Solidarity Messages for 5000 days of Gangjeong Struggle / Islanders Choose a Sustainable Jeju, Rather than Over-Tourism and Reckless Development/ We can defend Seongsan with the power to overcome the sorrow of Jeju April 3rd Uprising and Massacre/ Bringing Legal Action Against the Military Roadwork/ People appeal for the release of Song Kang-ho/ Activists Opposing the 2nd Airport on Trial/ New U.S. Marine Force Structure to Challenge China’s Navy/ Pleas to honor war victims and stop base construction in Okinawa/ Campaign to Stop the US-ROK War Drills/ The National Satellite Integrated Operation Center should be refused/ US Space Force in Korea/ US Indo-Pacific Strategy and South Korea Arms Development/ Gender Minorities Suffer from Hatred and Discrimination etc.
A Military Road over the Water Supply Source/ The time has come for the islanders’ decision on the Jeju 2nd airport/ Voices from Seongsan / Solidarity Letters to Peace Prisoners/ Nanjing Seen from Alddreu/ National Satellite Integrated Operation Center in Jeju/ Mouth cancer found in a Jeju dolphin/ The Problem of Returned US bases/ Okinawa Update/ Building More Infrastructure for War with China/ In Memory of George Ogle etc.
For the construction of the 2nd Jeju airport in Seongsan, east of Jeju Island, at least 12 Oreums (parasitic cones), 42 wells of spring water, 43 species of birds, 11 lava caves and 16 cultural shrines are at the risk of destruction/ Image from google.
It was February 20th, the next day of opening of Island Council provisional meeting that Won Hee-ryong, Jeju Island governor, announced his will to drive for the 2nd Jeju airport project. His deed infuriated Island people as they were demanding the Council to make a resolution to stop the basic planning for the 2nd Jeju airport. About 27 of 43 Island council members were signing to the draft of resolution by Feb. 19th, also. Further, Won’s lengthy statement intended to persuade the Islanders to accept the project was full of data manipulation and lies. By the latest poll, only 3 of 10 Islanders are in favor of the project. One of the noticeable points of Won’s statement was his repeated denial on peopel’s suspicion that the 2nd Jeju airport could be used as an air force base.
So far, the 2nd Jeju airport is reported as a project driven only by the South Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport (MOLIT). It is very rare that the Ministry of National Defense(MND) appears in the news, in relation to the 2nd Jeju airport. Despite that, many situations strengthen Islanders’ suspicion that it is an air force base. Even an Island Council member was clearly saying to the hunger strikers that it is nothing but an air force base when they visited him. I was one of them who talked with him.
Upon this, one of major local TVs called KBS Jeju, made a series of news regarding the controversy over the issue of an air force base. The below is a translation of its news on Feb. 22, 2019 . Here I also translated the history of MND drive for the air force base in Jeju at the bottom of this page.
It was around 1970s when the South Korean Ministry of National Defense(MOD) planned an air force base in Jeju, which includes fighter planes unit.
2. Since then, the MOD has reflected the plan in its national defense mid-term plans. And in 2007, it changed the title to so called the “Southern Rescue and Search unit” which is alledgedly equipped only with support aircrafts, not fighter planes.
3. However in 2007, Roh Hoe-chan, a backup President candidate for the Democratic Labor Party then and a former National Assembly man who passed away in 2018, visited Jeju and claimed that the Southern Rescue and Search unit is presented with fighter planes.
According to his claim, the numbers of budget, area size including runaway, and
affiliated facility are same between the plans of air force base and Southern
Rescue and Search unit. In detail,
_Budget (250 billion won=around $ 250 million USD)
_ Size of the area including runaway (600,000 pyong=around 2 million square meters=around 200 hectare) _Affiliated facility= 100 buildings
“The MOD should clearly explain. If it had really given up the ability to accept fighter planes, why the budget, area size, and facility size [of Southern Rescue and Search unit] were never cut,” (Roh, a National Assembly man, DLP, then, at the press conference on May 21th, 2007/ recorded)
Then the MOD stated that the size of its plan before the mid-term plan in 2004 was around 1,750,000 pyong (around 5.8 million square meters=around 580 hectare) for the purpose of deployment of a squadron. But it removed the concept of accommodation of fighter planes since the mid-term plan in 2007, it stated.
4. However, in a TV discussion meeting just before the selection of location of
Jeju Navy base, a staff of MOD hinted that a matter of connection between the 2nd
Jeju airport and air force base could be set off any time.
Q: “Don’t you acknowledge that air force power cannot but enter [to Jeju] in relation to navy base (and defense)? Even though it will not be in current stage.?” (Reporter)
A: “Yes, Even though it will not be in current stage..” (Choi Gwang-seob, director of resource management Dept, MND, May 8th, 2007/ recorded)
5. And 10 years later of it, on March 9th, 2017, Jeong Kyeong-doo, current Minister of MND and Air Force Chief of Staff then officialized the creation of Southern Rescue and Search unit and stated that he was considering to install the unit in some places including the planned area for the 2nd Jeju airport.
6. At the time, the headquarter of South Korean air force mentioned the 2nd Jeju airport as a prime candidate area for the unit.
“ In relation to the 2nd Jeju airport, we have not had any prior communion (either with MOLIT or Jeju Island). We have had no official talk on it. However, we now think that we should do.” (Yi Sung-yong, a deputy chief of staff for coordination and management, headquarter of air force base, an interview on March 9, 2017)
Later when KBS officially inquired to the headquarter of air force whether it has ever talked with MOLIT or Jeju island, it answered there was never.
7. However, the Jeju airport is already saturated and the runway length of small Alddreu air field is too short for a transport plane to land. Therefore it was pointed out that the air force does have no choice other than preferring to the 2nd Jeju airport.
“As I know, 1.5 km length [of a runway] is necessary for a transport plane to land. The MND is answering in such a way, too. However, The Alddreu air field is short of 500 Meter.” (Wi Seong-gon, currently Seogwipo-based National Assembly man, March 16th, 2017/ recorded)
8. Additionally, Na Woong-jin, director of airport policy of MOLIT then in 2015 said that “ 3.3 million ㎡ is possible for an airport. However, we planned more areas in consideration of possibility of its expansion in the future.”
9. Currently, the MOLIT defined the spare parts of the 2nd Jeju airport as 1.65 million ㎡. And it happens to be similar to the size of Southern Rescue and Search unit expected by air force.
10. Related to it, Won Hee-ryong, Island governor, stated in a Q & A session two years ago that he would discuss with a new President (Moon Jae-in) and set the 2nd Jeju airport to be a pure civilian airport, it looks like he has not talked with the President yet, even nearly two years later.
10. As a result, it will be very likely that the controversy whether the 2nd Jeju airport is connected to an air force base would be continued unless the Government expresses its official position or the MND and air force withdraw from the related plans.
(Narrated by Heo Ji-Young, KBS news)
# The history of MND drive for the ‘Jeju Air Force Base (Southern Search and Rescue Unit)(Jeju Sori, March 2, 2017)
1987 “Jeju air force base’ is reflected in the ‘build-up plan for the mid and long term military strength’
1987 ‘The council for the military restriction zone’ defines the area of Songak Mountain as a military restriction zone
1992 The MND (Ministry of National Defense) and Ministry of Construction and Transportation (Currently Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, MOLIT) agrees to the construction of a new civilian-military combined Jeju airport
1997 The plan for an air force base (flying squadron class) is reflected in the mid-term plan of national defense (1999-2003)
2004 A discussion on the civilian-military joint use on the Jeongseok air field owned by the Korean Airline which disagreed with the idea.
2006 Name of the project was altered from the Jeju air force base to the Southern Rescue and Search unit
2009 A Memorandom of Understanding in relation to the construction of the Jeju navy base was concluded between the Ministry of National Defense and Jeju Island (*and the Ministry of Land and Ocean, then). In the memorandum, included were the matter of *use on the Alddreu air field( an old Japanese naval air field during the Japanese imperialism)
The Article 5 of MOU (about the use of Alddreu air field etc.) reads:
(1) For the growth of the region of Jeju self-governing Island,the Ministry of National Defense (MOD) should let the Jeju Self-Governing Island use so called the Alddreu air field which is under the jurisdiction of the MOD and located in the town of Daejeong, City of Seogwipo, through the discussion with the Jeju Self-Governing Island following the legal procedures.
(2) The Minister of MOD confirms that it does not have the plan to deploy fighter planes in the Southern Rescue Search unit of air force.
The article 5 of MOU, in relation to the Jeju navy base means the air force is seeking another area other than the old Alddreu air field for its base in Jeju. Six years later from the MOU, Seongsan, east of the Jeju would be announced as the area for the 2nd Jeju airport.
2015. The area of Onpyeong-ri, Seongsan -eup, east of Jeju Island was announced as the area for the 2nd Jeju airport (aimed to be completed as early as 2023)
2017, List of Jeju Southern Rescue and Search unit in the National Defense mid-term plan (2018-2022) (planned to be set in 2021)
The sit-in in front of the Jeju Island government hall against the 2nd Jeju airport (air force base), which started by Kim Kyung-bae, a Seongsan resident(50), on Dec. 19, last year, who carried out 38 days’ fast, has continued so far with the participation of more citizens in Jeju and nationwide. On Jan. 17, two Jeju women, Yoon Kyung-mi (47) and Oum Mun-hee (46) joined indefinite hunger strike. And Choi Sung-hee (53) joined them, too, on Jan. 24. People around nation (especially young people and Green Party members) and even international citizens like Russell Wray in the United States joined their fasts one day or more than that, in solidarity with the fasters and No 2nd Jeju airport campaign. While Yoon and Choi had no choice but to end their hunger strikes respectively after 23 and 24 days due to the worsening condition of their health, Oum hits her 37th day fast as of February 22.
From left to right: Kim Kyung-bae, Yoon Kyung-mi, Oum Mun-hee, and Choi Sung-hee/ A photo by Kim Suo
As the provisional meeting of the Island Council approached, people focused on the Island Council to produce a resolution to demand the government halt of the basic planning for the 2nd Jeju airport. The meeting opened on February 19th and we will see the result of it on February 27th. So far, 27 of 43 Island Council members signed to the draft of a resolution. Meanwhile, Won Hee-Ryong, the Island governor announced his will to drive for the 2nd Jeju airport on February 20th, the next day of opening of Island Council. Won’s statement on the need of 2nd Jeju airport was full of lies and manipulation of data and facts. Partly, he strongly denied the prospect that the 2nd Jeju airport would be used as an air force base. However, when Oum and I visited an Island Council member (when I was still fasting), he clearly stated, “The 2nd Jeju Airport? It is right to say it is an air force base, whatever rhetoric is used.” Here I, translate my own statement ending my 24 days’ fast, written on Feb. 17th.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Ending the 24 days’ fast to demand the halt of basic planning for the 2nd Jeju Airport.
I had three demands when I started an
indefinite fast on Jan. 24th
Firstly, the South Korean Ministry of Land,
Infrastructure, and Transport (MOLIT) should stop the launch of basic planning
for the 2nd Jeju airport!
Secondly, Won Hee-Ryong, Jeju Island
governor, should collect the public opinion of Jeju Islanders!
Thirdly, the Island Council and three
Jeju-based National Assembly men should demand the MOLIT the halt of basic
planning for the 2nd Jeju airport.
And I ended my 24 days’ fast on Feb. 16th due to the worsening condition of my health (My blood-sugar level indicated the critical risk). I wondered whether my, and my friends’ fasts reached to the politicians even in echo or not.
I am now in hospital taking liquid water content. As I take it, I feel that my blood-sugar level comes back, headache and stuffiness in my chest disappears, and my organs are a little being recovered. I became to realize more clearly how the Jeju society where I live in and so called Jeju political field are drugged by the game of capital and power. Therefore, even though the achievement of my fast is humble, I never regret my fast. Rather, I could look at the reality I live in more properly and I thank that the targets I have to fight became more obvious.
During the fast, I met some politicians
whom we elected or not whenever we held the signs in the Presidential House,
Island Government, City Hall, and Island Council. And I became to know why our
voice were not reached to them even in eco.
Whether it was the central government, Island government, Island Council, National Assembly man, or anybody else, the voice of Islanders was not important. What is important to them was the voice of capital and military. They say they are taking politics. The politics they say means ‘their own’ politics and the politics by the “politico.” They were there not to represent our voice from the beginning. I will call it oligarchy. I will call it oligopoly, which could head to Fascism.
On February 14th, when I was still in fast, the approximate look of the basic planning for the 2nd Jeju airport was reported in a news. In a map, all the areas of Jeju were divided in five spheres of living, marked with different colors, without any consultation to Jeju Islanders. Namwon and Pyoseon, just next to Seongsan in the east and Andeok and Daejeong in the southwest were tied together as the southern sphere of living which is characterized as a region of the rear support for aviation and specialized education. It was a map which shows how the effect of the planned 2nd Jeju Airport in Seongsan would be connected to the changes of not only the east Jeju but the southwest and whole area of Jeju. Between the east and west of the southern sphere of living, there are other towns which include Gangjeong village where I have lived for near 9 years in opposition to the Jeju navy base. The navy is planning to build a navy museum and premium outlet as a part of community recovery project.
Image by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport(MOLIT). According to its basic planning for the 2nd Jeju airport, the whole Jeju is divided as the above. For the translation of text, see the bottom of the this page. Source: Jeju Today, Feb. 24, 2019
According to the MOLIT, roads are extended or newly built toward the planned area for the 2nd Jeju Airport in Seongsan, east part of the Island. The government is planning to finish the basic planning by June 23th. It is planning to build the 2nd Jeju airport by 2025 with the budget of around 5 trillion won (around $5billion USD) Source: Jeju Today, Feb. 24, 2019
It was in 2005 when Kyle Kajihiro, a peace activist from Hawaii told that there is an island he is most envious, which was Jeju. “Why? Because there is no military base.” It was in 2014 when the so-called Asia-biggest Jeju Aerospace museum opened, which was two years before the opening of the Jeju navy base in 2016, Now in the museum, you can see a grim air force gallery. Under the name of local self-governing and decentralization, Jeju is becoming a laboratory and museum of neo-liberalism and militarism for the centralization. I will call it Fascism.
In the Air force gallery of Jeju Aerspace Museum, it is read, “The ROK air force is making effort to equip the power of aerospace which will carry out military duty by controlling and utilizing out aerospace assets in the sky and universe.” / Photo by Choi Sung-hee
People picketing and doing 100 bows inside the Island Council/ Photo by Kim Soon-ae on Feb. 19th. People organize a trip to the planned area of 2nd Jeju airport in Seongsan. You can see one of the Jeju’s most popular tourism sports called Seongsan Ilchul-bong in the background. About 10 oreums(parasitic cones), 42 species of birds, 43 wells of spring water, 11caves and 16 shines are at the risk of destruction/ Photo by Lee Ki-cheol.Artists in Jeju join the residents in Nansan-ri, Seongsan, to celebrate the 1st full moon in a new lunar year. Nansan-ri is one of the five villages directly affected by the 2nd Jeju airport. Nansa-ri is also a hometown by Kim Kyung-bae/ Photo by Roh Min-Kyu. For more photos, see hereCitizens against the 2nd Jeju airport. A photo after the celebration of the first full moon in a new lunar year. You can see Oum Mun and Kim Kyung-bae in the front (2nd and 3rd from the left/ Photo by Kim Suo, Jan. 18th, 2019)
I still demand:
Firstly, the South Korean Ministry of Land,
Infrastructure, and Transport (MOLIT) should stop the launch of basic planning
for the 2nd Jeju airport!
Secondly, Won Hee-Ryong, Jeju Island
governor, should collect the public opinion of Jeju Islanders!
Thirdly, the Island Council and three
Jeju-based National Assembly men should demand the MOLIT the halt of basic
planning for the 2nd Jeju airport.
February, 17th, 2019
Choi Sung-hee who ended 24 days’ fast as of Feb. 16th.
On Feb. 15th, I and my friends waited for the officers of MOLIT to protest to its unilateral enforcement of the 2nd Jeju airport(air force base). The next day, I was carried to hospital as my blood-sugar level reached to its limit/ photo by Lee Ki-cheol
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Translation of the map above
Mid-mountain special management area (pale green)
: The area for the preservation and
experience of what is Jeju-like
_ Preservation of resource of Jeju’s own
ecological and geographical value
_Restraint of reckless development and
eco-friendly development of development-possible area
_ Excavation of potential values of the mid-mountain area for the future Jeju
Jeju-dong sphere of living (pale yellow)
: International exchange and pivot
management, cultural center area
_ Strengthening of international exchange
as an international freedom city
_Supplementation of tour & vacation
facility through the connection between Oreum and golf course
Northern sphere of living (deep yellow)
: Rear residential area and carbon-free
clean area
_Realignment as an eco-friendly rural
residential area in the rear of Jeju City
_Specialization as a foothold for the
production of new renewable energy and study
_Strengthening pf tourism function in the
kind of education and experience, utilized of geological resource.
Seogwipo Sphere of Living (deep green)
: Center area for International maritime,
recuperation tourism, and life and culture
-Promotion of capability as a foothold for
the international tourism in the future of Jeju
_ Growth as an area of foothold for maritime
rest tourism and leisure sports
Southern sphere of living (blue)
: Aviation, rear support and specialized
education
-Construction of the 2nd Jeju
airport and development of nearby areas around the airport
_ Strengthening of maritime leisure sports
function based on harbor and marina
_ Strengthening of history tourism function
in Jeju
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.
2016 Jeju Peace March; Does South Korea need THAAD?; Veterans for Peace Joining the March; Two Korean American peace activists were deported; Reflections and photos on the march in Jeju and Peace for the Sea camp in Taiwan; Seongsan residents against the 2nd airport project; Jeju’s militarization presented in the East Asia Tribunal of Eviction; Hula Girls; Everyday protest in front of gates; Hotpinkdolphins summer camp in Gangjeong; Refusing to be investigated; A sea voyage for peace and more.
A, F, G: Planned areas for a new airport that the Jeju Island has made public (* It is told that it was around 1997 that those were mentioned as the planned airports). One of them will have a high possibility to have an air force base along with a new airport.
B: Alttre Air field, Moseulpo. The ROK air force has wanted to use it as the base for the South zone search and rescue corps unit. Very close to Daejeong eup, the planned area for a new air field
C. In case the Jeju Marine Corps are established, field artillery and armored forces might enter. In the Hwasoon port, there is a coast guard-only dock and caissons are being made. The caissons are used for the building of the Jeju naval base project in the Gangjeong village.
D. Gangjoeng village where the Jeju naval base project is being enforced.
E. Seogwipo City. Even now, the Marine Corps’ warships are being moored. If the Jeju marine corps unit is established, headquarter might enter, too,
On Oct. 18, the issue raised in the National Assembly inspection on the ROK air force was on the ‘South zone search and rescue corps’ that is being discussed to be installed in the old but currently unused Alttre air field, Moseulpo.
Kim Jae-Yoon, Democratic United Party, a member of the Defense Committee of the National assembly claimed that it is a tactic ultimately to build an air force base. He claimed that the Jeju, Island of peace is at the risk to be degraded as the ‘Island of military base.’
Saying that “when I demanded the air force on the material on the ‘South zone rescue and search corps unit, the air force replied me that it is planning a creation of it for national security and people’s safety,” Kim interpreted that “However, given that rescue and search corps unit is a non-combat corps that is in charge of search and rescue, its words that it creates it for the securing of national security connote that the rescue and search corps unit is, after all, a combat corps.”
He pointed out that “the South Zone Rescue and Search Unit is roundabout tactic to prepare for the bridgehead for an air force base. It is like the Jeju naval base has been faked as the civilian-military complex for tour beauty.”
It is told that Sung Il-Hwan, the Chief of the General Staff of the Air Force replied him that “Currently, there is no plan to build the air force base.’ Regarding the location for the South Zone Search and Rescue Corps, he stated that “Since the location has not clearly been decided, we plan to arrange it connected to the Jeju new air port, if it is built.”
Kim’s claim is not new but has constantly been raised by many observers. According to Ohmynews on Sept. 3, 2012, Roh Hoe-Chan, Progressive United Party, has made a remarkable claim in the National Assembly inspection session in May 2007, that “the Ministry of National Defense and Jeju Island have agreed that the Island provides 300,000 pyeong (about 99 ha) to an air force in case the 2nd new air port is built on the condition that the air force concedes the Island old Alttre air field of about 600,000 pyeong (about 198 ha). It meant the Air Force is ready to use the Alttre Air field as an area for the South zone search and rescue corps unit unless the Jeju provides an alternative area to the Air force. (* For reference the Jeju naval base project is of about 48 ha.)
The Alttre airfield (1.2 km runway), constructed during the Japanese imperialism is currently unused. But it used to be utilized for the Japanese attack to Nanjing, China, 700 km away, during Chinese-Japanese war in 1937 and is currently owned by the Ministry of National Defense. See here.
It is not only an Alttre Air Field. According to Ohmynews, there is a concern that the Hwasooon area and Seogwipo in the both sides of Gangjeong might be utilized as military fortress as well. It is because the navy plans to reorganize the Jeju Defense headquarter to the Jeju Marine corps (brigade level) in 2015. The Ministry of National Defense has issued the Basic Plan of Defense Reform (2012~2030) on Aug. 29, 2012.
Since Roh Moo Hyun, ex-President declared the Jeju, as the peace Island on Jan. 27, 2005, the Alttre Air Filed has been mentioned for the Jeju Peace Park. But there has been only a small progress on it because of the demand mentioned above by the MND.
Realization of the Jeju, as true Peace Island is ongoing supreme task for the people.
‘Speaking at a Pentagon news briefing last June, Pacific Command commander Admiral Samuel J. Locklear said: “We’re not really interested in building any more U.S. bases in the Asia-Pacific.” “We shouldn’t have to at this point in time. We have reliable partners and reliable allies, and together we should be able to find ways to—not only bilaterally, but in some cases to multilaterally—to be able to find these locations where we can put security forces that respond to a broad range of security issues.”
Translation: The U.S. is having the South Korean government build the Navy base on Jeju Island for us. A couple nights ago I was watching the local Congressional debate on TV and our Maine Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (Democrat) was asked where we can cut the federal budget. Her answer was that we can cut back on some of the money we spend on foreign bases by getting our allies to build them for us. She didn’t say we shouldn’t have or use the bases for our military empire. This “liberal” instead said we should get others to pay the costs for us.
In the meantime the dredging of the ocean, just offshore from Gangjeong village continues. The protests at the Navy base destruction gates continue as well.’
In this April/ May 2017 Edition:
