An outsiders perspective on how things possibly went down this morning.
– Hallo, is this the police? I need your help.
– Yes, again.
– There are three people blocking the entrance to the gate. I know you have been here 7 times a day since 2007. Yes, that is 12 775 times but they are still here.
I have trucks on the inside that need to get out.
And there are trucks on the outside that need to get in.
We need to move all the junk.
All the chairs.
And we need to move the people.
We need to do it now.
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This happens every hour during the day. And every second hour during the night. On an average. Persistance and determination like this is hard to find.
Many of the conscripts look very young. Many look a bit scared or at least confused. They come from the mainland and are circulated every 2-3 weeks. It is doubtful they know what is going on in front of the gates.
Police covering their faces is a thing I have rarely seen. It is not legal either. You, as a representative for the state force should identify yourself.
You are also obliged to identify yourself when you are filming. In the name of security.
Some activists decide to open up a discussion about that.
If you film me and don’t tell me who you are, I will cover my face.
For more than 1825 days these activists have been practicing civil disobedience in the name of peace, determined to stop the building of the base and they are in good company.
A peace keeper, Park Yong-Sung, who stayed in the sit-in tent across the construction gate overnight wrote in the morning of Dec. 17.
Photo by Park Yong-Sung
‘The tree of peace was made near the Gangjeong stream thanks to uncles and peace keepers in Gangjeong who cut and brought trees. The religious elders also helped to make the tree.
However, from the morning, there were construction workers’ physical and mental violence onto us. And the police responded late to such violence, while continuing circling of people with verbal violence.
As the Jejus Christ who was persecuted has become the symbol of peace and love, I hope Gangjeong would be overflowed with peace and love…’
Another peace keepers, Jang Hyun-Woo wrote on the details of violence in the morning of Dec. 17.
Photo by Jang Hyun-Woo. For more photos by Jang Hyun-Woo on Dec. 17, see here.
By Jang Hyun-woo (translated/ for the original site, click here)
Around 6:30am, this morning, cement mixer and general work trucks began to gather one by one in front of the Poonglim resort building (* near the Gangjeong stream and construction gates)
Around 7am, the bows for life and peace began then around 7:35 am, workers came out in front of the naval base construction gate, 5 minutes after their gathering inside the construction site.
They began to remove the lumbers (that the peace keepers had put as barricade) in front of the naval base project committee building complex, while the construction vehicles began to slowly move.. The peace keepers stopped the trucks to come inside the gate of the naval base project building complex. When the trucks were to turn their way to the main gate of construction site, they blocked them in the crossing road.
Among five large and general vehicles, two vehicles entered into the main construction gate while the other three could not make entry but had to return back to the front of the Poonglim resort, waiting for another chance.
It occurred that we were circled by the construction workers, fell down and were injured in four or five places during the process of stopping the vehicles to the main construction gate. It even happened that a male construction worker strangled a neck and pushed the chest of a female peace keeper.
Even though there was no peace keeper who was greatly injured, the Samsung and Daelim construction workers, confirming that the peace keepers had no camera, dared to kick them.
The workers should be inquired for the charges.
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[Dec. 16]Companies install caissons before simulation, which a thorough ignoring of even Island governor’s demand
Photo by Jang Hyun-Woo/ See more photos by Jang Hyun-Woo on Dec. 16, here
Following the Samsung’s input of 8800 ton caisson last night, the Daelim stationed its 3~4,000 ton caisson into the sea this morning.
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.
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.
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 Councilyesterday 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
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 theBusan 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.
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 optimismAround 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.
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.
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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.
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)
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.
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
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 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”.
[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)
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.
The validity of the purpose is lack in the Jeju naval base project
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)
The navy has violated the recommendation items of the Budget and Balance Special Committee of the National Assembly, in 2008.
By the layout, the port will not work even for military function, [therefore waste of people’s tax]
The suspicion that the Jeju naval base is the US base. [Then why South Koreans’ tax?]
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.
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.
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.’
In this month’s issue: The navy pushes to steal more land, water issues, London Samsung Boycott, Construction Mocks Environmental Standards, Prison Letter from Dr. Song Kang-Ho and more!
In this month’s issue: 6000 bows for peace in front of the Governor’s building, special international solidarity feature, harassement of village elderly, Father Mun wins the 5.18 Human Rights Prize, a letter from Guam and more!
[ Video on April 20, 2012] The navy guarantees its own fraud of the Jeju naval base project
Go Gwon-Il, Chairman of the Villagers’ Committee to Stop the Naval Base explains how the navy has distorted the base layout to enforce the project, by showing maps in the navy’s investigation and test report (Jan 2010) on the matters of ship transportation and mooring safety. The below is the summary translation of the video.
1. With a drawn circle of 2km radius from the center of the naval base project area (so called Beautiful tourism port for mixed civilian-military use or Civilian-Military Complex Port for Tour Beauty), the navy cannot avoid to include the UNESCO Bio-sphere Reserve and buffer zones in its base project area.
However, the navy, being aware of such reality, has made a shortcut of setting up environmental impact area around the project, in rectangular not circle.
More ridiculous thing is that the navy, finding that the rectangular form still includes those zones, distorted the square again to a bashed one, only to be looked as if the base would not affect those zones.
2. In the harbor and bay layout (time code, around 1:44), cruise and aircraft carrier are shown to moor in a same dock, which brings only laugh. Further in case of cruise–docking, the ships moored inner side of dock go through difficulty in entry and exit of port, are in need of skillful naval shipbuilding, and are even recommended to use another dock.
It means the cruise should not enter the dock when military vessels already moor. By the propensity of defense facility, there could be no civilian-military dual use port in the world. That is why the navy cannot but conduct such series of frauds in enforcing the project.
3. In the table on the subjective navigation difficulty degree (time code, around 2:50), which ranges from the easiest to the most difficult, the entry & exit of big military vessels are evaluated ‘difficult,’ or ‘very difficult.’ What a waste of tax! It could be interpreted that the navy wants to warn cruise that are bigger than military vessels not to enter such dual use harbor.
Mr. Go Gwon-Il says ( time code, around 3:30)
“The navy sends the villagers in favor of naval base in travel abroad; cheats them as if it would give them with tremendous compensation fee; and makes villagers estrange within themselves. The naval base project is being irrationally driven despite violation of law on cultural assets and of environmental impact assessment, and layout flaws. The project would only profit Samsung and Daelim.”
And we need to move the people.
We need to do it now.
