In this August/September 2017 Edition (Specially 8 page):
2017 Jeju Grand March for Life and Peace/ Ishigaki peace camp 2017/ The18 hours’ resistance against THAAD / IPAN calls for THAAD OUT OF KOREA/ Why Iwakuni? / The Colonization of Guam/ Miyako Mothers for a Peaceful Future/ Ishigaki Elders Call for No More War/ Henoko Blue/ Report on the solidarity trip to Korea/ Alliance for Arms Deal/ The Strategic meaning of the Jeju Naval Base and THAAD/ Update on the navy lawsuit/ Dugong Lawsuit Revived in US Courts/ Unilateral Government Information Meeting on the 2nd Jeju Airport Dissipated by the People/ USNS Henson surveyed the Jeju waters/ Sept. 2, the sixth year remembering the Gureomi fence/ Keep Space for Peace week/ May Rest Cho Young- sam and more.
No to the 1st US Warship after 10 Years of Struggle /The United States should not pressure THAAD deployment!/ Resisting THAAD in the United States/ Vietnam Pieta and Fr. Bix statues placed in Gangjeong/ The Navy’s damage lawsuit and the new President Moon/ A Murderous History of Korea by Bruce Cumings / Gangjeong Peace Travel Team / Making a Demilitarized Island with No Air Base / Remembering the Sewol ferry tragedy and Gwangju uprising/ Jeju march 2017 ad. etc.
The Jeju naval base issue still appears sensitive in the 1st presidential debate
Two weeks later, there will be the South Korean Presidential election on Dec. 19 that would be the critical watershed for the whole Korea, and highly likely Asia pacific, too: If Park Geun-Hye, Presidential candidate of the ruling conservative Saenuri Party, and a daughter of the deceased ex-President Park Chung-Hee who ruled Korea for 18 years with military dictatorship, becomes the next President, the future of inter-Korean relationship would be more stifled, which would bring more instability in the Asia Pacific then, given the increasingly intensified confrontation between the United States and China (See the related news article, here)
The Presidential election is now of the highest concern for the people against the Jeju naval base project. As the budget talk was postponed after the Presidential election and the budget matter would critically depend on the result of the Presidential election, people’s goal is now to win over the Saenuri party through people’s unity.
However, in the 1st Presidential candidates’ debate on the issues of foreign policy, politics, and security, that lasted from 8 to 9:40 pm on Dec. 4 (See the news article, here), the issue of the Jeju naval base project which is in fact, a center subject regarding the relationship with US and China was only very shortly mentioned. It could be partly because of the debate frame that does not allow talks in depth. However, you can say, it is still media-controlled and sensitive issue in Korea.
If there was any talk on the Jeju naval base project on Dec. 4 debate, it was raised as a tool by Park Geun-Hye who attempted to attack Moon Jae-In and Lee Jung-Hee, the Presidential Candidates of the Democratic Party and United Progressive Party with the issues of National Security law, ROK-US FTA and Jeju naval base issue, for the purpose of red-baiting and defame of the two opposition parties for their posed cooperation on the issues. It was Lee Jung-Hee who acutely refuted Park, reminding her of the Saenuri Party’s unilateral railroading of 2013 Jeju naval base budget on Nov. 28, to the infringement on the dignity of National Assembly, which was strongly protested by opposition groups. Moon Jae-In’s repute was more on general remark on the need of unity on the issues between two opposition parties against the ruling party.
Lee was clear to say that “regarding the Jeju naval base issue, there have been problems even before the first budget passage in the National Assembly in 2007. I hope candidate Moon has a same attitude with me to totally re-examine and stop the project without fail.” However, the talk on the Jeju naval base budget did not go any more. Moon was too cautious to openly talk on the Jeju naval base issue. (See the Jeju Sori, Dec. 4, 2012)
Whatever the politicians’ calculations on the naval base issue are, it is the people in the struggle field of Gangjeong, who are directly experiencing the daily violence by state power.
The scenes of Gangjeong on the night of the 1st Presidential debate
Here are some scenes on the very debate night.
