“Writers Action 1219” held the “Gangjeong Village Peace Library Proposal Ceremony” in front of the Jeju Naval Base project construction gate on November 21. 23 representatives from the group attended and joined the civil disobedience campaign, joined by activists, villagers, and Catholic fathers. Below is their official statement made at the ceremony. Click here For further details and pictures.
We Want to Arm Gangjeong Village with Literature:
Proposal for the Creation of a Gangjeong Village Peace Library
As we stand here today each of us carries a book. We know that fire could turn this book to a handful of ashes. Water could turn it to a lump of batter. It could also be torn to pieces and scattered by the Gangjeong wind. But we know that it is the son of a tree, so it is the breath of the forest and the heart of nature. We know that the salamander and the red-foot crab live together in it, and the Aster Yomena and Cladium chinensis Nees plants grow together, and we know that life and anima are connected like the stonewalls of this village. Above all things, we know that the heart of this book is like the Gureombi Rock.
Therefore, today, we would like to launch this villager and civil group cooperative project, the “Creation of the Gangjeong Village Peace Library”. For the red-foot crab to crawl, the Cladium chinensis Nees to sway, and for the natives’ laughter to be heard by those that pass through Gureombi. For the Sarangbang [a type of traditional Korean guestroom] of beautiful life to protect and live with this sea longer than billy clubs, guns, swords, and cannons. We will arm this village with hearts of hope, peace, and solidarity against their arms of domination, hegemony, and war.
But literature does not occupy peace through destruction and replacement. We will not “build a library in Gangjeong Village” but “build Gangjeong village into a library”. We will clean and repair an old and empty house and connect homes to each other so that the whole village can be a library. We will create a library where adults can read books, children can dream, and together they can share stories, creating a presence of peace. This project will not end in a moment but will be forever with Gangjeong village.
We are going to put our effort into creating the Gangjeong Village Peace Library.
One, we will let everyone know about the meaning and necessity of the Peace Library through paper and action.
One, we will share everything necessary for creating the Peace Library and actively participate in the particulars of preparation.
One, we will steadfastly contribute to the Peace Library, the literature we have published thus far and will publish in the future.
One, we will participate joyfully in various literature events, lectures, and etc., which the Peace Library will hold in the future.
As we stand here today each of us carries a book. Tomorrow, we will become these books and protect this place as that book. Each letter in the book will crawl out like the Japanese mitten crab, wanting to see a recovered Gureombi, recovered lives, and a peaceful, beautiful Gangjeong Sea again. Because we believe literature is the food of Peace and solidarity for hope.
We desire that villagers and civil groups participate together in the preparation of this project and our will is that this project will lead to the total annulment of the Gangjeong Village U.S. Naval Base.
November 21, 2012
Seong-ho Ham & Sun-woo Kim
Gangjeong Village Peace Library Project “Writers Gathering” Preparation Representatives
On Tuesday, November 21, several members of SOS (Save Our Seas), the Gangjeong ocean observation, monitoring, and action team, reunited after several months of focusing on other activities (and several members months long imprisonment). Four members, decided to take two kayaks, one turned into a homemade sailboat, out to the sea to observe the construction. Their plan was to circle the construction site legally from the outside, observe and take pictures and video. They also just to go out to sea for the first time in several months.
The weather was a bit cold and overcast, but it was not dangerous or excessively windy and there were no sea weather warnings. All four members are excellent swimmers and kayakers as well as licensed divers. They also all wore heavy winter wet suits, both for warmth and safety. The members brought their kayaks to Gangjeong port, a small public port, and put their boats in the water. Upon doing so, the coast guard ran to them and began questioning them about their plans and motive. Since Korea is supposedly a free democracy and not a police state, the members merely replied that they were going to the ocean and felt no further need to give more details.
Coast Guard boats intercept the kayaks
As the SOS members got in the Kayaks and took off, they were suddenly surrounded by Coast Guard ships and officers. Without any announcement or information, the coast guard officers jumped in the water and began blocking the kayaks. They then grabbed the kayaks and began pulling and pushing them back to the shore. SOS members struggled nonviolently with the coast guard who continued to attack them and restrict their rights and freedom without any explanations.
Finally after a lot of struggle, one coast guard official began to announce through a microphone that because there was a the construction site nearby, it might be possible that the SOS members would go inside and doing something illegal. He even referenced the June 30 action when Kim Dong-Won climbed a crane doing illegal dredging. Of course, this is outrageous as not only was Kim Dong-Won not aboard a Kayak but also his case is still currently on trial, meaning he is still innocent until proven guilty. Further it was outrageous that simply because there was a construction site in the area (hundreds of meters away, no where near where SOS was blocked while doing something completely legal in a public place. With that reasoning the police can stop anyone from doing anything if there is ever a chance of something illegal happening, which is always and everywhere!
Coast Guard thugs block a swimmer.
The struggle continued on and the SOS members went back to shore and then attempted to enter the water at several other places, every time illegally blocked and assaulted by the coast guard. They continued until it began to grow dark. At which point they returned to the land.
It was an outrageous display of police stupidity and power (there were more than 20 coast guard officers to the 4 SOS), and total trampling on the rights of the SOS team members. It is clear that not only is Gangjeong a police occupation, but that the coast guard and the police are nothing more than free taxpayer paid security for construction companies, Samsung and Daelim. Many Korean coast guard members are very nationalistically proud of themselves for being in the coast guard, but they have nothing to be proud of. They are complicit in the destruction of Gangjeong Village, its people, heritage and culture, and the destruction of the environment, including the very sea that they are sworn to protect. This is both pathetic and shameful.
More pictures available below:
SOS members prepare their homemade sailboat kayak.Entering the water, ready for the journey.Coast Guard officers block the sailboat kayak.Not giving up, the SOS members got out of the water and entered again at another location. They were blocked again, this time by even more coast guard boats and officers.While being trapped by the Coast Guard, the SOS members found an old damaged silt protector, which again raised concerns about whether the construction site is using the required environmental protection.The silt protector viewed from underwater.
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 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”.
In this month’s issue: National Grand March for Life and Peace Comes to a close, outrageous findings in National Assembly inspections, Jesuit priest imprisoned, illegal security company hired to guard the construction site, 24-Hour construction begins and much more!
The National Defense Committee of the National Assembly will have its final meeting in the morning of Nov. 16, Friday, in Korean time. Its’ Nov. 12 meeting was dissipated because of wide gap between the ruling and main opposition party. But since then the Democratic United Party (DP), the main opposition party has shown its compromising attitude that it is considering to agree with the ruling Saenury Party (New Frontier Party) to pass all or part of the proposed budget on the Jeju naval base project, to the indignation of people. The people here have mobilized themselves to protest to the members of the DP through email, phone and SNS. There was people’s emergency press conference on Nov. 15. How you can help us overnight in short time? Please see the part 2 of this article.
Photo by PSPD/ People’s press conference in front of the National Assembly on Nov. 15, 2012
1.People’s emergency press conference on Nov. 15
On Nov. 15, there was people’s emergency press conference to demand ruling and opposition parties to cut the whole 201 billion won of 2013 Jeju naval base project budget in front of the National Assembly at 1:30 pm. The Press conference was hosted by the Gangjeong Village Association, Jeju Pan-Island Committee for the Stop of Military Base and for the Realization of Peace Island (26 groups), National Network of Korean Civil Society for Opposing the Naval Base in Jeju Island (125 groups). Please watch Dungree video Here (Youtube). You can see the original Korean statement here (posted by the PSPD).
Some points in the press conference statement read:
Even though the Budget and Balance committee of the National Assembly 2011 has recommended the government and navy “to objectively verify on the safety matters of entry & exit of port and coming alongside & out of port by the 150,000 ton cruises through the 3rd institute,” the government and navy have ignored it. Despite that, the members of the ruling and opposition parties in the National Defense committee are to pass 200.9 billion won on the 2013 Jeju naval base project, without asking the matter on the execution on the National assembly recommendation item. The Jeju naval base project currently being enforced is in violation of the 2007 National assembly subsidiary opinion of ‘Civilian-Military Complex Port of Call,’ (* the Lee Myung Bak government has enforced the project under the title of the Civilian-Military Complex Port for Tour Beauty) and also in violation of the 2011 Budget and Balance committee of the National Assembly recommendation item, the demand of verification on the possibility of entry & exit by 150,000 ton cruises. It is a case when a strict response by the National Assembly is needed in the sense that those are of ignorance of the authority of the National assembly that monitors the Administrative. Therefore it is reasonable that the National Assembly cut all 2013 budgets on the Jeju naval base, according to the agreement between the ruling and opposition parties. […] However, Han Ki-Ho (* a former high-rank army commander), member of the Saenuri Party, the person concerned in the ruling and opposition party’s agreement [in 2011] as a member of Budget and Balance Committee and now a chairman of the National defense committee shows shameless appearance to condemn the voice on budget as if it is from that of pro North Korea.
Photo by Tommy Shin Jung-Hyun/ People’s press conference to cut the Jeju naval base budget in front of National Assembly on Nov. 15, 2012
There are some useful points to remind in the people’s protest letters to the two big ruling and opposition parties. Here are some excerpted translations.
The Saenuri party thinks the Jeju naval base is certainly necessary for national security. However, if the Saenuri Party truly thinks security, it should take the lead to cut all budgets on the Jeju naval base project. It is because the Jeju naval base currently being constructed in Gangjeong has no validity for project purpose. It cannot even properly be used as a military port.
The government takes protection of southern sea area and sea transportation lane as the purpose of the Jeju naval base project. However, there is no need to be stubborn to build the naval base in Jeju to protect the southern sea water. The government has already measure of the 3rd fleet in Mokpo that does not need another base in Jeju. Further the task of sea transportation lane is originally the duty of coast guard and it is never appropriate that military vessel steps for that, given the geographical conditions and relationship with nearby countries.
Furthermore, it has been turned out through navy resource that the main facilities of the Jeju naval base are being designed and built according to the US military demand to fit for the vessels such as the US nuclear aircraft carrier [and submarines] that the US retain
Protest letter to the Democratic United Party: Excerpts
The remarks by Park Ji-Won, floor representative of Democratic United Party, who said that ‘[the party] would confirm on the test result on the entry/exit of port and then allocate budget,’ is never realistic, given the time to be taken for verification and schedule on budget review. Further in the situational condition that the Office of Prime Minister and navy enforce construction (destruction), ignoring the resolution by the National Assembly who demanded verification through simulation, there is no other alternative than to cut the whole budget (* so construction is to be stopped) to enforce verification. We worry to see the words by [Moon Jae-In], Presidential candidate and [Park Ji-Won] floor representative to be over turned in a week.
It seems that the reason that the Democratic United Party changed its position on the matter of cut on the Jeju naval base budget is because it judged that it would influence not good effect in the Presidential election due to expected repulsion by the navy and conservative class and political aggression by the Saenuri party. However such position is defensive and passive without clear and reasonable basis. In last [April 11] election, all the three Democratic United Party members who oppose naval base have been all elected in Jeju. If the candidate and Democratic United Party actively make public to citizens on various problems on the Jeju naval base in the mainland, it can get superior position in public opinion. The Democratic Party should take a lesson of a case that the people have rather punished the Grand National Party(former Saenuri Party) when the DP actively responded to the GP with the ‘war power vs. peace power’ frame, facing against the GP who intended to win over DP in June 2 local election, abusing the Cheonan ship incident for hunting so called the ‘pro north-Korea’ groups.
Photo by Hwang Hyun-Jin/ Humorous one man protest in front of National Assembly. ‘With 200.9 billion won, you can feed each of 50 million South Koreans with four strings of Kimbab (rice ball kind)
Photo by Cho Sung-Bong/ Despite the Island governor’s demand to the navy on Oct. 30 to pose the input of caisson until the finish of simulation on 150,000 ton cruise, the navy thoroughly ignored that. The navy-contracted company is moving caisson on Nov. 14. See more photos by Cho, here.
2. URGENT: Please take 1 min. to help us. Please copy and paste the below and send it to these address below, with your name. You may change contents, of course. Thanks so much in advance.
Title: Cut the whole budget on the Jeju naval base. The world is watching
Dear Democratic United Party members of National Defense committee of the ROK National Assembly.
Please cut all the budgets on the Jeju naval base project. I heard that your party is considering to agree with the ruling Saenuri party to pass the budget in all or part in the National Assembly. It is a shame that your party considers it despite all illegal, undemocratic, environment destructive, human rights- violating matters of the Jeju naval base project that became clear to the eyes of internationals. I was also shocked to hear that the Jeju naval base is nothing but the US base as the Commander of the US navy forces of Korea has intervened in the base design for US nuclear aircraft carrier and US submarines.
Do you truly want the South Koreans’ tax paid for the US war base against China? It will greatly disturb peace in the North East Asia and world. Please remember that your deed will affect not only Koreans but voiceless creatures and people in the world.
It is unbelievable and shame if your party agrees to pass the budget. Please stand on your original position of cutting all the budget of 201 billion won on the naval base project 2013.
Thanks for listening.
Photo by Carol Rekinga/ The hungerstrike of Sung Sim Jang, for more photos, click herePhoto by Kang Han, Catholic News Now and Here/ Construction site, Nov. 13, 2012 (post by Regina Pyon)Photo by Kang Han, Catholic News Now and Here/ protest mass in front of construction gate, Nov. 12 (Post by Regina Pyon)
3. Peace activists resist tenaciously and cry for stop of violence
Please watch this 7 min. video taken by Kim Goon, a peacekeeper that daily appears in the protest site of the naval base construction gate. . The peacekeepers in Gangjeong persistently protest to stop the cement mixer trucks .The video was taken at 3:10pm, Nov. 14. They are fighting for the Jeju naval base project budgets not to be executed but cut, despite the police violence and humiliation.
“All parts of our body are bruised… We have little time to inform about the field news since the start of 24 hour construction… All of us are longing the day when our routine life of being roughed out by the police will end…. We just hope to save the Gureombi, Gangjeong village and ourselves.” (Kim Goon)
The police from Seoul were more violent on Nov. 16. They are the maneuver units of No. 21(male) and 24(female). The police were also violent on Nov. 15, probably because the Democratic United Party members showed compromising attitude on budget. A young activist was carried to a hospital during the protest on Nov. 15.
1. Villagers say, ‘No way!’ to the threat of demolition of vigil tents
Photo by Park Yongsung/ Villagers keeping the tents overnight against 24 hour destruction, Nov. 11
While villagers set up two vigil tents across the construction gates against 24 hour construction (destruction) on Nov. 11. Sunday, the City hall of Seogwipo City is threatening villagers to be volunteering to remove them. If not the City will enforce demolition of them, it bluffs.
Currently the facilities set up by the villagers across the gates are: A tent built just across the main gate, a stage vehicle (Both of them have been set up long time ago) and the two recent tents mentioned above.
The Seogwipo City decided to demolish tents reasoning that since the tens were set up in the side of road, they are the obstacles for traffic and that there have been complaints by some people who are inferred to be navy-contracted company personnel and pro-base villagers.
Villagers’ two new vigil tents, Nov. 12, 2012
It is known that the Seogwipo City has not decided way and time of demolition: whether it will mobilize a form of ‘administrative execution’ that needs three times notices to people with demand on volunteering removal or ‘emergency removal’ (according to the law on roads) that does not need such notice.
The Seogwipo City hall personnel said that if emergency removal is decided, the demolition will be enforced within this week at fast.
Upon such threat, Go Gwon-Il, Chairman of the Villagers’ Committee to Stop the Naval Base refuted, “It is senseless for the Seogwipo City to say that it would demolish only our tents while it does neither restrain nor punish the navy’s illegal construction(destruction). If the Seogwipo City enforces it, we will stop such unjust execution with all our energy.”
2. Press conference on the opening of collective vigil tents in Seoul
Photo by Lee Woo-Ki, People’s press conference in Seoul, Nov. 12. For many more photos on the Seoul press conference by Lee Wooki, see here.
Meanwhile, the people in Seoul held the press conference on opening joint vigil tents’ zone in the center of Seoul in the morning of the same day. The tent zone, succeeding the collective spirit of the Great March for Life and Peace: We are the SKY is hosted by people under the title of ‘Let’s live together!:A vigil zone formed by the unity of the Ssangyong workers, Yongsan families, Gangjeong village and non-nuclear-declared villages.’ See the photos by Lee Woo-Ki here.
Otherwise, the Chosun Ilbo, the most conservative right wing media in South Korea, had a criticizing article on the Seoul vigil tent zone on the top of its 1st page that it is illegal. The article also criticized that Park Won-Soon, mayor of Seoul has no intervention on it and supports tent zones.
Upon this, a peace activist joked on it, “Thank you Chosun Ilbo, you are introducing us very big while we have suffered from little media coverage during our great march. You please us at the end.”
Photo by Park Yongsung/ The most conservative right wing Chosun Ilbo had a top article on the people’s Seoul vigil tents in its website on Nov. 13, 2012A Newsis photo shown in the article in the top of the most conservative right wing Chosun Ilbo website, Nov. 13, 2012.
3.Talk on budget could not be concluded in the National Assembly on Nov. 12. Next talk is Nov. 16
The media reports that the National Defense committee of the National Assembly could not conclude on the talk on the 200 billion won of the 2013 Jeju naval base project budget on Nov. 12, Monday.
In detail, it reads:
The National Defense committee of the ROK National Assembly has planned to have the 2nd meeting (following the 1st meeting on Nov. 8) by its Budget and Balance sub-committee on the Jeju naval base project budget 2013 (earmarked by the Defense Acquision Program Administration) in the morning of Nov. 12.
However, because of wide gap between the ruling and opposition parties, the sub-committee could not be held on the day. While the Democratic United Party demands the ‘whole cut’ of budget, claiming that the Jeju naval base project construction is being enforced in inappropriate way, the ruling Saenuri Party (New Frontier Party) confronts it, demanding ‘part cut’ and saying the project should be driven as planned.
Kim Jae-Yoon, member of the Defense Committee (Seogwipo-City based, Democratic United Party) said that “The party opinion of the Democratic United Party is to totally cut the [2013] Jeju naval base project budget that was not kept of the National Assembly subsidiary opinion [in 2007]. I am determined to cut the budget”
The National Defense Committee has a plan to re-open the Budget and Balance sub-committee in the morning of Nov. 16 through agreement and tuning between the coordinators of the parties.
Citing an article of Chosun Ilbo on Nov. 14, the Jeju Sori on Nov. 14 reports that the Democratic United Party is withdrawing from its official position of ‘whole cut’ on the 2013 Jeju naval base budget. It is considering ‘conditional pass,’ of about 200 billion won budget for 2013 naval base project. Its reasoning is told that because ‘it is afraid of bad influence to the Presidential election in December, if it cuts the 2013 budget on the project.’ [..]How you can help to CUT THE BUDGET? Please see the link.
Photo by Lee Wooki/ Village mayor Kang Dong-Kyun holds a sign that denounces Han Ki-Ho, a member of National Defense committee of the National Assembly and ruling Saenuri Party(New Frontier Party)who condemns the anti-base people as if they are pro North Korea. Dungree made a satire video on Han Ki-Ho. Watch it here.Photo by Christian Carl/ ‘No Naval Base on Jeju’ – our demand on today’s Nat’l Workers’ Rally in Seoul…
Photo by Jang Hyun-Woo, Catholic priests united facing the navy and police violence and insult in front of construction gate, Nov. 12, 2012. For many more resourceful photos on the day by Jang Hyun-Woo, see here.
Catholic priests unite against the navy and police violence
Since Fr. Lee Young-Chan(Jesuit) was arrested and imprisoned on Oct. 24, the Catholic priests have been holding a special mass beside their daily 11 am mass in front of construction site, every 4pm, Monday.
At 4 pm, Nov. 12, Catholic priests, clergy men and women who belong to the Catholic Solidarity for the Realization of Jeju, Peace Island, visited the village before the evening mass held by Bishop Kang U-Il in the Jeju City on the day.
It was about 30 minutes later that four buses marked with ‘Korea National Defense University: KNDU’ and ‘ROK navy’ were to visit the Jeju naval base project building complex. When their entry became impossible because of the mass, police were mobilized and the police roughed out and moved away priests from the site, saying that the priests were doing of ‘obstructing business.’ Priests were released only after the buses passed into the building complex despite people’s protests.
Photo By Jang Hyun-Woo/ The signs on the bus read, ‘Korea National Defense University: KNDU’ and ‘ROK navy’
The Catholic priests denounced the police and navy : “It never happens in the world that the police mobilize, stop the mass, and confine priests indiscriminately without notice while religious events are processed. The police have not made any reflection despite the incident of damaged Eucharist by such police behavior last August.”
People including Mr. Go Gwon-Il, Chairman of the Villagers’ Committee to Stop the Naval Base denounced the police: “Though their identities are uncertain, some of them in military costumes or suits in the buses even derided the priests being detained in the police circles. The Catholic priests were shocked. However such scenes are happening everyday in Gangjeong.”
Photo By Jang Hyun-Woo, Nov. 12, 2012/ The young peacekeepers are suffering by the police’s roughing out of themPhoto by Catholic News Here and Now and caption by Regina Pyon/ Catholic Solidarity for the Peace island, Jeju, starts signature campaign until Dec. 2 (1st week of Advent) demanding ‘the release of Jesuit priest Lee Young-chan S.J and four other prisoners of conscience’ and ‘the overall re-examination of Jeju naval base construction’. . . In this photo, Catholic priests are blocking the cement mixing trucks after the mass of November 12 at the gate of Jeju naval base construction site.
Supporting imprisoned Fr. Lee Young-Chan, Bishop Kang U-Il makes a voice
“Peace is not merely having no war or guaranteeing balance between the hostile powers. Peace is a serenity of order. Peace is the result of justice and fruit of love” (Clause No. 2304, Catholic creed, read by Bishop Kang U-Il).
There was a ‘Nation Situational Mass to Release the Prisoners by the Naval Base project,’ in the Central Catholic Church, Jeju City at 7:30 pm, Nov. 12. The mass was sponsored by the 15 dioceses of the Justice and Peace Committee of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea, Catholic Human Rights Committee, Catholic Solidarity for the Realization of Peace Island, Jeju.
More than 20 Catholic priests and Catholic nuns have been arrested in their protests against the naval base project in the Gangjeong village. In March, Fr. Kim Jung-Wook was first imprisoned (released after about 40 days) as a Catholic priest and on Oct. 24, Fr. Lee Young-Chan was imprisoned. Both are the Jesuits.
Bishop Kang U-Il said, “The [projected] Jeju naval base is a strategic military facility for our country to be with the United States to dominate the superiority in the North East Asia, against China.”
“The situation in Gangjeong this time is the God’s homework and task given to the Korean churches to examine themselves, which have passively taken on God’s raised question on war. The God is inviting us so that we make all the efforts for peace.”
Photo: Jeju Sori, Nov. 12, 2012 Photo: Catholic News Now and Here/ Catholic mass for the release of Jesuit priest Lee Young-chan S.J. and prisoners of conscience. . .About 900 people attended the mass held in Jeju cathedral. (caption by Regina Pyon)
Nov. 12 poster by the Jesuits Korea (Caption by Regina Pyon): At 7.30 p.m. on November 12, Catholic mass is held officiated by Bishop Peter Kang U-il at Jeju cathedral for the release of Jesuit priest, Lee Young-Chan S.J, and imprisoned peace activists. It was organized by the Catholic Solidarity for Peace Island Jeju, that 15 national justice and peace commissions and representatives of lay and religious committees are participating. Bishop Peter Kang is also chairperson of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea.
Bishop Peter Kang U-Il’s homily on Nov. 12
Full text of Bishop Peter Kang’s homily “There is no just war.” can be read here.
Remembering Fr. Lee SJ and the four brave activists who are serving time in prison for their peace activities and putting their bodies in the way of trucks involved in the construction of a naval base which is destroying the coastal environment and the village community of Gangjeong.This base is being built in an already volatile region and will only serve to increase military tensions. . .this video was played during the Catholic mass at Jeju central cathedral celebrated by Bp. Peter Kang on Nov. 12. Video by Dungree (Caption by Regina Pyon)
Prof. Shin Yong-In on Nov. 12, 2012. The sign reads “The civil disobedience movement is a motion to make just law stand.” Image: Jang Hyun-Woo
Starting a civil disobedience movement for the peaceful settlement of the conflict of the Jeju naval base project and for the realization of just law.
By Prof. Shin Yong-In (Translated by Save Jeju Now)
Nov. 11, 2012
The Jeju naval base project has numerous problems such as doubtful selection of location, resolution on invitation by conciliation and betrayal, ignorance of Gangjeong villagers’ opinion, unreliability of the Environmental Impact Assessment by and large, cancellation of absolute preservation areas without notice, suspicion on the flaws in the base layout, unreliable and illegal construction, falsehood in the so called Civilian-Military Complex for Tour Beauty.
Still, the government and navy are not only enforcing naval base construction with the police force at the head but are recently enforcing 24 hours construction to secure the 2013 budget, indiscriminately confining and arresting Gangjeong villagers, peace activists and even clergymen who make efforts to stop construction.
In the state power’s oppression such as the above, the responsibility of court is also big. The court forgetting its constitutional mission of being the last fortress to keep the basic rights of people, has given indulgence to the wrong executions of the power by taking unjust trial to unilaterally raise the hands of government and navy. As a result, Gangjeong became the site of a lawless world where democracy is damaged and human rights are trampled down as illegality and law-evasiveness take power to themselves.
In the situation when every legal effort to stop unjustly dominating power became meaningless, there is nothing that I, a law school professor and lawyer can do to stop the forceful naval base construction.
Even now, there are Gangjeong villagers and peace activists in front of the Gangjeong construction site, who struggle risking the danger of punishment, by delaying naval base construction (destruction) even for 5 minutes. They are the people who follow the law of consciousness in the situation when the laws of the positive and of the conscious clash each other. They are in fact already doing the civil disobedience movement. Their courageous resistance make me feel shame, who have been confined inside the fence of the positive law, and make me ask what the true law is.
Henry Thoreau, a harbinger of the civil disobedience movement has said:
Now, aspiring for the peaceful settlement of the conflicts in the Jeju naval base project and for the realization of just law, I will start the civil disobedience movement until the government and navy stop the enforcement of naval base construction. I will stop, with my body, entry and exit of construction vehicles in front of the main gate of naval base construction site more than once a week. For the beginning, I will stand in front of the construction gate from 10 am to 6pm on Monday, Nov. 12.
I respect law. But when the law is not just, the law is merely violence. Therefore it is the natural right and responsibility of democratic citizens to disobey to the illegal law. It is nothing but to stop to be human being to give up that. Therefore the civil disobedience movement that I am to do is never the movement to ignore law. It is the movement to make the true law stand. It is an effort to save the Constitution being invaded by unjust power.
Before the start of the civil disobedience movement, I declare the below principles based on the spirit ofSatyagraha by Mahatma Gandhi.
Firstly, I reject every violent way. I will act whatever happens with non-violent and peaceful way. Violence kills life while non-violence respects lives and make them live.
Secondly, there is a saying that ‘You shall hate crime but not the criminals.” Even though I am infuriated from the unjust execution of power by the personnel of the government, navy and police, I never hate them. Hatred kills life. I also believe that the government, navy and police personnel are dignified beings like sky, with reason and consciousness as human beings.
Thirdly, I will be willing to suffer from any disadvantages following civil disobedience. If the police rough out and confine me, I will be willingly taken. If they want to arrest me, I will be willing to be arrested. If they imprison me, I will be willing to be imprisoned. The government can confine my body but not my spirit. If the government attempts to detain my body more and more, my spirit will freely fly up.
Through the civil disobedience movement, I hope the government, navy, court, police can change like the below.
I hope the government no more betrays and disdains citizens but recognize them as the SKY, being afraid of them and serve them.
I hope the court no more wait-and–sees the government but takes trial faithful to the Constitutional mission of control of powers and protection of basic rights.
I hope the navy is born again as the navy for citizens to whom it serves, not as the navy for their own, who fights against the citizens.
I hope the police outgrowing from the role of maid to power, to be the true cane for the people from whom they get love and respect.
I also appeal to all Jeju Island people and citizens to have courage and join the civil-disobedience movement. I urgently ask them to join us until the conflicts in the Jeju naval base project is peacefully settled and just law stands.
Shin Yong-In, Professor of Law School, Jeju University
Around 3:30 pm, Nov. 12/ Prof. Shin is carried away by the police from the protest siteHeadline Jeju, Nov. 12, 2012 Prof. Shin was detained in police circles more than 7 times on the day.Photo by Song Chang-Wook. Prof. Shin ends his first day with the 100 bows early in the next morning, 7am, Nov. 13.
Photo by Jang Hyun-Woo, caption by Regina Pyon/ Jang Sung-shim (Catholic name Lucia) is shaving the head in front of Jeju naval base building site on 15th civic action day on November 10. She was on her fourth day of fast even without water and salts staying day and night at the gate demanding the cancellation of Jeju naval base project. . . For more photos of Jang Hyun-woo, see here.
Amid heavy rain and strong wind, about 150 people had an emergency rally in front of the Jeju naval base project building complex on Nov. 10, Saturday. See the Nov. 10 poster here. The construction trucks stopped to pass the gates in the morning. 2nd caisson on the Gureombi Rock was recently completed so no night time construction trucks on the day (and no construction trucks passing the gates on Sunday, too)
Rally in front of the Jeju naval base building complex, around 4pm. Nov. 10.
“The [National Assembly] has cut 96 % of the 2012 budget [on the Jeju naval base project]. From what source the navy is enforcing construction then? The navy is using the transferred budget from 2011. It is the most ridiculous and clearly illegal. In my knowledge, budget that was not executed on the applicable year should be returned back to the national treasury. Why do the National Assembly members neglect on that part?”
Kim Jong-Il, former secretary of Solidarity for Peace And Reunification of Korea saying that the navy is enforcing 24 hour construction(destruction) to get the budget on naval base next year, emphasized the importance of current struggle to cut the budget, to form the ground for the revocation of naval base project and to totally re-examine the project.
He said that the anti-base people will organize 14 teams and struggle to stop construction in twice shift in every 12 hours.
Photo and caption by Emily Wang/ Save Our Sea team’s beautiful sailing kayak in front of naval base in Gangjeong’s day. It’s much more beautiful, peaceful and useful for our lives than the warships. One builds up dreams and the other destroys dreams.
Otherwise, mayor Kang Dong-Kyun said:
“During our monthly Great March for life and Peace, we found that there are so many painful sites beside ours. We should start the healing of such pains from Gangjeong. Since we have justice of a claim, cause, and purposeful life, we can stop the Jeju naval base project without fail.”
“Martyr Yang Yong-Chan threw down his body resisting the injustice. Remembering the spirit of Yang Yong-Chan, I hope the Jeju naval base project is to be revoked.”
Kim Sung-Geun, representative of Committee to Cherish the Memory of Yang Yong-Chan said, “The biggest thing that martyr Yang left to us is the heart of love for Jeju. We should make the world where ecology, peace and Jeju Island people are centered, not the society mastered by neo-liberal developmentalism, capital and money.”
“To stop the Jeju naval base is to keep the martyr’s love,” ‘To save Gangjeong is to save peace.”
Dance after the rally, Nov. 10, 2012
The commemorating event on Yang Yong-Chan was held indoor of the village Peace Center from 7 to 9pm because of heavy rain.
Photo & caption by Emily Wang/ Today is the 16th Gangjeong’s day against naval base and also the 21st anniversary of Mr. YANG Yong Chan’s death. He sacrificed himself for the love of his hometown jeju island against the capitalism’s careless “Development Law” applied in the beautiful pristine island. His death couldn’t stop the “development law” but has inspired a lot of jeju islanders to love this land purely and bravely. A banner that illustrates Yang Yong-Chan’s immolation in the City of Seogwipo in 1991 and aftermath with the collected photos.
Post by Christian Karl/ ‘No Naval Base on Jeju!’ – Performance during today’s Workers’ Culture Festival in front of Seoul Stn…
On Tuesday, November 21, several members of SOS (Save Our Seas), the Gangjeong ocean observation, monitoring, and action team, reunited after several months of focusing on other activities (and several members months long imprisonment). Four members, decided to take two kayaks, one turned into a homemade sailboat, out to the sea to observe the construction. Their plan was to circle the construction site legally from the outside, observe and take pictures and video. They also just to go out to sea for the first time in several months.
