coral colonies, including one famous massive Coral Garden, measuring 73,800 square meters (15 acres). Alarmingly, this Coral Garden lives only 14m below the surface. But expected naval vessels may have a draft of up to 17m, bringing the prospect of a constant prop-wash from passage of large ships. This will surely bring trauma and death to amazing, ecologically-important coral populations. So, the conclusion can only be that while sea route #1 is unsafe for ships, sea route #2 will destroy an ecological paradise.

    Better to move the base somewhere else.

    *****

    These are only a few of the many serious problems of the Navy EIA that disqualify it as an exhaustive meaningful study that can help mitigate all the problems that a Navy base will and already is bringing to Jeju. These are all aside from the dire effects upon an indigenous community which has lived sustainably in this area for thousands of years, in close economic and spiritual relationship to the local environment.

    It will be a great step forward if the IUCN community votes to support the upcoming
    Motion 181: Protection of the People, Nature, Culture and Heritage of Gangjeong Village.

    Thank you so much for your attention.

    EMERGENCY COMMITTEE TO SAVE JEJU ISLAND
    SaveJejuNow@gmail.com
    Christine Ahn
       Global Fund for Women; Korea Policy Institute
    Imok Cha, MD
       Physician; Save Jeju Now
    Jerry Mander
       Inter’l Forum on Globalization; Foundation for Deep Ecology
    Koohan Paik
       Kauai Alliance for Peace and Security
    ************

    NOTE: Protected coral species found in Jeju Soft Coral Habitat
    Song. 2009. Jeju Coast Soft Coral Habitat, Coral Distribution Study, Consolidated Report.
    1. Dendronephthya suensoni¸ 1
    2. Dendronephthya mollis¸ 1
    3. Dendronephthya putteri¸ 1
    4. Dendronephthya alba¸ 1
    5. Dendronephthya castanea¸ 1
    6. Euplexaura crassa¸ 1
    7. Plexauroides complexa¸ 1
    8. Verrucella stellata¸ 1
    9. Montipora trabeculata¸ 4
    10. Pasammocora profundacella¸ 4
    11. Alveopora japonica¸ 4
    12. Caryophyllia (C.) japonica¸ 4
    13. Dendronephthya arbuscular¸ 4
    14. Dendronephthya b. boschmai¸ 4
    15. Tubastraea coccinea¸ 1,4
    16. Cirripathes anguina, 4
    17. Antipathes densa, 4
    18. Antipathes dubia, 4
    19. Antipathes grandiflora, 4
    20. Myriopathes bifaria, 4
    21. Myriopathes japonjca, 1,2,4
    22. Myriopathes lata, 3,4
    23. Myriopathes stechowi, 4
    24. Plumapathes pennacea, 4

    Numbers on the right indicate Conservation Status:
    1) Endangered Species Level II, The Ministry of Environment of Korea
    2) Natural Monument No. 456, The Cultural Heritage Administration of Korea
    3) Natural Monument No. 457, The Cultural Heritage Administration of Korea
    4) CITES II

  • Motion on Gangjeong Village

    Motion 181: Protection of the People, Nature, Culture and Heritage of Gangjeong Village

    World Appeal to Protect the People, Nature, Culture and Heritage of Gangjeong Village

    UNDERSTANDING that Gangjeong Village, also known as the Village of Water, on the island of Jeju, also known as Peace Island, is a coastal area home to thousands of species of plants and animals, lava rock freshwater tide pools (“Gureombi”), endangered soft coral reefs, freshwater springs, sacred natural sites, historic burial grounds, and nearly 2,000 indigenous villagers, including farmers, fishermen, and Haenyo women divers, that have lived sustainably with the surrounding marine and terrestrial environment for nearly 4000 years;

    NOTING that Gangjeong Village is an Ecological Excellent Village (Ministry of Environment, ROK) of global, regional, national and local significance, sharing the island with a UNESCO designated Biosphere Reserve and Global Geological Park, and is in close proximity to three World Heritage Sites and numerous other protected areas;

    NOTING that numerous endangered species live in and around Gangjeong Village, including the Boreal Digging Frog (Kaloula borealis) listed on IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Species; the red-footed crab (Sesarma intermedium); the endemic Jeju fresh water shrimp (Caridina denticulate keunbaei); and the nearly extinct Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins;
    NOTING the global uniqueness of the Jeju Soft Coral habitats, designated as Natural Monument 422 of Korea: the only location in the world known to have temperate octocoral species forming a flourishing ecosystem on a substrate of andesite, providing ecological balance to the Jeju marine environment and the development of the human culture of Gangjeong Village for thousands of years;
    UNDERSCORING that of the 50 coral species found in the Soft Coral habitats near Gangjeong, 27 are indigenous species, and at least16 are endangered species and protected according to national and international law, including Dendronephthya suensoni, D. putteri, Tubastraea coccinea, Myriopathes japonica, and M. lata;

    THEREFORE CONCERNED of the Civilian-Military Complex Tour Beauty project, a 50-hectare naval installation, being constructed within and adjacent to Gangjeong Village, estimated to house more than 8,000 marines, up to 20 warships, several submarines, and cruise liners;

    NOTING the referendum of Gangjeong Village on August 20, 2007, in which 725 villagers participated and 94% opposed the construction;

    ACKNOWLEDGING that the construction of the military installation is directly and irreparably harming not only the biodiversity, but the culture, economy and general welfare of Gangjeong Village, one of the last living remnants of traditional Jeju culture;

    NOTING the Absolute Preservation Act, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province (1991) and that Gangjeong Village was named an Absolute Preservation Area on October 27, 2004: a permanent designation to conserve the original characteristics of an environment from the surge in development, therefore prohibiting construction, the alteration of form and quality of land, and the reclamation of public water areas;

    CONCERNED that this title was removed in 2010 to allow for the Naval installation, and that this step backwards in environmental protection violates the Principle of Non-Regression;

    RECALLING the numerous IUCN Resolutions and Recommendations that note, recognize, promote and call for the appropriate implementation of conservation policies and practices that respect the human rights, roles, cultural diversity, and traditional knowledge of indigenous peoples in accordance with international agreements;

    CONCERNED of reports that the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) for the naval construction was inaccurate and incomplete and may have violated well-known principles of international law concerning EIAs, transparency, public and indigenous participation, right to know, and free, prior and informed consent;

    CONCERNED of the destruction of sacred natural sites in and near Gangjeong Village, noting that the protection of sacred natural sites is one of the oldest forms of culture based conservation (Res. 4.038 recognition and conservation of sacred natural sites in Protected Areas);

    ACKNOWLEDGING that IUCN’s Mission is “To influence, encourage and assist societies throughout the world to conserve the integrity and diversity of nature and to ensure that any use of natural resources is equitable and ecologically sustainable;” and that “equity cannot be achieved without the promotion, protection and guarantee of human rights.”;

    NOTING Resolution 3.022 Endorsement of the Earth Charter (Bangkok, 2004) that endorsed the Earth Charter as “the ethical guide for IUCN policy and programme,” and that the military installation is contrary to every principle of the Earth Charter;

    NOTING the U.N. World Charter for Nature (1982), and that the military installation is contrary to each of its five principles of conservation by which all human conduct affecting nature is to be guided and judged;

    AND ALARMED by reports of political prisoners, deportations, and restrictions on freedom of assembly and speech, including the arrests of religious leaders, for speaking against the naval installation and for speaking in promotion of local, national, regional and world conservation and human rights protections;

    NOTING Res. 2.37 Support for environmental defenders, “UNDERSTANDING that the participation of non-governmental organizations and individual advocates is essential to the fundamentals of civil society to assure the accountability of governments and multinational corporations; and AWARE that a nation’s environment is only truly protected when concerned citizens are involved in the process;”

    NOTING principles enshrined in the Draft International Covenant on Environment and Development such as those concerning military and hostile activities (Art. 36), culture and natural heritage (Art. 26), and the collective rights of indigenous peoples (Art. 15);

    FURTHER ACKNOWLEDGING that militarization does not justify the destruction of a community, a culture, endangered species or fragile ecosystems;

    AND UNDERSCORING that IUCN’s aim is to promote a just world that values and conserves nature, and the organization sees itself as nature’s representative and patrons of nature;

    The IUCN World Conservation Congress at its 5th session in Jeju, Republic of Korea, 6-15 September 2012:

    1. REAFFIRMS its commitment to the UN World Charter for Nature and the Earth Charter;

    2. CALLS ON the Republic of Korea to:

    (a) immediately stop the construction of the Civilian-Military Complex Tour Beauty;

    (b) invite an independent body, to prepare a fully transparent scientific, cultural, and legal assessment of the biodiversity and cultural heritage of the area and make it available to the public; and

    (c) fully restore the damaged areas.

    Sponsor – Center for Humans and Nature

    Co-Sponsors
    -Chicago Zoological Society (USA)
    -International Council of Environmental Law (Germany)
    -El Centro Ecuatoriano de Derecho Ambiental, CEDA (Ecuador)
    -Sierra Club (USA)
    -Fundacion Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (Argentina)
    -Center for Sustainable Development CENESTA (Iran)
    -Asociación Preserve Planet (Costa Rica)
    -The Christensen Fund (USA)
    -Terra Lingua (Canada)
    -Ecological Society of the Philippines (Philippines)
    -Citizen’s Institute Environmental Studies (Korea)
    -Departamento de Ambiente, Paz y Seguridad, Universidad para la Paz (Costa Rica)
    -Coastal Area Resource Development and Management Association (Bangladesh)
    -Fundação Vitória Amazônica (Brazil)
    -Fundación para el Desarrollo de Alternativas Comunitarias de Conservación del Trópico, ALTROPICO Foundation (Ecuador)
    -Fundación Futuro Latinoamericano (Ecuador)
    -EcoCiencia (Ecuador)
    -Fundación Hábitat y Desarrollo de Argentina (Argentina)
    -Instituto de Montaña (Peru)
    -Asociación Peruana para la Conservación de la Naturaleza, APECO (Peru)
    -Coordinadora de Organizaciones Indígenas de la Cuenca Amazónica, COICA (Ecuador)
    -Fundación Biodiversidad (Argentina)
    -Fundacao Vitoria Amazonica (Brazil)
    -Fundación Urundei (Brazil)
    -Dipartimento Interateneo Territorio Politecnico e Università di Torino (Italy)
    -Programa Restauración de Tortugas Marinas (Costa Rica)
    -Corporación Grupo Randi Randi (Ecuador)
    -Living Oceans Society (Canada)
    -Instituto de Derecho y Economía Ambiental (Paraguay)
    -Korean Society of Restoration Ecology (Korea)
    -Ramsar Network Japan (Japan)
    -The Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (Isreal)
    -Chimbo Foundation (Netherlands)
    -Endangered Wildlife Trust (South Africa)

  • Cover Letter for the IUCN WCC Jeju 2012 Gangjeong Motion

    The following motion was submitted to the IUCN WCC Jeju 2012 Motions Committee. It has 34 co-sponsors, reportedly the most in WCC history.

    TO: Motions Committee
    FROM: Kathryn Kintzele, Esq. Director, Global Programs, Center for Humans and Nature
    Deputy Chair, Ethics Specialist Group, IUCN Commission on Environmental Law
    with
    Dr. J. Ronald Engel, founder of the IUCN Ethics Working Group (1984)
    Dr. George Rabb, Honorary IUCN Member and former Chair of the IUCN SSC (1989-1996)
    The Honorable Kang Dong-Kyun, Mayor of Gangjeong Village
    DATE: September 9, 2012
    RE: EMERGENCY MOTION SUBMISSION: MOTION ON THE GANGJEONG VILLAGE

    In accordance with paragraph 52 of the Rules of Procedure of the World Conservation Congress, the Center for Humans and Nature as sponsor, and the 34 co-sponsors listed below, submit this emergency motion regarding the Civilian Military Complex Tour Beauty being built in and near Gangjeong Village, Seogwipo Province, Jeju Island, Republic of Korea:

    World Appeal to Protect the People, Nature, Culture and Heritage of Gangjeong Village

    As required, more than three of the following five criteria have been met and are explained as follows. Please note that what is listed is only a small part of what could be listed.

    I. Subject is new, means that the issue which is the subject of the resolution or recommendation has arisen within ninety days before the start of the session of the World Conservation Congress;

    1. Gangjeong Village, the party most directly affected by the naval construction, did not have access to information regarding the nature of IUCN or the process to bring their concerns to IUCN. They first learned about it from IUCN members responding to their July 11, 2012 Open Letter. They were never approached by the host country about membership, workshops, motions, etc., as was done with other NGOs, universities and government bodies.
    2. IUCN members outside of the country were assured by the Union that everything was appropriately being carried forward, and new information emerged over the course of the last 90 days that this was not true.
    3. The EIA was only completed after villagers filed suit, and did not involve input from the local community. It was released to the Gangjeong Villagers on July 18th, and the subsequent translations and/or disbursement to scientists and academics was around July 26th. Knowing the IUCN Congress was quickly approaching, well respected and dedicated scientists immediately flew to the country to make a proper assessment of the species at risk. The revised assessment from a team of scientists with Endangered Species International was received September 3, 2012, ENDANGERED SPECIES RELOCATION ASSESSMENT, CIVILIAN-MILITARY COMPLEX PORT DEVELOPMENT, JEJU ISLAND, SOUTH KOREA. (entire report available).
      1. Findings from the habitat and species relocation assessments show failed relocation for the endangered K. borealis where all breeding frogs were left on site and only tadpoles were removed. The released tadpoles are thought to have a low survival rate due to the presence of potential predators.
      2. The relocation of the C. denticulata keunbaei was incomplete, as a population still remained on site. Further, 5,300 shrimps were released downstream along Gangjeong Creek where a population of C. denticulata keunbaeis had already been established. This increased the risk of surpassing the carrying capacity of this area. Shrimps should have been released at other alternative suitable sites to increase the chance of their survival.
      3. Also in August, a second scientific team conducted an underwater survey of Jeju soft coral habitat and completed four dives at three locations in two days, the Coral Garden, the light house vicinity, and Seo Gun Do.  The lead scientist stated “As a specialist in Octocorallia (soft corals), it is my duty, and my honor, to help the local villagers defend their environment and their way of life, and their beautiful octocorals to which I am so devoted. I have been studying Octocorallia all around the world, in both the Atlantic (Florida, Puerto Rico, Belize, Mexico, Jamaica, Bermuda) and the Pacific (the Philippines, Australia, Fiji, New Caledonia,Thailand, Chuuk, Hawaii, Japan and Okinawa) for 42 years. I can state unequivocally, based on my personal observations and a review of pertinent scientific literature, that Jeju’s octocoral assemblages are unique, spectacular, and worthy of special protection. They form the largest and most spectacular temperate Octocoral forests known on Earth. Jeju’s soft coral habitat has not been reported outside of Korea. It’s existence is yet unknown to the international soft coral society.” (full report available)
      4. The irrevocable nature of the damage has become apparent as the caissons were built in the last 90 days and cannot be removed without explosives.
      5. The government currently gives the impression that this project has the consent of the citizens of Gangjeong. On April 26, 2007, the previous mayor held a small referendum where 87 villagers were present, and for the first time, counted a vote through clapping. However, only upon recent fact-finding was it discovered that there was a referendum on August 20, 2007: 725 villagers voted, 680 voted against, 36 voted for, and 9 votes were defective; therefore 94% of voters were in opposition of the project. This second referendum is not recognized by the government.
      6. Dr. Imok Cha, a highly respected oncologist and registered participant of IUCN, was deported on September 4th for the first time in her life. She was invited as a panelist to the official CEL workshop on ethics. She was helping the villagers to understand the EIA and the scientific gaps of the document. No reason was given for her deportation.
      7. Umisedo Yutaka and Matsushima Yusuke, members of Save the Dugong, a new IUCN member as of WCC4 Barcelona, were deported on September 6th. They are listed partners of Save Jeju Now.
      8. In the past three months, numerous requests were made to the DG, President and other IUCN Secretariat leadership to create a space for the discussion of the naval base, and all requests were denied. When members modified their own workshops to give the issue a voice, and made it known during the weeks before the WCC, they were targeted and questioned by IUCN Secretariat.
      9. The Korean Navy gave its first press conference on the naval base on September 6th, stating it as ‘eco-friendly.’ The level of green-washing taking place is something new, urgent and unforeseen. We are concerned that private and public sectors from around the world are misusing the term ‘green’, ‘green economy’, and ‘green growth’, similar to the misuse of the term ‘sustainable development’ historically (Res. 1.46 Use of the Concept of Sustainable Development, “CONCERNED THAT in practice environmental factors are not yet fully incorporated into all projects and programmes which are termed “sustainable development”).

    II. Subject is urgent, means a matter in respect of which developments are about to take place soon after the World Congress and upon which a resolution or recommendation of the World Congress may reasonably be expected to have an impact;

    1. Due to their protests, many villagers are in prison and awaiting trial.
    2. Construction and dredging is taking place, and the pace is increasing, day and night.
    3. Deportations are increasing, and includes nationals and internationals.
    4. Over the past few months, arrests and police brutality have been increasing, from four raids a day, upwards to ten. 100-300 police a day march out to push the protesters aside and make arrests. In addition to the arrests, particularly of religious leaders, and the lack of transparency and indigenous participation in decision-making, a January 2012 report was made by the Asian Human Rights Commission “Case of Gangjeong: good example of worst governance.”
    5. Unless action is taken immediately, the loss of biodiversity, the loss of this ecosystem, and the loss of this community, will be irrevocable.
    6. The caissons are being set in place, and once they are placed, there is no way they can be removed except through explosives.
    7. Water supply of this southern region of Jeju comes from an aquifer in the village that is being irrevocably destroyed.
    8. The tangerine farms in Gangjeong and the soft corals are already seeing damage due to the settling dust from the construction. Entire fields of tangerines are rotting. This is directly impacting their economy today.
    9. Registered Korean participants are being searched for Gangjeong Village materials when they enter the WCC which are then immediately taken away. In the DG’s letter, she stated that they would be able to hand materials out.
    10. Registered participants and invited speakers from the village are afraid to enter the WCC, that they will be harassed by the alarmingly high levels of police, military and security. One registered participant had her sticker ripped from her IUCN badge after entering the conference center.
    11. The construction has already fenced off coastline that is integral to the welfare and survival of the villagers: this winter, for the first time in 4,000 years, the villagers will not be able to gather the many seaweeds that grow on the Gureombi, a main source of sustenance.

    III. Subject could not have been foreseen, means a matter which, while not itself new, has been the subject of developments within ninety days before the start of the session of the World Congress which call for action by the World Congress;

    1. It would seem reasonable that IUCN would anticipate issues of this fundamental seriousness within the host country, and in such close vicinity to the Congress site, and prepare a vehicle by which it could be discussed and objectively assessed by the membership. It was unforeseen that IUCN did not inform the membership or provide a space for dialogue at the Congress.
    2. Typhoon Bolaven hit the island around August 27, 2012, damaging all seven caissons and other structures, giving evidence to the scientific geographical inappropriateness of the base. Typhoons hit Jeju many times each year and are increasing in intensity due to climate change.
    3. Samsung, the sponsor of WCC, was not promoted on the official IUCN WCC site until the WCC opened. Samsung funds the naval installation. This is the same concern for Hyundai. So, not only is IUCN not informing its participants of the issue, but they are taking financial support from one of the developers of the base. IUCN has a duty to investigate its partnerships.
    4. The formal application of a booth was denied to the villagers, due to ‘on-site partners’ (August 28, 2012 IUCN Statement Responding to the Third Open Letter) on August 22. It was completely unknown to membership that a host country or ‘on-site partners’ could have any censorship role in the policy and programme of IUCN.

    IV. arises out of deliberations of the World Congress, means a matter which has been discussed at any officially scheduled matter during the World Congress; including business and conservation sittings, technical meetings, Commission meetings, meetings of working groups or associated meetings;

    1. The need for a motion was discussed at the IUCN CEL Commission Meeting, Days 1 and 2; the Knowledge Cafe on September 7th, A Case Study in Integrating Ethics into the Management of Water Ecosystems, “The Loss of Wild Rivers and Coastal Communities in Korea: reconciling IUCN partnerships and their vision of a just world that values and conserves nature” hosted by the Ethics Specialist Group, IUCN Commission on Environmental Law; Save Jeju Now; Gangjeong Village Association; the Water-Culture Institute; the Water Ethics Network; and the Center for Humans and Nature; and is the focus of the CEL Workshop on September 10th.
    2. The Knowledge Café was the largest in the known history of any of the involved members, drawing numerous media and over 30 participants, all surrounding a single table. Our membership yearned for this information. They care about the issue and want a stop to the construction of the base, a stop to the destruction of the people and nature.

    This motion needs to be voted upon, for the future of this village, for the future of this island, for the future of the people and species that live here, and for the future of IUCN as a leader in the international environmental forum. This is an issue of democracy, transparency, conservation, science, law and ethics. This is an issue of a small village, a unique and disappearing culture, surrounded by complex and fragile biodiversity, and all immediately and irrevocably threatened.

    Thank you for your attention.

    Sponsor – Center for Humans and Nature

    Co-Sponsors

    -Chicago Zoological Society (USA)
    -International Council of Environmental Law (Germany)
    -El Centro Ecuatoriano de Derecho Ambiental, CEDA (Ecuador)
    -Sierra Club (USA)
    -Fundacion Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (Argentina)
    -Center for Sustainable Development CENESTA (Iran)
    -Asociación Preserve Planet (Costa Rica)
    -The Christensen Fund (USA)
    -Terra Lingua (Canada)
    -Ecological Society of the Philippines (Philippines)
    -Citizen’s Institute Environmental Studies (Korea)
    -Departamento de Ambiente, Paz y Seguridad, Universidad para la Paz (Costa Rica)
    -Coastal Area Resource Development and Management Association (Bangladesh)
    -Fundação Vitória Amazônica (Brazil)
    -Fundación para el Desarrollo de Alternativas Comunitarias de Conservación del Trópico, ALTROPICO Foundation (Ecuador)
    -Fundación Futuro Latinoamericano (Ecuador)
    -EcoCiencia (Ecuador)
    -Fundación Hábitat y Desarrollo de Argentina (Argentina)
    -Instituto de Montaña (Peru)
    -Asociación Peruana para la Conservación de la Naturaleza, APECO (Peru)
    -Coordinadora de Organizaciones Indígenas de la Cuenca Amazónica, COICA (Ecuador)
    -Fundación Biodiversidad (Argentina)
    -Fundacao Vitoria Amazonica (Brazil)
    -Fundación Urundei (Brazil)
    -Dipartimento Interateneo Territorio Politecnico e Università di Torino (Italy)
    -Programa Restauración de Tortugas Marinas (Costa Rica)
    -Corporación Grupo Randi Randi (Ecuador)
    -Living Oceans Society (Canada)
    -Instituto de Derecho y Economía Ambiental (Paraguay)
    -Korean Society of Restoration Ecology (Korea)
    -Ramsar Network Japan (Japan)
    -The Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (Isreal)
    -Chimbo Foundation (Netherlands)
    -Endangered Wildlife Trust (South Africa)

     

  • An Independent Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of Coral Communities Surrounding the Intended Site of the Gangjeong Naval Base – Including Analysis of Previous Research and Findings

    Image: Kim Jin-Soo

    Environmental Assessment recently released by Simon Ellis, Dr. Katherine Muzik, Imok Cha, Sanghoon Yun, Boram Bae and Jinsoo Kim, regarding the destructive impact the Jeju Naval Base will have on the soft coral communities of in and around Gangjeong. From the Report:

    1.0 Executive Summary The purpose of this EIA was to independently assess the health and threats to the unique coral communities in the Gangjeong area, which are threatened by the construction of the Gangjeong naval base. A field site visit was made to Gangjeong on Jeju, South Korea from August 20-25th, 2012. Six days of survey diving were planned but bad weather curtailed this work to the study of only two sites immediately adjacent, east and west of the base construction site. Results from the underwater surveys and a review of existing literature and reports pertaining the to base construction and Jeju’s coral populations were used to formulate the following findings and recommendations:

    • Construction of the Gangjeong naval base will cause immediate death to thousands of endangered coral species by being crushed or smothered with sedimentation.
    • Long term sedimentation caused by the construction of the base will reduce food availability and increase stress to the coral populations leading to a decrease in coral recruitment and population health.
    • Release of heavy metals and other pollutants into the environment from dredging and filling activities will also stress and potentially kill corals in the areas surround the base.
    • Reduced and changed current patterns around the base will lead to the demise of the coral populations directly east and west of the seawalls. In addition, changes to current patterns may alter water flow to ecologically important areas such and Train Rock and Tiger Islet.
    • Increases in concentrations of the biofouling agents TBT and copper can be expected with increased boat traffic in and out of the base. These biocides inhibit invertebrate reproduction and larval settlement, including corals.
    • Small and constant leakages of oils, fuels and other contaminants from machinery into the waters around the base can be expected. Once dispersed by wave action these poisons can affect coral growth and survival.
    • Propeller wash from the constant large boat traffic in and out of base has a strong potential to cause physical trauma to ecologically important coral populations around Train Rock.
    • Increased sedimentation and pollutants combined with current flow changes and trauma from propeller wash will decrease the coral populations and reduce biodiversity in the area. In addition, coral populations will have a reduced ability to spread to new areas due to loss of habitat from sedimentation and lower reproductive success.
    • A major oil leak from the base would cause long-term and possibly irreparable damage to the coral populations in the area.

     

    Click to Download: An Independent Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of Coral Communities Surrounding the Intended Site of the Gangjeong Naval Base – Including Analysis of Previous Research and Findings

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Sacred and Spectacular Soft Corals of Gangjeong by Katherine Muzik, Ph.D.

    We must defend the sacred and spectacularly beautiful Soft Corals of Gangjeong!

    My unbearably sad experiences witnessing coral reef devastation around the world, and especially the irreversible destruction of the Okinawan reefs which I studied for over three decades, motivates me to rise in defense of these beautiful Jeju corals.  We must defend them.  They are spectacularly beautiful, and alive!

    Corals have no voice of their own, but all too frequently, scientific specialists, intimidated by the government institutions in their respective countries, cannot speak out. As a specialist in Octocorallia (soft corals), it is my duty, and my honor, to help the local villagers defend their environment and their way of life, and their beautiful octocorals to which I am so devoted.

    I have been studying Octocorallia all around the world, in both the Atlantic (Florida, Puerto Rico, Belize, Mexico, Jamaica, Bermuda) and the Pacific (the Philippines, Australia, Fiji, New Caledonia,Thailand, Chuuk, Hawaii, Japan and Okinawa) for 42 years. I can state unequivocally, based on my personal observations and a review of pertinent scientific literature, that Jeju’s octocoral assemblages are unique, spectacular, and worthy of special protection. They form the largest and most spectacular temperate Octocoral forests known on Earth. Particularly convincing are Dr. Jun-Im Song’s prolific and exhaustive reports on their taxonomy, reproduction and distribution, replete with numerous photographs and detailed topographical maps.  My recent communications to discuss the flourishing Guangjeong octocorals with scientists and underwater photographers, working in Australia, the Red Sea, Taiwan, Micronesia, Japan and Indonesia, all serve to confirm my words.

    So peculiar and surprisingly beautiful are Jeju’s Octocoral forests that they were designated as Korean Natural Monument #442 and a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. They feature high coral coverage on a substrate of ancient Andesite lava, and depend on the warm and rich Tsushima Current, a branch of the Kuroshio, to form diverse habitats from 5 to 60m deep. Unlike tropical coral reefs, Jeju’s temperate octocoral assemblages are unusual in being dominated by species without zooxanthellae (symbiotic algae) in their tissues.  Lacking these algae to provide them nutrients, they must capture food with their typical, eight (hence, “octo”-corals) feathery tentacles around the mouths of each flower-like polyp animal forming a coral colony. They are sessile suspension-feeders, meaning that each coral is fixed in one position for its lifetime, and its polyps capture food (plankton and dissolved organic matter) as it passes by in the ocean currents.  Their presence is quintessential as habitat for other marine life, including other invertebrates and fishes, very much like trees in a forest provide home for other creatures.

    However, because they are permanently attached, octocorals are unfortunately unable to escape the threats of man’s activities. They are defenseless.  Construction and operation of the proposed 125-acre commercial port and military facility would bring them certain disaster, and in fact, already has.

    Recently, typhoon Bolaven wrecked seven 8,800 ton caissons made of cement, and sent them along with thousands of huge cement tetrapods, crashing down into the sea, causing havoc and destruction which can only worsen with continued construction activities.

    Apart from the devastating typhoon, the Base at Jeju had already brought Okinawa-style destructive shoreline development. Nearly all the shoreline around the main island of Okinawa, where I lived for eleven years, is lined with cement. Huge cement tetrapods and storm walls, huge tracts of reclaimed land blanketed in cement, and massive cement port facilities characterize the Okinawan seaside. Will Jeju’s pretty southern coastline soon resemble Okinawa’s?

    Construction of the proposed port activities would continue to load the waters with lethal sediments during the planned 4-year construction phase.  We must stop construction! It is destruction! These toxic sediments will be kept re-suspended by continuous ship-traffic after construction, not to mention by the storms and typhoons, which are increasing in power and frequency. And, the completed port will surely alter the currents which bring the corals their crucial plankton diet, and which are essential for distribution of their planktonic larvae.

    Shoreline cement construction projects not only alter water currents and destroy corals, they also destroy terrestrial habitats. For example, the insatiable need for rock to make cement has led to decimation of mountains in northern Okinawa. Also, kilning of rock used for cement with coal has contributed to intolerable increases in atmospheric pollution and mercury pollution in our seas and our seafood, worldwide. The proposed Jeju Base construction will require massive amounts of cement. From where will the cement rock, and the coal for the Jeju port be obtained? What other habitats will be ruined? How much more air and water pollution will surely result?

    I first fell in love with the purple octocoral “sea fans”, over 60 years ago, as a child playing in the pristine blue waters of Puerto Rico. I was fascinated, watching them dance and sway in the ocean currents. To see the demise, worldwide, of these beautiful marine creatures, in just my lifetime, by pollution, global warming, acidification, and now, military-industrial greed, is heartbreaking.  Given the accelerated pace of deterioration of coral reefs everywhere, how can we allow one of the most beautiful octocoral forests in the world, which provides natural, cultural and economic resources to a community and a country, to be destroyed forever?

  • Five Anti-Base Activists Occupy Caisson in Hwasoon, Jeju

    Updated Below!