The sit-in tent in Gangjeong: Around 8:40 pm, Dec. 4
Around 8:40, Dec. 4, people who experience day and night struggle under the police oppression and company thugs’ physical muscle gathered in front of sit-in tent across construction gates to watch the Presidential candidates’ debate through TV.
The protest site in Gangjeong on Dec. 4: Around 9:10 pm
Around 9:10 pm, construction vehicles came and police circling of people began. “Why don’t you just watch the TV?” “We’ve come here during watching TV, too. You are the ones who should just watch the TV.” It was a conversation between the peacekeepers and policemen. When the police were to remove the lumbers filed up as people’s barricade, “We will do,” peacekeepers took them away and patterned out. It seems to take similar time whether the police threw them out far away to the edge of the Gangjeong stream or the peacekeepers put them in pattern at the side of protest field, even though the peace keepers would suffer from such job again and again. “When did you start this way?” “Just minutes ago.” “It is a good idea.” It was a moment of the wisdom of the civil disobedience shining.
People’s protest, Gangjeong, Dec. 4
However the police muscle running right after the peace keepers made sit-in was same, “Ah.. I feel pain with my wrist. Do not pull away my arm!” “Don’t fold down my fingers!” The police circling of people ended with people’s scream again: Very routine, here.
After the Presidential candidates’ TV debate, around 9:50 pm, Dec. 4
People watched the TV discussion again circling and sitting around a five stove, “Was there any mention on the Jeju naval base issue?” “Lee Jung-Hee questioned about it. But the debate moderator cut the chances on answers to it.” “Did he? Then when will they talk about the issue?” “ Well..we don’t kbnow. Maybe in the tourism section since it is the Civilian-Military Complex Port for Tour Beauty..” We all laughed hearing that.. “Maybe they may talk in art section, since it is related to Beauty (maybe in the high-tech art section..) The issue on the Jeju naval base project has been constantly media-controlled. That is why the politicians need to hush up on it? Or has the program itself been affected by Samsung?
Here is the postscript during the night protest during which the police carelessly pushed people downside the road toward the Gangejong stream. .. “I was almost to fall into the edge of it. There is no distinguishion between the police and thugs.” (A peacekeeper named Park)
Music concert to cut the Jeju naval base budget
The Gangjeong Elating and Spicy Flower band(Flower band) started its concert campaign to cut the whole budget on the Jeju naval base project in front of the protest field of construction gate on Dec. 4. The music concert is held every 4 pm in front of the construction gate. It is open to everybody.
Jo Yak Gol, member of the band writes.
“During the performance, the police rushed to us and took away mike and amp. Then they violently circled us. We are keeping this site without a step back against the violence of them who enforce illegal naval base construction. Even though they oppress us, we keep the site, singing and dancing. Let’s revoke the Jeju naval base project by our unity.”
A campaign to cut budgets on the naval base project and to elect President of Peace
Full page ad of Hangyoreh newspaper yesterday(December 4).. .Urging the stop of Jeju naval base budget and. . .campaign to make the year of 2013 as the first year of Peace Treaty by electing the President of Peace. It was organized by SPARK (Facebook post by Regina Pyon)
An ad. to elect the President of Peace, Hankyoreh, Nov. 4, 2012
Video maker Dungree made a parody video on Park Geun-Hye.
Source: click here
[Lee Jung-Hee said] “Masao Takaki – Korean name Park Chung-hee – signed a blood oath of loyalty to the Japanese emperor, and his Yushin administration was intended to protect the country from ’leftist communist sympathizers,‘” “The Saenuri Party and Park Geun-hye are the roots of collaboration and dictatorship and do not have the right to sing the national anthem.” Upon hearing this, Park’s face turned red and was overtaken by a stern expression. (See Hankyoreh, Nov. 5, 2012)
Images of Non-Violent protest (Facebook posts by Regina Pyon and Park Jong-Hoon)
Jesuit priests and brother. . .From the left, Br. DoHyun Park, Fr. Kim Sung-hwan and Fr. Chonguk Kim. . .They have shaved the heads on November 29 at the same site urging the stop of Jeju naval base budget. . .this was taken yesterday just after the mass. . .For more photos by Jang Hyun-woo, here. (Post by Regina Pyon)Poet Lee has come back to Gangjeong very recently after a break. . .and then like this…this photo was taken yesterday morning. Photos by Jang Hyun-woo, here. (Post by Regina Pyon)Artist Koh Gil-chun in protest. Photos by Jang Hyun-woo, here. ”He did many artworks on Gureombi coast and Gangjeong village, some of them already disappeared or were destroyed. . . very committed Jeju native artist. . . You can also find his great artworks in the April 3 peace museum in Jeju. (Facebook note by Regina Pyon)Photo by Park Jong-Hoon, a peacekeeper reads a book between the struggle times.
Photo: Hankyoreh, Nov. 28, 2012/ ‘Banners for candidates for the Dec. 19 president election in Seoul’s Eunpyeong district. Nov. 27 was the official start of campaigning. (Ryu Woo-jong, staff photographer)’
The Presidential election in South Korea is on Dec. 19, 2012. Only 20 days are left from now on. On Nov. 27, a day before the ruling Saenuri Party’s violent unilateral railroading of budget on the 2013 Jeju naval base project (about 201 billion won) in the National Defense committee of the National Assembly on Nov. 28 (The budget bill is now passed to the Budget and Balance Committee of the Assembly for final talk on it), the Jeju Region Professors’ Association to Stop Construction and to Discuss Again on the Jeju naval Base’ made public its open inquiry to the two big Presidential Candidates: Park Geun-Hye (bio) in the ruling Saenuri Party and Moon Jae-In in the Democratic United Party, the main opposition party (bio). It is clear that the two big candidates have a common position on the Jeju naval base that it should be dual form of the civilian and military, even though their measures on the currently, clearly illegal, law-evasive construction (destruction) may be different. The professors, pointing out the whole process of the Jeju naval base project has been a deception, chase the two Candidates to make their clear positions regarding current big exposures. You can see the original Korean statement, here.
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Open inquiry to two Presidential candidates of Park Geun-Hye and Moon Jae-In, on the Jeju naval base project that betrays citizens
From today, [Nov. 27, 2012], official election campaign for 22 days [until Dec. 19] to elect the 18th [ROK] President starts. We expect that Park Geun-Hye, candidate of the Saenuri Party and Moon Jae-In, candidate of the Democratic United Party would stage fierce two-power confrontation this period. The Jeju Region Professors’ Association to Stop Construction and to Discuss Again on the Jeju naval Base’ (‘JRP,’ afterward) truly hope that the two candidates enter for fair and clean contest, centered around policy matters.
Even though the whole country enjoys a festival to elect the President, there happen endless daily conflicts around the enforcement of construction in the Gangjeong village, Jeju. Various law-evasive enforcements of construction and violation on human rights are being staged there. From Jan. 2010 to Oct. 2012, 650 people have been taken away and arrested. Among them 22 people were imprisoned and 480 people were indicted. Recently, 24 hour construction was enforced for the navy to secure the 2013 budget on the naval base project therefore the clash between the police and Gangjeong villagers has become intensified, which resembles a battle field. While the country is holding a festival, an atmosphere of a morning house fills the Gangjeong village, Jeju.
We, the JPR is to openly inquire on the positions of two candidates, Park Geun-Hye and Moon Jae-in on the Jeju naval base project that is being enforced deceiving the South Korean citizens.
The Government has driven construction quibbling that the Jeju naval base project is to build a Civilian-Military Complex for Tour Beauty for 150,000 ton cruise to freely enter and exit. The Government basis of the justification for the construction drive was the ‘Result and Measure plan on the Technical Verification on the entry/exit of cruise (‘report,’ afterward),’ reported by the ‘Technical Verification Committee on the Cruise Entry/Exit of Port in the Civilian-Military Complex for Tour Beauty (‘Technical Verification Committee,’ afterward). However, it is unfortunately turning out that the report is of falsehood and betrayal.
To recollect, a question was raised whether the Jeju naval base project is not the Civilian-Military Complex for Tour Beauty but in fact, of building a [pure] naval base or not, in September, 2011 when Kang Chang-Il, a [Jeju-based] National Assembly member and a member of the Democratic United Party, exposed the fact on the conclusion of so called dual MOU (see the below reference). Thereupon, the ROK National Assembly recommended to the Government to form a verification technical committee and to objectively and fairly disclose truth. Following its recommendation, the Office of Prime Minister has formed the ‘Technical Verification Committee on the Cruise Entry/Exit of Port in the Civilian-Military Complex for Tour Beauty (‘Technical Verification Committee,’ afterward). Since then, the Office of Prime Minister has written ‘Result and Measure plan on the Technical Verification on the entry/exit of cruise (‘report,’ afterward),’ in which the content was that cruise entry and exit of port is possible, based on the activities by the technical and verification committee meeting. It was Feb. 29, 2012 that the National Policy Control meeting supervised by Kim Hwang-Sik, Prime Minister, decided to drive the Jeju naval base construction based on the report without setback. Since then construction (destruction) has been enforced in earnest (* including the blast of Gureombi Rock for two months, from March 7)
Reference: In Sept. 2011, It has been disclosed by Kang Chang-Il in the ROK National Assembly that while the MOU owned by the Jeju Island government was titled as the ‘Memorandum of Understanding Related to the Construction of the Civilian-Military Complex Tour Beauty Harbor (Jeju Naval Base),’ the MOU owned by the Ministry of National Defense (MND) was titles as the ‘Jeju Naval Base.’ For the translation of the MOU on April 27, 2009, see here. For the news article on dual MOU, click here. See another reference article on Feb. 20, 2012, here.
However as Jang Hana, National Assembly woman made public the meeting minutes of the technical verification Committee, a question was raised that the report had been framed. The suspicion raised by Jang Hana, National Assembly woman, turned out to be factual by thetestimony by Prof. Kim Gil-Sou(Korea Maritime University)who has joined the technical verification committee meeting, in the inspection by the Administrative and Self-Governing committee of the Island Council on Nov. 19. According to his testimony, the report by the technical verification committee meeting was written in the condition of induced meeting result for the Government to avoid the change of base design and construction stop.
Eventually, the Government enforced law-evasive construction betraying citizens as if the Jeju naval base is a Civilian-Military Complex Port for Tour Beauty, based on false basis for the enforcement of construction by now, while committing shameless acts of barbarism violating the human rights of Gangjeong villagers and peace activists who make effort to stop it.
We truly ask to two candidates: Do you really think it is a just project that the Government drives committing the law-evasive and human rights violation and betraying citizens even though it is a national policy project related to national security?
Candidate, Park Geun-Hye, has said related to the issue of the Jeju naval base that she would “certainly raise the Jeju as a Cruise tourism herb by which two interests of security and Jeju development can be both captured. And Moon Jae-In, Presidential candidate of the Democratic United Party said that “the form should be that of co-existence of civilian port for possible cruise entry of port and military port purposeful of port of call, as the National Assembly decided.” And he would “stop construction and re-examine the project content according to democratic procedures.” Should the Jeju naval base construction be enforced even though situations and truths have been disclosed? Does candidate Park Geun-Hye think the current construction should be a tour herb that covers security and Jeju development? Does candidate Moo Jae-In think it would be a beautiful port where civilian and military port purposed for port of call can co-exist?
We, the ‘JRP” has claimed that the Jeju naval base construction should be stopped and the matter on the continuous process of the construction should be decided through discussions again. Given the disclosed facts that the construction has been processed based on false basis, our claims have become more firm. We hope that the two candidates state your true opinions regarding our position. We also ask you to disclose your positions on the measures on the Government that deceives its citizens and violates their human rights.
Nov. 27, 2012
The Jeju Region Professors’ Association to Stop Construction and to discuss again on the Jeju Naval Base
Photo by Jeju Sori, Aug. 10. 2011/ The Jeju Region Professors’ Association to Stop Construction and to discuss again on the Jeju Naval Base(JRP)Presidential election promotion posters in the village, Nov. 2, 2012
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Regarding Kyle Kajihiro’s letter(April 25, 2012) to Koreans, a critique of Park Geun-Hye’s remark on Jeju both as tourism and military base, based on the model of Hawai’i, see here.
Photo by Tommy Shin Jung-Hyun/ Village mayor Kang Dong-Kyun makes a speech against the Jeju naval base project in front of the US embassy in the center of Seoul on Nov. 13, 2012: “US, listen to me!”
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.’
To the people’s indignation, the party has attributed its failure in April 11 general election to its changed position into the critique on the currently enforced naval base project to the dislike by the general South Korean citizens for whom security consciousness is presumed by the party to be important. Such analysis has gotten much criticism from the progressive who analyzed the party’s failure as the Party’s remaining unchanged without true renovations and the Party’s weak efforts to persuade people.
The Pan-Island Committee for the Stop of Military Base and for the Realization of Peace Island stated in its refuting statement on Nov. 13.
“While the technical verification committee is not neutral, the suspicions on the flaws of base design and on the unreliable caisson production has not disappeared. The matter on simulation has not properly done under the Lee Myung Bak government. It should be righteous that all the naval base budgets should be cut.”
Photo by Cho Sung-Bong in his Ohmynews article, Nov. 13 / The illegal naval base construction (destruction) is destroying environment in thorough violation of the EIA and wasting people’s tax enormously.
“The Democratic United Party has promised on the construction stop and re-examination of the project, but is now being shifted to have an opinion of ‘partial [or all] pass with subsidiary conditions. To say ‘subsidiary opinion’ so and so is an attempt to dissipate its Presidential candidates’ promise to people.” (* How self- contradictory for the Democratic United Party to say it is, reminding that the Party has cut the budget in 2012 because the navy did not kept the National Assembly’s subsidiary conditions in 2007.)’
The Pan-Island committee has a plan to carry on one-man protest to demand the ‘whole budget cut,’ in front of the Jeju branch of the Democratic United party, Jeju City from the morning of Nov. 14.
People here are mobilizing themselves to send protest messages to the facebooks and tweets of the members of the National Assembly.
How you can help us to cut the budget? Please pressure the ROK National Assembly to cut the whole budget of naval base. Contact english@assembly.go.kr, or Moon Jae-In, Permanent Advisor, Democratic United Party, Presidential candidate: moonriver365@gmail.com
Otherwise, please leave messages in the below sites to pressure the National Assembly members (Democratic United Party)
Jang Hana’s Facebook page (Jang Hana is the Jeju-origin National Assembly woman, Democratic United Party)
# The Jeju based or origin National Assembly men/women (All are Democratic United Party members) are making their best efforts to cut the budget. Please encourage and support them to put more pressure to their party colleagues. Thanks Abigail for providing above facebook information.
TWEET/ EMAIL ADDRESS/ PHONE NUMBER of the National Defense Committee (Democratic United party):
Ahn Kyu-Baek (Floor vice- representative of the Party) @AGBhope intoan429@hanmail.net 02-788-2601
Photo by Kang Ho-Jin, Nov. 13/Peace activists are holding one-man protest in front of the National Assembly to cut the budgets on the naval base project. With 200 billion own, there are so many things that you can do for people’s welfare: Free meals and education for children, tuition support for students, irregular workers’ position change to regular workers etc.Photo by Cho Sung-Bong in his Ohmynews article, Nov. 13 /People are desperate to stop 24 hour construction(destruction) that started on Oct. 25. The photo is on Oct. 26 when people are desperate to stop construction vehicles in front of the main gates of the construction site.
In this August/September 2017 Edition (Specially 8 page):
In this April/ May 2017 Edition:
