On the 8th anniversary of Jeju’s designation as “The Peace Island” (Jan. 27, 2005), people from around Korea will have an event commemorating that anniversary and to make a new declaration, designating Jeju as as “The Demilitarized Peace Island.”
The idea was initiated in Gangjeong at the beginning of 2013 and cultivated through the gathering of people’s opinions and ideas over the course of several weeks.
Event Details:
Time: Sunday, January 27, 2013, 3pm to 6pm, dinner following the event. Venue: 4.3 Peace Park Great Hall Participation Fee: 10,000 won Content: Part 1: Declaration/ Part 2: Introduction of each participant and each participant’s sharing about their idea for a Demilitarized Peace Island (about 1 minute per person)/ Part 3: dinner Contact: Dr. Song Kang-Ho – 010-8891-5072/ jejudmz@gmail.com
Even if you don’t pre-register, you can register in the venue on January 27.
Only the names of individual people (ie: not organizations or groups) who will actually be present in person for the event will be allowed. This is to avoid formalities and to be able to take direct action on responsible follow-up measures.
There will be space to distribute materials related to the Demilitarized Peace Island movement
As my time in Gangjoeng has come to an end I walk away feeling grateful for having had the opportunity to meet people acting from a place of love, not hatred.
Having met the ones who would rather go to prison than compromised their moral beliefs.
Hung out with the SOS team. Frozen kayak rides, stubbornly working as monitors and guardians of the sea, coast line, animal life, corals and sea bed, all deeply affected by the construction.
Been inspired by all these politicians, leaders, villagers, supporter. Activists in different coats.
And yesterday six people from the National assembly(belonging to the Progressive Democratic Party) came to the same gate. Held a press conference. Talked about not being let in to see the base. Despite having their permits in order.
Many big and small efforts.
And all these people have at some point reacted and decided to act. Laws and regulations are made by people. Structures are created but can be changed if needed. Patters of state power can be challenges. Do not obey it you feel you shouldn’t. The pink sign below says just that; sometimes it is your obligation to stand by your beliefs and disobey.
And doing it from a place of love instead of hatred is a good start.
*Reblogged posts do not necessarily reflect the opinions or views of Save Jeju Now
In this month’s issue: Struggle outlook after the presidential election and in the new year, a new support group forms, similarities of Gaza and Gangjeong, more prisoner releases, Buddhist unity ceremony, voting problems for villagers and more!
It is not a totally appropriate title on this blog entry. No Pasarán was one of the battle cries from the guerilla in the Spanish Civil War.
Still, No Passage is one of the messages ringing loud and clear through the movement against the Naval base in Gangjeong.
Yesterday the wind picked up and snow came down over the gureombi rock, the palm trees, orange groves and the press conference where Mayor Kang and other community leaders again raised the issue of the 70 day construction stop that legally is in effect but not respected. The main purpose of the conference though was to voice a strong opinion of distrust regarding the navy’s 3d naval simulation to assess if cruise ships will be able to enter the port safely. This is taking place today and tomorrow but is considered a right out lie.
But consider this. The sales pitch to the villagers to Gangjeong (and Jeju island for that matter) was that the base would be a naval/civil(civilian base)where happy, rich tourists would come on these giant cruise liners.
Have you ever seen a one entry navy port, which main purpose is to protect South Korea and USA from the Red Enemy sitting in China; filled with American Marine soldiers, warships, a well-developed missile defence system mingle with…eh, tourists?
Gangjeong is an amazingly beautiful place. It has been considered as a candidate for the so-called new 7 wonders.
And now the base is moving in. And life becomes harder in so many small and big ways. Fishing use to be easy.
There use to be a beautiful view if one wanted to just hang for a while, be by the sea and look at Tiger island in a distance.
But now war ships are moving in. Tetrapods high and low.
Construction and barbed wire.
And still.
Small islands of stubborn active resistance.
Save Our Seas, or the SOS team had their weekly waterday activity on Wednesday(the Chinese symbol for Wednesday is water).
Some folks from the [Coast Guard] decided they needed to come along and sent 14 of their finest divers to make sure no rebellious kayakers would be up to something disobedient.
Then they all sailed for freedom.
Kayaks were observed and followed from both side of the navy base but not harassed. Depending on how you see it.
And made their way in the strong wind around the man-made orange boundary and disappeared in the mist, their tiny yellow flags barely visible.
*Reblogged posts do not necessarily reflect the opinions or views of Save Jeju Now
It snowed when I walked down to the gate this morning. It snowed during mass and it snowed during the press conference held about the hurried naval base layout simulation that is said to take place today and tomorrow(with results to be presented on January 30th) and is most likely fake.
This week I have seen very few police and have been told it is because they are taking a national test.
People don’t leave the gate unattended anyway of course.
I wonder where they go to find rest and inspiration. And I wonder about why there is so much art. And very few, if any, scare tactic posters, posters of the consequences of war, war ships coming to kill etc. Instead I find this.
And a guy who made a flute from a plastic pipe.
*Reblogged posts do not necessarily reflect the opinions or views of Save Jeju Now
In a not too distant history more than 30 000 people died on Jeju.
Some estimates say that as many as 80 000 were massacred in what is referred to as the April 3d incident or the Jeju uprising.
Only 3 years before, in 1945, the US used atomic nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, ending the pacific part of WWII. The war in Europe had ended a couple of months before and with that the Japanese occupation of Korea. A new political map of Korea was drawn mainly together with The Soviet Union.
The name, April 3rd incident refers to civilians being shot by the police during a demonstration in 1948. It also marks the starting point of a 7 year brutal battle between the South Korean Army and the villagers of Jeju island
The South Korean government, under the direction of the United States, maintained a systematic slaughter of the residents of Jeju Island. The people had preferred a united Korea and refused to participate in the fight over the country’s political system; this nonviolent stand was perceived as a serious threat by the United States and South Korea, and so, the people were attacked and massacred. The rebellion included the mutiny of several hundred members of the South Korean 11th Constabulary Regiment.
Most people died through fighting or execution. The visual artist and Jeju born Gillchun Koh portrays paths to death during the uprising in the “4.3 Peace Museum”.
Many people also fled to Japan and were unable to return back to Korea for many years.
The trauma of war and conflict is still fresh. It is possible that the announcement of Jeju as an island of peace, coming after an apology from the President helped the reconciliation process.
It is also possible that building a peace museum for the killed, which include a special place for the 4000 people still missing and not accounted for, makes it a little easier for the now living relatives and friends. A place of remembrance. A physical place to visit. A site where the names are engraved.
But still.
For many, the thought of the construction of an American Naval base in their village. With warships and 7000 soldiers. Brings back memories of terror. Many have living relatives deeply traumatized by the war, occupation and the uprising. They know the cost of thinking that approaching and solving conflicts with weapons and violence is very high.
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These are only the 4000 graves of the missing people from the Jeju Uprising.
*Reblogged posts do not necessarily reflect the opinions or views of Save Jeju Now
“As we look towards Christmas and the hope the birth of Jesus brought us, we remember that in Korea, a Jesuit will be spending his Christmas in prison for standing up for justice.” . . .In the photo of this article by Jesuit Asia Pacific, you can see Fr. Lee Young-chan(right) celebrating the mass on Gureombi rock together with Fr. Mun in 2011. (Post by Regina Pyon)
As we look towards Christmas and the hope the birth of Jesus brought us, we remember that in Korea, a Jesuit will be spending his Christmas in prison for standing up for justice.
Korean Jesuit Fr Lee Young-chan and five other peace activists were detained by the police on October 24. He had been protesting the excessive force used by the police in detaining a woman activist, and when the police manhandled him, they claimed his resistance amounted to violence. On Oct 26, the court upheld his arrest and denied him bail. His trial is ongoing.
Fr Lee is the second Jesuit to be imprisoned this year in connection with opposition to the construction of a naval base at Gangjeong Village in Jeju Island. In April, Fr Joseph Kim Chong-uk SJ was imprisoned for opposing and attempting to hinder the construction. Fr Kim has since been released.
The Justice and Peace Commission of the Catholic Bishop’s Conference of Korea and the Korean Province have both issued statements calling for the immediate release of Fr Lee and the other peace activists, and the end of the authorities’ use of violence in Jeju.
The Korean Province also promised continued material and emotional support to the Jesuits engaged in the action in Jeju, saying “With the understanding that this problem is international in scope we will spread awareness of it and join in close solidarity with the Jesuits of North America and also to our own region, the Jesuits of the Asia Pacific.”
In a letter Fr Lee managed to send from prison on November 4, he cites St. Paul saying, “’For to you has been granted for the sake of Christ, not only to believe in him but also to suffer for him. ‘(Phi1, 27-29) I give thanks that at least in a little way I have been granted the happiness and special favour to directly experience what these words say.”
He further said, “The U.S. and China have been faulting each other while turning N.E. Asia into a powder keg. They are blinded by their hegemony and nationalism and are trying to put each other down. In response, Korea and other nations must join in solidarity, not in inciting war but in ameliorating the situation and in leading toward a reduction in weapons.
“I pray that Jeju may avoid becoming a shrimp caught in a whale fight, but rather prevent the whale fight and become a place brimming with life and peace, an island spreading God’s peace for all peoples to all the world.”
The events in Jeju take place at a critical time for peace in northeast Asia. The ruling party in South Korea has taken a hard line toward North Korea and desires a stronger military to boost national security. The planned naval base on Jeju Island, opening out directly into the East China Sea, will enable increased projection of South Korean naval power. With South Korea’s close alliance with the United States, the naval base could be part of the US’ efforts to encircle China with its military might.
Opposition party lawmakers in South Korea have been critical of the planned naval base and have gained enough agreement for Congress to restrict the budget for this year’s construction. Hopes that the naval base could see a re-examination in 2013 look to be dashed with the ruling party winning the recent presidential election. Construction has been going on 24 hours a day to make up for delays caused by opposition and typhoons. During this time of rapid construction, police presence has been strengthened and their use of violence has increased.
Photo by Choi Kyung-Joon, Ohmynews, May 29, 2012 / Prof. Noam Chomsky wearing a yellow t-shirt that reads “Don’t kill the Gureombi Rock. Stop the blast!’ The t-shirt was brought by Mr. Koh Gil-Chun, Jeju artist, on May 22, 2012
Noam Chomsky, an Emeritus professor in the Department of Linguistics & Philosophy at MIT sent an email message regarding the Dec. 19 South Korean Presidential election through Mr. Koh Gil-Chun, Jeju artist and Gangjeong Village Association on Dec. 14. He emphasized the fate of the Jeju should be an important element for the Koreans to consider in the election. Here is the whole of his message.
There is no doubt that the December 19 election will be an event of great importance for South Korea and the region, with broader implications as well. The people of South Korea have an opportunity to go forward on a path of peace and reconciliation, despite all the barriers on the way. Or to choose confrontation, militarism, and serious threats reaching as far as possible destruction.
One very important consideration should be the fate of Jeju Island, where the population has been struggling courageously for years against military projects that are undermining their hopes that Jeju will truly be an “Island of World Peace.” These projects not on have highly destructive effects on the environment and on the lives of the people of the island, but also sow the seeds of dangerous conflict, even potential superpower conflict. I hope and trust that voters will have such matters foremost in their minds when they cast their ballots.
Following the Villagers’ monthly Unity Day that started on Nov. 25, 2nd Unity Day was held amid rain on Friday, Dec. 14. On the day, about 50 villagers marched toward the gate of the naval base project committee building complex. It was a day that the villagers made public their statement on the Gangjeong Village Civil Disobedience Movement in front of the gate (You can see the original Korean statement, here).
Photo by Jang Hyun-Woo. For more photos by Jang Hyun-Woo on Dec. 14, see here.
Statement on the Gangjeong Village Civil Disobedience Movement
Our Gangjeong village is a village of more than 450 years during which we have supported all sorts of household matters and busy works one another and shared affection together based on the spirit of Sooneuleum. It is our hometown that has been called as Il-Ganjeong (Meaning Gangjeong, the best village) because of the best water, crops and life in the Jeju Island.
However, we are experiencing an act of barbarity committed [by the government] that decided one day to install so called a national policy project in the village like a thunderbolt from a clear sky, without going through the process of collection on the villagers’ opinions but reasoning that a small part of the villagers hoped the invitation of the naval base construction. We are also experiencing daily suffering because the navy and Government abetting pro-base villagers make them alienate from the anti-base villagers and overissue accusations and charges against the latter, which makes irrecoverable gaps of conflicts between parents, siblings, relatives and friends.
Even during the darkest period of 4.3 when about 80 innocent Gangjeong villagers suddenly met unnatural death by the military of the Republic of Korea, the Gangjeong villagers protected and cared for one another. However, the Gangjeong village today is divided by the hostility to suspect and hate one another.
Therefore, the Gangjeong villagers having declared the Life and Peace village in Nov. 2007, gathered their spirits to build the village where their descendents can be blessed with peace to be recovered again and environment where life can overflow. We have been unbearably fighting with the flag of ‘absolutely no naval base,’ for five years and seven months by now because the Jeju naval base not only would increase the threat of war by fostering tension with the neighborhood countries despite it is a security project restraining outbreak of war, would harm even the basis of security due to the conflict between the civilian and military but also would never fit to the value of life and peace.
However, we are proud of ourselves having our claims within the legal frame that fits to the value of life and peace and having pledged ourselves moderated acts that there should be no group violence to be occurred even when legal protests cannot be established [and we could not but unavoidably take the illegal forms]. However, during the process when the police unlawfully imprisoned the mayor, leader, of the Gangjeong village, there occurred a situation when the villagers besieged the police and confront them. Then the Government using the event as a momentum, declared the political situation of public security, dispatched a large size riot police, and enforced naval base project with physical power. And the situation of so severe infringement on human rights has been continued for more than a year.
It is not only unconvincing disposal for our cry to respect life and aspire peace to be recognized as the threatening existence to the Government but justice is being lost as even the law that is the standard of a society submits to the power of the Government, adding power to it.
Therefore the Gangjeong village residents, following the value of life and peace village and ethical standard, declare that they would manifest their rights as the citizen through the civil disobedience movement until the law is equal to everyone and the state power recovers its neutral position in the [Government]driving process of the Jeju naval base construction project.
While we resist with the principle of non-violence and peace, we will protect the Gangjeong village of the Land of Life, being firm without stepping back. To build the village where our sons and daughters, and their sons and daughters are proud that they are part of Korea and are willing to accept their responsibility to keep their hometown and care for life, we stand here deeply inscribing in our hearts that the civil disobedience movement that aims for the law to be righteously hold up is the most sacred mission for the citizens’ justice to be realized.
We demand the judicature, prosecutors, police, navy and the Government.
We hope that the judicature establishes its position again for its mission to make the authority of law righteously stand and to protect the order of democracy.
We hope the prosecutor and police are born again as those true canes for the people, not to mention their righteous establishment as the para judicature institutes, so that they get out of their mean appearance of standing sided with the haves.
We hope the navy comes into the stage of a reasonable and fair dialogue, stopping the construction itself for the purpose of ending mass production of social conflicts that take down the basis of security itself and even put the basis of the existence of a nation in danger.
We hope the Government would stop the Jeju naval base project on which so many problems have already been disclosed and by which infringement on human right violation have seriously occurred. We also hope that the Government, accepting its mission to unite the citizens, recovers the honors of the Gangjeong villagers and peace keepers who have been under false accusations and disadvantages, and totally re-examine the Jeju naval base project at the same time.
From today as the starting point, we declare that we, the Gangjeong villagers join together with their first sacred step in the spirit of time for the historical progress in which the justice of the judicature righteously stand and we make the world of no discrimination.
Dec. 14, 2012
The villagers and peace keepers of Gangjeong, the Life and Peace Village
Photo by Jang Hyun-Woo. The banner reads ‘Civil disobedience movement against the Jeju naval base.’ People such as Kim Jin-Suk, a legendary leader of the Hanjin Heavy Industry Workers’ struggle visited the village to encourage the villagers’ struggle. For more photos by Jang Hyun-Woo on Dec. 14, see here.Photo by Jang Hyun-Woo. For more photos by Jang Hyun-Woo on Dec. 14, see here.After the event, villagers shared meals in front of the gate, to stop the construction vehicles. During the protest, a disable was arrested but he was released in hours.
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See also
South Korea’s a high court of justice just ruled out that the plan of military installation on GANGJEONG is lawful and valid action to go. This ruling was based on the Supreme Court’s decision that some part of the plan needed to be reviewed by the high court of justice in 2009. One more reviewing by the Supreme Court to go for the final ruling. (10:00 AM KST)
There were three lawsuits regarding the naval base. The first is the action filed by GANGJEONG Townhall claimed the permission of Jeju Provincial government to use the public water surface for naval base construction was illegal. The second is the action filed by GANGJEONG residents claimed the executive order from the provincial government to expire the absolute preservation site is illegal. The last one is the action filed by GANGJEONG townhall that the plan of military installation which is naval base at GANGJEONG is illegal. Each lawsuit had three trial cases, court of first instance, a high court of justice and the Supreme Court of justice and didn’t make it. This court’s ruling is caused by the supreme court of justice says some of details are not enough to make illegal and sent it back to the high court of justice for another hearing and ruling.
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!