    As South Korean state oppression increases in light of the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) 2012 WCC (World Conservation Congress), with three Okinawans, one Japanese, denied entry on September 5th, and the entry denial of Imok Cha on September 3rd, Gangjeong villagers and activists are not giving into fear of unjust government attacks, something they have dealt with for 5 years.

    On September 6th, the opening day of the 2012 WCC in Jeju, 5 anti-base activists climbed a 10 meter high, 8,800 ton caisson in Hwasoon Port, about a 40 minute car ride from Gangjeong village. Samsung is making these massive concrete caissons there and shipping them to Gangjeong, where they plan to use them to build the huge piers of the naval base.

    The five simultaneously released a statement, translated and excerpted here:

    Given that it is clear that the Jeju Naval base to be built in Gangjeong Village will be a military outpost of the United States, we cannot stand for our Gangjeong Village, Our Jeju Island to be in the middle of a conflict between an expanding China and the United States containment efforts. We know that the destruction of Gangjeong Village and Jeju, the Peace Island, will become the suffering of all our people. […]

    Because of the recent typhoons, all seven caisson [brought so far to Gangjeong], the symbol of the Jeju Naval Base construction, were completely broken to pieces and left under the Gangjeong Sea. Still the Navy and [construction companies] Samsung and Daelim continue to eagerly produce new caisson in Hwasoon Port […]

    Many villagers, religious figures, and peace activists have been injured, arrested, and imprisoned to stop this naval base construction (destruction) in the village.

    Even though our power might be small, we will fight with all our strength against this enormous dominating power, symbolized by this caisson.

    Therefore we will eventually REVOKE the Jeju naval base project, save the peace of Gangjeong and the peace of all humanity

    The action began around dawn, with the 5 protestors scaling the caisson and displaying three large banners, two in Korean, on in English which said, “No! Naval Base in Jeju!” At approximately 7:30 a.m., construction workers violently assaulted the occupiers and began destroying the banners. The police began arresting the protestors by 8:30 a.m. 3 were arrested first as two of the protestors had chained themselves. Finally by 9 a.m. all were arrested and are, as of this posting, in police custody in the Seogwipo police station. Two of them are complaining of strong back pain as a result of assault by the workers. As of this time, the charges appear to be “Group Trespass of a Facility”.

    The aforementioned caissons are a subject of major contention by the anti-base activists and Gangjeong villagers. In the late 90s, years before the Jeju Naval base construction was even begun, the South Korean Ministry of Construction and Traffic declared that, due to the topography and weather of the South Jeju Sea, caissons were not proper to be used for construction in this area.

    Completely ignoring this statement, the Navy/Construction company plan calls for  total of 144 caissons to be dropped in the total conservation area of the Gangjeong Sea of Southern Jeju. These massive caissons are also being dropped only 1km from a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site and amidst Korean some of the worlds largest soft coral habitats. Soft coral is also a natural monument and endangered species in Korean.

    When Samsung first began to bring the caisson to Gangjeong, it was discovered that they had not even done a simple and legally required inspection of the giant floating dock which is used to transport them. Samsung was later fined for this highly dangerous action.

    Finally, two recent typhoons have been completely destroyed the 7 poorly made and dangerously placed thus far in the Gangjeong Sea. Their wreckage has litered the sea floor and contaminated the famously clean waters of Gangjeong. Learning nothing from this, Samsung continues to produce the caisson and will not change their plan. The Gangjeong sea is in a state of environmental emergency and if these unstable, unfit, and dangerous caissons continue to be dropped in this precious environment, the destruction could turn catastrophic.

    In light of this new emergency, and the ongoing emergency of the illegal, unjust, and environmental destructive construction of the Jeju Naval Base in Gangjeong, the Gangjeong Village Association applied for a booth at the WCC 2012, to spread the word of this disaster. However, this booth was rejected by the IUCN under pressure from the South Korean Government and Samsung, a major sponsor of the WCC and primary destroyer of Gangjeong.

     Please spread the word on this action and the Gangjeong Struggle. Especially, IUCN members, we appeal to you to listen to the cry of Gangjeong!

     Peace in Gangjeong! No Naval Base!

    More Photos Available Here

    Update:

    The five caisson occupiers in police custody at the Dongbu Police Station in Jeju City.

  • Caisson production is illegally and unreliably being done: Gangjeong villagers’ statement on the navy’s illegal destruction of environment

    Below is the translation of the Gangjeong Village Association’s statement on May 22, 2012. (Sorry for any mistakes for hurried translation in advance). You can see the original Korean script here.

    …………………………………………………..

    Title: The Jeju Island government should take stern legal action on illegal and unreliable construction (destruction) of the Jeju naval base project!

    The caissons that would be thrown down in the construction area of the Jeju naval base project are of giant structure of 38m length, 25m width and 20m height for each. Considering such giant structure of 8,800 ton for each, it should be natural that the [steel] frames of those should be strictly made as in the layout. However, there has been a controversy that the frames of the caissons [..] have been made unreliably.

    (# The Jeju Sori May 12 article reports on the raised suspicion on unreliable caisson production by Samsung, see the bottom)

    [The government] has seriously ignored democratic procedure without holding any hearings for the villagers during its process to get villagers’ agreement but allowing only the people who were bribed before; has annulled absolute preservation areas [in the village] in snatched way; and has been lack of persuasive explanation on the urgent reasons for security matter. NOT ONLY THAT, even though prior environmental review following the law on protection of natural environment had to be done before selecting location, it was done AFTER A YEAR of location selection while the government having APPROVED the project WITHOUT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT. The whole process of naval base construction (destruction) was of the extreme of irrationality throughout all its process.

    As if it is not enough to get the permission on the altered condition, holding down the law on protection of cultural treasure by the force of the Ministry of National Defense, it PROCESSED construction(destruction) EVEN DURING the excavation period on buried cultural treasures, using shortcut method of so-called ‘partial construction.’ The purported ‘Beautiful Tourism Port for Mixed Civilian-Military Use,’ of which the name was put to deceive the Island people, while the government clearly promoting a military-only port, has been proved out to be DUAL FROM THE BEGINNING.

    While port operation rate has been suspected with the exposal of flawed layout, the Jeju naval base project that is now being in conflict with the position of the Jeju Island government for the matter on the two cruises’ simultaneous port entry & exit is now bringing reputes as the [central government] attempts to establish A MILITARY FACILITY PROTECTION ZONE in the current stage, which can be done ONLY AFTER permission for building completion according to the Port Act (law on harbor and bay). It is really suspicious whether it is truly a national policy further with the matter on unreliable construction (destruction).

    In a word, it is ‘an example of business wasted of national tax’!

    Furthermore, blast has been enforced even though the Gangjeong village association has warned many times that precise investigation is needed on the underground water vein, concerning about the water source of the Gangjeong stream. And now the blast has been enforced, the front sea and the port area of the village are now being increased with damage for daily dirty water, despite no rain. The Jeju Island government that has not taken any measure is committing DERILICTION of DUTY even though it was confirmed that the silt protection layer has never been restored by the result of underwater investigation and the village has submitted the Island government its opinion statement on the date of May 15, demanding construction stop at least until the completion of reduction measure following the law on the Environmental Impact Assessment and Public Waters Act.

    Further unbearable is that the Island governor has not made public any of its position even though he himself was humiliated when a low-level personnel of the Prime Minister Office scolded the Island government for its boycott on the simulation [on May 16] and declared on enforcement of construction (destruction) […] on the very day.

    (The Jeju Island government boycotted the simulation as the Prime Minister office refused to accept its demand on the simulation on three among five cases.)
    The Gangjeong village association strongly demand the below to the navy and Jeju Island government.

    The navy should not hide any more on the unreliable caisson production. It should remove away related caissons not to mention two caissons that it has already provisionally installed in front Sea of Gangjeong [..]

    The Gangjeong village association clearly says that it would constantly take measure of accusation on the chief of the naval base business committee and joint chief of naval operation, by the proofs on the fields of dirty water flow because of enforced destruction despite damage on the silt protection layers.

    The Jeju Island government should take precise investigation on the underground water regarding the Gureombi Rock and should be clearly responsible for its dereliction of duty in post management and supervision of environmental impact assessment based on related laws. If it finally abandons its responsibility, the village association would constantly raise dereliction charge against it with criminal cases. And the village association warns it that the village would stage the movement on the resignation of [governor, Woo Keun-Min] if he is not be with the village despite the fact that it is becoming clear that it is only a naval base ( # not a civilian-military dual port).

    Finally it is nothing but impudicity that the navy that has been allocated only 4.9 billion won for the item of layout compensation because the National Assembly has cut 96% budget on the Jeju naval base project [due to exposed frauds in process and layout of the project] plans to hold an environmental impact assessment fair following [the plan] of building of military official residence, in the Kimjung Culture Hall on May 29. How does the navy dare to hold such fair when its budget for purchase of land for that business that will be taken in the vicinity of the village, has been ALL CUT? If it attempts to place an order on that business by diverting budget previously approved, we would definitely ask it for that charge.

    To save Gangjeong, the Life and Peace village, to realize the Jeju, the Peace Island, and to build peace without threat of war in Korea, Northeast Asia and world, the Gangjeong village association and villagers will fight to the end, along with people in the world who support the Island people and Gangjeong village.

    May 22, 2012

    Gangjeong Village Association

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    Image source: Jeju Sori, May 12, 2012. See more photos here.

    Photo: Jeju Sori, May 12, 2012

     

    Photo: Jeju Sori, May 12, 2012

    Photos presented by an informant to the Jeju Sori. The informant claimed that the caisson-producing subcontract company of Samsung in Hwasoon port has been doing unreliable caisson-production works by reducing the amount of steel frames of caissons, in violation of layout.

    In the photo on the combination of steel frame, lower part is connected with the reinforcing rods of 800mm while upper part is connected with far shorter 200 mm.

    According to that informant, the strength of structure is weaker when the joint of the reinforcing rods is shorter.

    He also said, “If caissons are unreliably constructed, the possibility of damage by shocks due to sea wave and big military vessels when they come alongside the pier becomes higher. Even verification becomes impossible once those caissons are thrown into the sea.

    It is known that about 220 workers including 180 Vietnamese and 40 Koreans are working on caisson production doing all-night works in Hwasoon port.

    The Samsung C & T is to throw 57 caissons of 10 stories height caissons into the 1st work area of the Gangjeong Sea for coming 19 months.

    (# If the construction is completed, it is expected that about 89 caissons will be put into the sea as a whole.)