“Urgent call for people to go to Gangjeong this weekend as villagers brace themselves for yet another unleashing of brutal state violence. Gangjeong villagers are on tender hooks as they await the administrative execution of a demolition order by the ROK Ministry of National Defence (Saturday Jan 31) against a protest site set up to resist the building of military accommodation in the village center right next to a primary school. The navy are not content with taking over the coastline and destroy marine life with the building of the naval base they now want to irreversibly transform the village into an ugly military camp town. The administrative executive order will apparently be enforced by a bunch of hired thugs and military police from the mainland-apparently numbering up to 900 invaders in total who could descend on the village to stage a brutal show of state violence against defenseless villagers/activists. Please spare a thought for the villagers and activists who continue to resist state violence as they struggle to retain the identity of this once pristine village now blighted forever by an ugly naval base. We stand together and resist together-please help them stop the takeover of their village and the militarization of the island of Jeju!” (By Fr. Pat. )
Below is the words that Mayor Cho sent to the villagers in the afternoon of Jan. 30. It will be very a long, cold and dark night tonight. However, people are gathering together here. Please be with us in your thoughts and prayers.
The navy has not gained the consent of Gangjeong villagers yet, refused the negotiation by the Jeju Governer and even failed to get support from Seogwipo City.
Yet, It is informed that the navy will enforce the administrative execution order to remove the sit-in tent in front of construction site of military family housing at 7 am tomorrow morning. Those guys, who don’t feel ashamed and are very rude, are going to storm into the village.
Villagers! We should not let them occupy our village. The navy are mobilizing police to close the roads into the protest site from very early morning.
Please come out and join to stay with us at the sit-in tent from tonight!
Or please come gather at the sit-in tent around 5 am tomorrow morning.
We should pass down Gangjeong Village to our descendants without feeling shameful. When we gather our hearts as one heart and flow like a river, then we can keep our village. We are proud residents of Gangjeong.
In this month’s issue:
Village elder’s letter to the pope, Navy steals more land, solidarity from John Pilger and AWC Japan, Solidarity with Ssangyong workers, Trial updates, Yang Yoon-Mo, Peace School, War Exercises, and more!
In this month’s issue:
100,000 Books arrive in Gangjeong for the creative transformation to a “book village”, National Assembly inspections on the base, Solidarity from Italy and Western Europe, Gangjeong at the Busan WCC Assembly 2013, Trial updates, outrageous imprisonments, police disrupt prohibit catholic Eucharist and more!
In this month’s issue:
Grand March for Life and Peace 2013, August 4th Human Chain, Oliver Stones Visits Jeju, Navy wants to expand base site size, Prison letter from Kim Young-Jae, Trial, prison, and hospital updates, solidarity reports from Taiwan and Philippines and more!
1. Villagers vote ‘No’ to the military residence housing project in the village
Photo by Cho Sung-Bong. Villagers vote. For more photos, click, here.
In the villagers’ general meeting that was held from 8 to 10 pm, April 10, the villagers made a decision on the two: 1. To have the Life and Peace Pilgrim throughout the Island during this summer (concrete time and details will be talked later), 2. Not to invite military residential house in the village.
Regarding the 2, the matter of ‘yes’ or ‘no’ on the invitation of the project was decided by vote. The voting result was 114 people for ‘no,’ 3 people for ‘yes’, 1 abstention, of total 118 seated electorates. The total number of the present people in the meeting was 145. The villagers have already fiercely dissipated the navy’s presentation on the navy’s military housing project within the village three times. Those were May 29, June 15, 2012 and March 26, 2013.
At the time of 3rd presentation when Yoon Seok-Han, navy captain and director of the construction management said that he would drive for another hearing by sending the village an official letter that the villagers claimed that it was not mailed, Kang Dong-Kyun, mayor of the Gangjeong Village Association said that the village would decide the matter on the drive for presentation through the village’s temporal general meeting.”
The Gangjeong Village Association said on April 11, after the vote result: “The vote is based on the village regulation that the numbers of the seated have to be more than two third and the resolution has to be approved by more than half. Therefore the vote this time is effective.” The village also stated that, “The general meeting on the day was a temporal general meeting with the prior process of 7 days’ public notification term, constant announcement broadcasting that encourages villagers’ participation, mailing of the correspondence that explains the agenda content. We declare that it is an official result that represents the villagers’ collective opinions.”
Image source: Jeju Sori, April 11, 2013/ The Village Association’s prior notice on the vote and village map. Among six candidate areas, the navy has decided B area as the final candidate.
The village emphasized that “we strictly warn the navy that there should not be its words and actions that it is to drive for the building of military housing in the Gangjeong village saying that Gangjeong villagers hope installation of it. The navy should be responsible for all the conflicts and social ripples following such.”
Photo by Cho Sung-Bong/ Villagers count ballots.
Regarding the atmosphere of the voting date, dir. Cho Sung-Bong delivers one villager’ remark in the general meeting on April 10: ‘A villager stood up and talk to the others,
“Since the blast of the Gureombi Rock, not to mention dust, mixed muddy water and oil are floating on the underground water. There has been no such things by now. [..]
Even though I have reported it to the Water Resource headquarter, its officer dropping by here, left only words that there is no problem for farming. I appeal you to decide your vote after thoughtful consideration.”
The navy was told that it would build the military residence in the new town of the Seogwipo city if the Gangjeong villagers do not agree on the project. It is questionable what the navy and Island government would make their next decision after the result of the villagers’ vote. It was a general meeting with the atmosphere of heavy silence and tension.’
Photo by Cho Sung-Bong. An Old woman villager in the meeting.Photo by Cho Sung-Bong/ Young activists in the village are watching the villagers’ vote
April 10_ Opening speech by mayor Kang Dong-Kyun (Video by Pang Eun-Mi)
April 10_Villagers vote on the matter of yes or no on the invitation of military residence housing project
(Video by Pang Eun-Mi)
April 10_Villagers count ballots (video by Pang Eun-Mi)
April 10_Mayor Kang reports the result of vote and people cheer (Video by Pang Eun-Mi)
2. On April 10, the Jeju court(Judge: Kim Kyung-Sun) sentenced mayor Kang Dong-Kyun with 300,000 won fines for the charge of installing structure two years ago in the coast of the village where the naval base building is enforced
The judge applied to him with the charge of violation on Public Waters Act(the law on the reclamation and landfill on the public water and its vicinity surface). Mayor Kang was charged that he had installed artificial structure of wooden cross with an artifact of ‘red-feet crab,’ on the coast within the naval base construction area without permission of jurisdiction office in April 2011.
The structure had been set up to protest to the destruction of the habitats of the red feet crabs during the time when opposition struggles were being done centered around the Joongdeok coast (of which most part we call as the Gureombi Rock).
Judge Kim reasoned her court decision saying that she “referred to the fact that the area of wooden cross is narrow and it is not installed any more.” However, mayor Kang expressed his will for appeal saying that, “at the time, the [navy and companies] were destroying rock floor without permission to work on the public water and its vicinity surface. Further the so called witness cannot even say exactly where it was. I am no guilty.” (Source)
3. New chief of the Jeju Prosecutors’ Office
Lee Myung-Jae(53), new chief of the Jeju Prosecutors’ Office who was inaugurated on April 10 expressed his tough position on the opposition struggle against the Jeju naval base project, emphasizing so called ‘law and principal.’ He was born in Choonchungnamdo province and has worked in Choonchun, Incheon, Seoul, Chungjoo. The people have strongly denounced on the abuse of the prosecutors’ power on March 21.
Lee Myung-Jae(53), new chief of the Jeju Prosecutor’s Office (source)
“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..”
How does the navy push the projects that accompany the large size land expropriation again when the tears of the Gangjeong villagers have not been dried yet for already large size land expropriation to build the naval base!
(Translated quotation from the statement by the Gangjeong Village Association, March 25, 2013: Source)
In July 2012, the government expropriated 132,460 ㎡ for the whole base project land area of 277,604 ㎡. At the time, 64 among 103 landowners had refused to sell their lands to the navy.
The expropriated lands included the best floriculture export complex in Korea. The government has acknowledged the Gangjeong floriculture export complex as the best floriculture–specialized production area in 2009 and 2010-the only Jeju region that got two years’ continuous honor on it by the central government.
The expropriated complex was 49,500 ㎡, more than 42 % of the whole Gangjeong floriculture complex (115,500 ㎡). See the source. For on the matter of the injustice on the land expropriation, as a whole, please come by later.
The navy planned to hold a presentation on the military residence housing project in the KimJung Culture Hall, Seogwipo City at 5 pm on March 26, 2013, but it was dissipated again in 10 minutes by about 100 Gangjeong villagers and peace keepers who stormed into the hall.
The villagers have already dissipated its hearing on May 29 and June 15, 2012. The navy plans to build an apartment of about 616 households in the 99,500 ㎡ in the B area by 2015. For that, they planned to build 384 households first in about 594,000 ㎡ there. The B area is composed of more than 60% rice paddies and fields, the best farming field of the village.
The villagers strongly denounced the navy saying “we did not receive an official letter from you,” “It is nothing but to say that we, villagers should die if you rob of our farming lands,” “Does it make sense that the navy who has said that it would co-exist with the local residents is to trample down us again by unilaterally holding a presentation?”
Despite that, the navy made a woman to hold a mike and speak that ‘the presentation starts now,’ bringing tremendous fury from the villagers and peace keepers. Eventually, the navy could not but acknowledge that the presentation was dissipated in 10 minutes. The navy is told to have originally thought that it would finish in 30 minutes.
Image: headline Jeju, March 26, 2013/ The navy’s presentation material was torn by the villagers.
The villagers and peace keepers made a strong unity again to stop the military base to enter into their Peace Island, to inherit the descendent the nature, culture, and history of the ‘Il-Gangjeong: The best village,’ of more than 450 years old in Jeju. Watch the video made by the Peace Nomad that made it on behalf of Dungree, the video maker who was jailed on March 25. (Source)
‘It reminds me 2007 when the Gangjeong village was chosen as a naval base construction area. At the time the navy drove the naval base construction project, [falsely] asserting that the villagers decided to install it even though the navy did not have any necessary reason to do it.” [..]It is a 65th anniversary of the 4.3 period again in a week. If the navy pushes the Jeju society with division and conflict again to enforce the military residential house in the Gangjeong village, the 4.3 spirits will never forgive them.” (Translated quotation from Prof. Shin Yong-In, Professor of the Law School, Jeju University: Source) You can see some photos of March 26 here and here. Here, two people are introduced. Here is a navy commander, Soong Moo-Jin (right in the photo)
Song Moo-Jin (left in the photo), the navy commander, employed in the naval base project appeared in the presentation on march 26.
After the Korean Presidential election on Dec. 19, 2012, some navy strategist have been (re)employed to take dividing strategies against the villagers. One of them is a man called Song Moo-Jin, who was in chrage of planning in the naval base project committee in the earlier period and now a navy commander.
He has entered the village in the beginning period of struggle, 2007 and had a role to decoy some villagers, eventually breaking the community. At the time, he was a lieutenant commander but a commander, now, after a service in the SSU (special salvation unit). His works included the followup of the Cheonan ship incident. It was coincident that the navy presentation and the 3rd anniversaryof the Cheonan ship incident was on the same day. But is it just coincident? Wasn’t the navy planning to mislead people to remind the patriotism, blah, blah?
Video maker Dungree has made a video on his returning to the village on Jan. 24. See here. In the video, villagers are strongly criticizing him as soon as they saw he was stepping into the village. In the video, a man of dark green jumper. Song has greatly denounced by people when he sneaked into the Korean facebook called, “Gangjeong people” and made a pro-base propaganda on March 3, 2012. He was soon removed out from the group. Here is another navy.
The person in the right of the photo is a Captain Yoon Seok-Han. He was one of the representatives of the government side in the 3rd contact group meeting on Sept. 14, 2013, during the 2012 WCC Jeju from Sept. 6 to 15, 2012. You can see his face better in the video. He was the one who made remarkable remarks that ‘it is not right that the Gangjeong village and government talk on an equal position.” It was a remark that thoroughly ignores local autonomy and democracy. ( See related Korean script)
Both men were in civilian costumes. There were no pro-base side personnel who were in the military costume. There appeared also a man from the Daelim Industry who was often it working hat and cloth.
Pro-base people after the presentation was dissipated on March 26, 2013
2. In the Gangjeong filed, the struggles by Catholic fathers and activists went on.
When most people went to the navy’s presentation for protest, Fr. Mun kept the main gate. The main gate opened again on the World Water day, March 22. The people have now to keep both gates in front of the naval base project building complexes and main gate.
Fr. Mun kept a main gate from the entry of construction trucks, March 26, 2013Fr. Kim Jeong-Wook replaced Fr. Mun Jeong –Hyeon.A picket made for Dungree, 4th day of his imprisonment as of March 28
The entry/exit of construction trucks went on even in the night.
The Jeju Sorireported on March 5, 2013 that the planned land area for the military residential house for the Jeju naval base project was changed. The navy has originally planned to build it in the E area (violet part in the northwest, in the map) but recently changed to the B area (pale blue part in the south, in the map) as the villagers in the E area have strongly opposed it.
According to the article, the companies who received layout order from the navy have originally chosen the E area as the best to build the apartments of more than 600 households as the area is adjacent to an about 100,000 ㎡ road. The navy plans to build a large size apartment complex that can accommodate 616 households in 99,500 ㎡ area by 2015, the planned year for the completion of the Jeju naval base project.
Another benefit of the E area for the navy has been there are no houses that should be demolished.
However, the protests by the villagers who have lands in the E area have been strong. The villagers there refused to sell their lands to the navy. The Gangjeong villagers including those in the E area have already dissipated the navy’s presentation on the military residential house project on May 29 and June 15, 2012.
On the contrary, the B area is where many pro-base villagers (about 25~20 % of the whole village population) reside. It is a west south area that starts from the Gangjeong elementary school to the Gangjeong port. A road is located between the area and naval base project area.
Gangjeong elementary school/ The photo was taken on a rainy day, March 17, 2013Photo: A road from the elementary school to the port
The article says the difficulty of the B area for the navy is there are relatively more vinyl houses than in the E area so the navy should be burdened by compensation land purchase costs.
The navy plans to hold again the presentation on the military residential building in the E area within March (around March 26), 2013.
The villagers’ struggle to stop the navy’s military residential housing project will be hot again in coming days.
Source: Go Gwon-Il (Original: ROK navy)/ the navy’s disgusting picture of the village in the future that is to be transformed by the naval base project.
[Nov 5] National Assembly Defense Committee starts the examination on budget. Cut the whole budget for the Jeju naval base project!
Photo source: See here. The Youth group called ‘100,000 Young People for the Peace of the Jeju,’ is actively working to cut all the budgets for the National assembly. They call for the budget for people’s welfare instead war base. The photo is the press Conference on Nov. 6, 2012. The group has submitted the No. 1 petition against the Jeju naval base project to the new 19th National Assembly on June 5 this year with signs by more than 27,000 people.
The National Defense Committee of the National Assembly starts the examination on the government budget included of Jeju naval base project next year on Nov. 5. The committee is composed of 9 members of the ruling Saenuri Party (New Frontier Party), 7 members of Democratic United Party and 1 independent. See here.
On Nov. 5, the Gangjeong Village Association, Jeju Pan-Island Committee for Stop of Military Base and for Realization of Peace Island (26 groups) and National Network of Korean Civil Society for Opposing to the Naval Base in Jeju Island (125 groups), delivering the defense committee 19 page ‘opinion statement for the budget cut on the Jeju naval base project, 2013’ strongly demanded the whole budget cut on the project, 2013. See here.
Among the 2013 compiled budget for the Ministry of National Defense and Defense Acquision Program Administration (DAPA), The Jeju naval base-related budget for 2013 is about 200.9 billion won. According to Oh Hye-Ran, Secretary of the SPARK, the budget, 200.9 won is compiled of:
About 186 billion won (92.5%): Harbor and bay construction
108.3 billion won: Caisson production & stationing and basic formation of breakwater in the 1st work area ( *Samsung- supervised)
48.5 billion won: Caisson production & stationing and basic formation of dock in the 2nd work area ( *Daelim-supervised)
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.’
[June 15 report and Video] In an absolute opposition to the navy’s military housing project, the villagers occupied the navy’s hearing stage of it for the 2nd time. The navy could NEVER process the hearing. Still the navy attempted to enforce hearing with a sudden RAID of ‘RECORDED VOICE,’ which were absolutely and fiercely protested by the villagers. The Jeju media reporters say that the hearing was ‘crept.’
The Jeju Sori even used the phrase such as, ‘approaching the climax’ in its article title to describe navy’s such incredibly naked fraud behavior that has been in fact nothing new since the navy sneaked like thieves into the Gangjeong village in 2007 when it bribed a few villagers and made a false propaganda through TV broadcastings that the villagers were in favor of naval base. The use of ‘recorder’ for 20 minutes in the small rocked studio room in the back side of hearing stage for the navy to evade furious people’s protest and to fake the fact as if the hearing was done on June 15 will remain one of the most scandalous and shameful traces throughout the South Korean military history.
The villagers having succeeded to completely dissipate the navy’s hearing on May 29, gathered in more numbers this time when the navy attempted the 2nd hearing in the same place of the Kim Jung Cultural Hall which is about 10 minute car distance from the village. The hearing was specifically focused on the draft on the prior environmental review for the military housing project.
About 200 villagers and peace activists gathered even before the start of hearing at 5pm, in resolute spirit to end navy’s such bald-faced behavior to forcefully drive the project.
As soon as people saw the naval base project committee personnel and workers of their contacted companies, they were in great fury. Civilian-costumed policemen and a few villagers who are in favor of naval base also were shown.
Navy’s holding a hearing in the place that is not in the village was already infuriating thing. If they are honesty and dignified, why they cannot hold a hearing in the village?
The navy had even the banner that reads, “Who would be responsible for a village elementary school being disappeared when students are 80 among 1,900 Gangjoeng villagers?” It was to threaten the villagers, meaning that the villagers can only sustain their home town by accepting more populations of at least 616 households of military family members.
Does the navy conspire to make the small village with the military-friendly electorates? The banner was soon taken down by the furious villagers.
Mass protest began when the contracted companies’ workers began to attempt to distribute propaganda materials. Villagers furiously tore glossed papers of them full of sumptuous colors and false rhetoric; and throw down them on the floor in front of the two navy officers who don’t seem to recognize their wrongdoings of stealing villagers’ hometown. One of two was a lieutenant commander Jung who had been detected to secretly hang a banner in the village last year, which was to falsely impute the protesters as pro-north leftist.
It even appeared that the navy side (policemen?) stealthily took photos on the protesting people in the rocked studio, which provoked villagers. Mayor Kang and villagers demanded a police intelligence officer to identify the men inside but the police officer rejected it. People blocked the window of the studio with banners.
Further preposterous thing happened around 5:10pm. People were shocked by the sudden recorded voice heard in the hall, that the hearing started. Of course, people protested demanding to stop it.
Infuriated mayor Kang heightened voice, “This is the navy’s another fraud. What on earth hearing being done by recorded broadcasting! The men inside the close studio should show up themselves!”
The recorded voice (talking on the purpose and content of hearing) went on for about 20minutes and the navy officers withdrew from the hearing hall around 5:30pm as people’s protest became stronger. People were more infuriated by their attitudes to attempt to evade the site without proper explanation on recorded voice. People surrounded them and fierily protested to them: “It is totally betraying of villagers!”
The navy left out the hall around 5:45pm. People followed them to their car and continuously protested them.
Mayor Kang said, “We the villagers have made an agreement that we absolutely oppose the military residence in our village. We will never allow it!”
It is expected that the navy would still enforce the project as it asserts that the hearing ‘has been done.’ Can you believe? It plans to finish the housing project by 2015 when the base is planned to be complete. In more detail, after today, it plans to work on the document on prior environment review, to complete the work-ordering on it in August through consultation with the Ministry of Environment next month and to start on environment impact assessment on the other hand. If the Ministry of National Defense approves the project in October, it will begin to purchase lands from November.
However, if it enforces the project, big controversy on scandalous procedure matter will surely arise. The navy should remember that there were about 200 witnesses of people today, who clearly remember ‘recorded fraud,’ OPERATED by the navy.
[June 10: Important] Navy plan on military housing project and designation of military restriction area
People have fiercely protested on May 29 when the navy attempted to hold a hearing on Military housing project without informing or consultation with the villagers. The navy hearing failed because of fierce protest by people who occupied the stage of the event with banners right before the event.
The navy is told to secretly hold a meeting again on June 15 that should be definitely blocked by people this time, too..
1.As you see in the map, the navy plans to expand the military area by building a military family housing (about 616 households, about 100,000 m2) in one of A to F areas and entry road (about 66,000 m2) along with already illegally and violently expropriated lands of about 280,000 m2 for the naval base project area (total 480,000 m2, including coastal reclamation of 200,000 m2).
Navy’s military housing project in the Gangjeong village
Since it is about 600 military households, you can imagine at least 1,200 military family members would be the new members of the village then. Please remind the whole population of the Gangjeong village is only about 1,900 (including 1,050 electorates). The village will be eventually swallowed into the military-friendly electorates.
The navy is to build those of military households and entry road with transferred money of about 100 billion won from last year ( About 75% of Last year’s was transferred to this year) Please remind that the National Assembly has made a tremendous 96% budget cut for naval base project for 2012. Only 4.9 billion won just for layout compensation fee etc. for 2012 was allowed by the National Assembly, while ALL ACTUAL construction (destruction) budgets for 2012 were cut.
2. The navy is also planning to designate a military restriction zone in the planned so-called civilian-military dual port, that will be eventually a military-only a port for 20 war vessels including a US nuclear aircraft carrier.
Navy plan on the military restriction zone
It is illegal as you cannot designate such zone while construction (destruction) has not been completed yet. It is known that the navy officially told the work rate was 13% (the amount of budget used) as of March this year. By June it is expected about less than 20%. However, excluding compensation fee for expropriated lands, the ACTUAL work rate is expected only 8~10%, currently. The navy could not even accomplish its original construction plan for 2011 even at the time of June, 2012, because of ‘most of all, people’s strong obstruction on project,’ in its own words.
What would happen with such dangerous designation on military restriction zone?
_The navy can expand its control area to 500 meter surrounding the area, except for settlement area (which is limited to 300 meter then).
_ People cannot build, rebuild, repair their houses in their own will. Everything is controlled by the military.
_ Further the navy will far expand control area under many excuses. The case of Daechuri, Pyeongtaek well explains. The military zone of Pyeongtaek was originally 11,550,000 m2 long years ago but it is now 33,000,000 m2, about three times fold.
The navy will first build the naval base of 480,000 m2. Then gradually increase its area size for all the war vessels, war planes and other advanced tech weapons.
_The navy says, with the influx of population by the military housing project (that they want to build in an area of ‘good view, easy traffic, easy securing of land,’ which is of no consideration on the natives), the numbers of children in an only elementary school in the village will be increased. And the market’s economy will soar, it says. Do you think the people will keep their children of high school ages in such a small village in Korea where competition is so high? Do you think people will still buy goods in local markets when there is PX inside a base, which sells goods in much cheaper price? The navy’s such false propaganda should be strongly refuted.
Therefore the village will disappear from a map but shall be transformed into a military city where people can only depend on military for economy.
-Struggle will be much harder. With such designation, you have to risk of at about three year prison term for your protests.
Those are why the people here have no time to break. We should stop such conspiracy.
Please take some actions appealed for in the ‘Take action’ section of our weekly news letter.
