A protest on the 1st squadron created on Dec. 1, controversy on the 2nd jeju airport construction project, remembering Yang Yong-Chan, seeing the future of Gangjeong village from Pyeongtaek’s experience, confronting the provincial governor, international solidarity, questions about port entry and completion rate, trial update, military plans to write history text books, a photo exhibition on the Gurembi Rock, condolence to the victims of violence in the world and more.
In this April Edition:
The Shifting Laws of Causality: Connecting Gangjeong, April 3rd, and Sewol Tragedy, Gangjeong Solidarity with Sewol struggle, Gangjeong US tour, Korean Screenings of ‘Jeju’s Aching Heart,’ Gangjeong Easter Week report, Interview with a villager, Sail on the Sea of Peace and much more!, Free Dungree and much more!
Rev. Kim Hong-Sool, Busan SPARK/ Image provided by Rev. Kim Hee-Yong. For more photos, see here.
Rev. Kim Hong-Sool, representative of Busan, SPARK, and Rev. Kim Hee-Yong, Gwangju, have taken a fast prayer meeting in solidarity with the sufferings of Prof. Yang Yoon-Mo and Gureombi Rock in front of the Jeju prison from March 26 to 29, 2013, during the Passion week according to the Christian faith before Easter.
Rev. Kim Hee-Yong, Gwangju (Image provided by Rev. Kim Hee-Yong)
Pat Cunningham, a Columban Father said on March 26, “A wonderful expression of solidarity with Prof. Yang as he begins the recovery process back to full health! I pray this week as we remember the sufferings and deep humiliation that Jesus suffered at the hands of his oppressors and the subsequent humiliation of being put on trial and executed as a common criminal despite being an innocent man we pray that no more violence and injustice will be visited on the brave peace makers in Gangjeong village! As people of hope and people of the resurrection we pray that justice will flow like a mighty stream once again and that the village of Gangjeong will return to its rightful custodians-the villagers and not the navy!”
It is told that, when the two visited Prof. Yang Yoon-Mo on the last day, Yang said to them, “I have been lonely to be alone, but was encouraged to hear that you were suffering with me outside. Let’s please gather power together.”
In the press conference ending their fasts, they demanded release of the political prisoners for opposition activities against the Jeju naval base construction, retraction of fine sentence, and construction stop.
In their statement to the citizens and Island people, they stated that it is the crucifixion of this era that there are the imprisonments of the villagers and peace activists who have peacefully made efforts to stop the naval base construction in Gangjoeng and the reality that a community that has lived peacefully from its ancestors is moaning.
They explained that “From the heart to join the pain of the Gureombi Rock though it is a small gesture, we came here to the site of suffering, the Jeju Prison, where Yang Yoon-Mo has carried out decisive action with 52 days’ fast.”
They scolded that “the war is a monster feeding itself with human blood. The humiliating activity to hand over here to the battle field of another country is a shameful deed that is nothing to do with peace and development. The naval base that is constructed destroying the nature and community is not self-reliant defense but [Korea] will be a consumption country for the war material–production corporations and their trash site.”
Press conference ending the four days fast and prayer for the stop of Jeju military base and for the release of Prof. Yang. . .”War cannot be justified for any reasons nor any causes. . .as it is a monster living as eating human blood.” From the left, Rev. Kim Hong-sul, representative of Busan SPARK, and Rev. Kim Hee-yong, representative of Gwangju Citizen Center. . .They have fasted in a tent in front of Jeju prison for the past 4 days from March 26 during the Passion week. (image/ caption provided by Regina Pyon)
Saying on Park Sung-Soo (38), a peace activist that chose a prison labor rather than fines of 1,500,000 KRW, that “a dedicated activist has entered the prison choosing hardships,” they urged to release all the prisoners and retract heavy fine sentences.
They bowed saying that “more than 70 % of the Northwest Youth League that massacred people during the Jeju 4·3 were Christians. Even though we are not representing them, we would like to pay bows of repentance to the Jeju Island people and Gangjeong villagers from the heart to repent our sins.”
Two reverends bow on March 29 (Image source: Headline Jeju, March 29, 2013)
In their ending prayer, mayor Knag Dong-Kyun and chairman Go Gwon-Il joined the event.
‘Trouble is not coming to us but it is for our approaching to it_by Rev. Kim Hee-Yong, March 26, 2013.’ Messages on the wire fence of the Jeju prison (Image source: Jeju Sori, March 26, 2013)
Photo by Lee Wooki/ Dungree working during the summer, 2012
Dungree (Real name: Park Sung-Soo) has stayed in the Gangjeong village since summer 2011. With his unlimited energy and dedication, he produced the videos of daily struggle in Gangjeong almost everyday. His video ‘Gangjeong Style’ made a mega hit. Not only that, he is the one who has diligently collected and listed all the daily human rights violation incidents in the field. Thanks to him, enormous examples of judicature oppression have been known to the world.
Moreover, thanks to his dedication, people nationwide and overseas could be vividly informed about the struggle and suffering of Gangjeong.
Today, on March 25, we got the surprising news from his writing that he is resolute to go to jail not only because he can’t afford fines but he is sorry to young female activists who not only suffer from daily long-time protests in front of gates but also from tremendous fines for their protests.
As of Feb. 2013, average fines against each activist are about $3,000 to $4,000 USD. Some of them are fined of $ 8,000 to $9,000 USD each. The fines against activists have become soared especially after the Presidential election on Dec. 19, 2012. It is a new strategic method of the government to oppress the movement against the Jeju naval base project. See more detail, here.
Dungree has been accused for trespass in 2012 when he entered alone the naval base project committee building complex to protest that the navy had confined, threatened, and harassed two young woman reporters with condemning sexual remarks. The two reporters appealed on the incident later to the Korean human rights committee (though eventually dismissed by the puppet committee)
You can watch the video at the time here. Dungree himself narrates with humor what happened to him on the day, including the reminders of the past crimes of the same navy personnel who have committed human rights violation on two reporters. One of those was lieutenant commander Chung who has openly put a banner of naming protesters as ‘the pro-North Korea left,’ in the village.
Recently Dungree’s appeal to the Supreme Court was dismissed and he has to pay 1,400,000 KRW (which is about $ 1,300 USD).
He was told to be volunteering to appear in the Jeju Prosecutor’s office and was eventually jailed as of 5~6 pm, today, March 25. Currently the Korean law, counts a day for 50,000 KRW(which is about $ 50 USD). It means he has to be imprisoned for 28 days.
Dungree was very resolute to say he does neither want people pay for his fines nor he was visited but receiving letters. He is willing to bear the sufferings that he would encounter in the prison for a month.
He became the first victim of the government’s new strategy to oppress people with the judicature fines. Before him, Prof. Yang Yoon-Mo had been jailed for 10 days because of his protest in 2010 (See the bottom of here) At the time the fines against him was 2,000,000 won and people released him by gathering remaining fines for him despite Yang’s own resolution to be jailed for full period.
The matter is that it would be not only Dungree but that many activists are now at the risk of being jailed because they cannot afford fines. As the judicature oppression will grow, more and more activists will suffer from those burdens of fines.
Image source: Choi Hye-Young/ Dungree during the Island Peace Pilgrim, Summer, 2012
Today March 25, the Jeju media says that the Ministry of Strategic Planning allocated the budget for the naval base project. As the 70 days’ period ended on March 11 and the Island governor jointly signed with the central government on the civilian-military joint usage protocol on March 14, the acceleration of construction speed has been expected.
Tomorrow, March 26, the villagers will fight again to dissipate the navy’s presentation on military residential housing project. The villagers had an emergency general meeting on March 24. The Gangjeong Village Association concerned about saying that “Even though the naval base construction has not been completed, the navy is again raging wind with the matter of the military residence house in the Gangjeong village. The naval base would bring lots of conflicts such as radar base, helipad, powder magazine, training facilities, military airport, and more and more military residential house projects..”
Photo by Dungree on March 24, Sunday/One of his photos that he took on Sunday, March 24, just before the day of his imprisonment. See more of his photos , here.
Reverends, Kim Hong-Soul and Kim Hee-Young will take solidarity fasts with Yang Yoon-Mo from March 26 to 29. The peace activists will take daily one man protest in front of the Jeju Prosecutors’ Office to denounce the judicature oppression upon the jailing of Dungree.
As Dungree appealed to people in his writing, please become a member of the Gangjeong Friends that gathers members from the domestic and international to support the fines for activists, campaign for Life and Peace Gangjeong Village and movement for Demilitarizing Jeju, the Peace Island.
You may contact gangjeongintl@gmail.com.
Photo by Song Dong-Hyo/ Dunguree Park Seong-su on August 24, 2011 when mayor Kang of Gangjeong village was arrested. . . Memorable day that lots of Gangjeong villagers protested to block the arrest of mayor Kang. . .Overnight protest has continued in front of Seogwipo police station (Caption by Regina Pyon)Photo by Abigail Yu/ Dungree working in the field when mayor Kang was arrested in Aug. 24, 2011.
In this November Edition:
