Park Seung-Ho who was arrested near the communal restaurant in the village on Sept. 14, 2012 (during the 2012 WCC period) was released on bail on Feb. 5, 2013 after 144 days’ imprisonment.  He had been arrested for the reason that he had not responded to the police call. However, the truth is that he had been targeted by the […]

‘The National Network of Korean Civil Society for Opposing to the Naval Base in Jeju Island submitted individual complaints to the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders, Freedom of Opinion and Expression‍, Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association and Working Group on Arbitrary Detention on human rights situation in Gangjeong. Human rights defenders including peace activists, religious leaders, […]

By Gayoon Baek (17 September 2012, Gangjeong) The issue of Jeju naval base construction was one of the most important agendas during the World Conservation Congress (WCC). Only 7 km away from the WCC venue, environment has been seriously destroyed by the naval base construction. Unfortunately, the Motion 181: Protection of the People, Nature, Culture and Heritage of Gangjeong Village […]

To: Ashok Khosla President International Union for Conservation of Nature Rue Mauverney 28 1196 Gland Switzerland RE: South Korean Non-Governmental Organizations Endorse the Motion #181. Protection of the People, Nature, Culture and Heritage of Gangjeong Village Dear Dr. Ashok Khosla, We, South Korean non-governmental organizations, are writing to you today to show our full support and endorsement to the Motion […]

Re: Improper Conduct at September 12 Contact Group for Motion 181: Protection of the People, Nature, Culture, and Heritage of Gangjeong Village ********* Dear Mr. Khosla, My name is Sukhyun Park. I am a Research Fellow with the Korean IUCN member organization, Citizens Institute for Environmental Studies. This evening, September 12, a Contact Group was held for the deeply controversial […]

The following statement is the 4th open letter mailed to the leadership and/or members of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. It was originally posted here. TO:   IUCN Leadership, All Participants, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), 2012 World Conservation Congress, Jeju Island FROM: Jeju Emergency Action Committee ********* UPDATE:   INDEPENDENT SCIENTISTS FIND MAJOR FLAWS AND OMISSIONS IN KOREA GOVERNMENT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT (EIA) […]

Motion on Gangjeong Village

Motion 181: Protection of the People, Nature, Culture and Heritage of Gangjeong Village World Appeal to Protect the People, Nature, Culture and Heritage of Gangjeong Village UNDERSTANDING that Gangjeong Village, also known as the Village of Water, on the island of Jeju, also known as Peace Island, is a coastal area home to thousands of species of plants and animals, […]

The following motion was submitted to the IUCN WCC Jeju 2012 Motions Committee. It has 34 co-sponsors, reportedly the most in WCC history. TO: Motions Committee FROM: Kathryn Kintzele, Esq. Director, Global Programs, Center for Humans and Nature Deputy Chair, Ethics Specialist Group, IUCN Commission on Environmental Law with Dr. J. Ronald Engel, founder of the IUCN Ethics Working Group (1984) […]

Today, The National Network of Korean Civil Society for Opposing to the Naval Base in Jeju Island published two issue reports regarding the Jeju Naval Base construction. Issue Report I is “Human Rights Violations on ‘No Jeju Naval Base Campaign'”. The report includes entry denials of foreign human rights defenders, freedom of peaceful assembly and associations, excessive use of force […]

Updated Below! As South Korean state oppression increases in light of the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) 2012 WCC (World Conservation Congress), with three Okinawans, one Japanese, denied entry on September 5th, and the entry denial of Imok Cha on September 3rd, Gangjeong villagers and activists are not giving into fear of unjust government attacks, something they have dealt […]