A Symposium for the Denuclearization of Jeju/ Kim Kwan-jin, THAAD, & Lockheed Martin/ Father Mun Chose Prison/ The 6th Year Anniversary of Gureombi Rock Blast/ / 37 Days’ Fast Against Corporation Welfare/ Peace Award to Okinawa/ The Epitaph Covered Under Mural Painting of Lotuses/ Rohingya Refugees Demand Human Rights / Nuclear Cruise Missiles and Zumwalt/ Former President Lee Myung-Bak Jailed Amid Corruption Scandal / Cruise Terminal Construction/ Moseulpo Radar Base / Trial Updates / “No Jeju 2nd Airport” Poetry Night/ etc.
Remember Gureombi: Neither Zumwalt Nor THAAD/Unilateral Enforcement of the Jeju Air Force Base/ The 4·3 Massacre and the USA/ A Future of Hawaii and Today of Jeju/ Zumwalt 12 Trial Update/ Peace school with Kyoko Okumoto/ Lecture on Women’s Voices in Militarism/ Demilitarized Peace Island a Work in Progress/ No More Dolphin Imports from Japan/ Navy’s strategic lawsuit against participation /The navy secretly works to restore soft corals/ Park Out, People In/ The GN 25th annual conference ad.
Corrected: Regarding an article on ‘Zumwalt 12 Trial Update,’ in page 2, the USS Zumwalt is a 4 ‘billion’ USD, not 4 ‘million’ USD. Please see the renewed version in the ‘Download the PDF,’ above.
Civic groups hold a press conference on Feb. 7 in front of the entrance to Jeju Naval Base to criticize the South Korean and American governments’ discussion of the deployment of the USS Zumwalt, a stealth destroyer. (by Huh Ho-joon, Jeju correspondent)
Protesters worry that Jeju will become a front-line in a military confrontation between the US and China
After it was reported that the US navy has suggested deploying the USS Zumwalt, a stealth destroyer, at the Jeju Naval Base, civic groups in Jeju held a press conference on Feb. 7 in front of the entrance to the base to criticize the South Korean and American governments’ discussion of its deployment.
On the morning of Feb. 7, the Gangjeong Village Council, the Island Residents’ Action Committee for Blocking the Jeju Military Base and Realizing an Island of Peace, and the National Action Council for the Jeju Naval Base held a press conference in front of the entrance to the Jeju Naval Base in Gangjeong Village, Seogwipo, to condemn discussion about the US navy deploying the Zumwalt.
“We have recently learned that US Pacific Commander Harry Harris proposed deploying the USS Zumwalt, a stealth guided missile destroyer, to the Jeju Naval Base. If this destroyer is deployed, it is obvious that Jeju Island would become a front-line American outpost against China,” these groups said.
“We have been concerned that the Jeju Naval Base would be used as an American front-line outpost against China, but the [South Korean] navy has strenuously denied this, stating that the [South Korean] government’s approval would be required before American naval vessels could enter or leave the base. Deploying the USS Zumwalt would begin the transformation of the whole island into a military base,” the groups said.
“If a Zumwalt-class stealth guided missile destroyer is deployed at the Jeju Naval Base in addition to deploying THAAD on the Korean Peninsula, South Korea and China will be forced down the road toward inevitable military conflict. The ultimate result of deploying American combat vessels to Jeju will be further increasing military tensions in Northeast Asia,” the groups said. They urged the US to retract its comments about deploying the USS Zumwalt to Jeju and urged the South Korean government to flatly reject the proposal to deploy the ship to Jeju.
The USS Zumwalt on the Kennebec River in Maine (AP/Yonhap News)
Sunken Sewol ferry overloaded with iron bars for Jeju naval base; Navy Week on Jeju Island; Gwangju and Jeju: A Journalist’s Account; Zumwalt 12 Arrested at Shipyard; Memory Activism Peace School; Visit to Aland Island; The endangered Joongdeok Samgeori; Environment around Jeju naval base deteriorates; UN recommends South Korea to protect freedom of assembly and association; Trial update etc.
Photo by Oum Mun-hee/ In solidarity with the people, in Maine, against the Christening of Zumwalt Destroyer on June 18, 2016. To be c-incident, a big international missionary group of 40-50 people visited the village during the human chain around noon. We briefly told them what the photo is for and they were willing to join us ! On the day, there were two other same world missionary groups visiting the village in such a big size and different time. Adding to June 17 banner, we also had a sign in English and Korean which is from the Maine activists’ statement on civil disobedience. It reads: “NO ZUMWALT: We stand in solidarity with people around the world who are protesting at bases where the US will port these warships. Not only would these destroyers kill innocent people but their sonar also severely impacts ocean life [..].”
Hello from Gangjeong village, Jeju Island, South Korea. Despite our struggle against base construction for nearly nine years, there was a ceremony for the completion of the Jeju navy base construction this February. However, despite the navy base, we will do our best to maintain village community. And we cannot get along with the navy as long as it continues to foster conflicts.
We heard that there is a ceremony for the christening of a recently built Zumwalt destroyer in the Bath Iron Works (BIW), Maine, United States on June 18 and that this destroyer is the most threatening naval ship in history, with a production cost of more than 4 billion USD per ship. According to the Korean media, the U.S. Secretary of Defense said that all three Zumwalt-class destroyers, once being made, would be deployed in the East Asia Sea by the end of this year. It is very worrisome as it would intensify tension in Northeast Asia and threaten peace. We heard that you would carry out protest to the christening ceremony on the Zumwalt destroyer and some of you plan non-violent civil disobedience on June 18.
Many of you have visited Gangjeong and have made solidarity with us with deep concern for the struggle in opposition to the Jeju navy base project. Thanks to you, we came to know that our fight is not isolated but connected to all the peace movements in the world. Therefore we send deep gratitude, friendship, and solidarity to you all who are to magnificently expressing faith on peace in protest to the christening of the Zumwalt destroyer. We also resolve that we will endeavor more fully to keep our struggle.
Despite the navy and government manipulation 9 years ago, more than 94% among more than 70% of the electorate of the village strongly opposed the Jeju naval base construction. However, the government ignored villagers’ opinion and enforced base construction destroying democracy, environment and human rights. Further, the government and navy filed a wrongful lawsuit demanding around 3 million USD against the people of Gangjeong and are preparing to evict our community protest site, at the entrance to Gureombi Rock, which is now covered by concrete. The Jeju navy base was built on the destruction of democracy and threatens the peace of northeast Asia. That is why we continuously oppose to it and will do so in the future, too.
The Gangjeong sea with UNESCO-designation and the world’s largest soft coral habitat, a place where the 100 remaining Jeju Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins often came, has changed into a site infested with aegis destroyers and submarines. It is currently only used by military vessels of the South Korean navy. However given that Lisa Franchetti, the ex-commander of US naval forces of South Korea mentioned last August that the US wants to ‘send its ships’ to the ports of South Korea, including the Jeju navy base, it is very worrisome to imagine that the Zumwalt destroyer, the so called most threatening military vessel, might enter the Jeju naval port.
We think peace can be made through peace not through war. Even though the base was completed and oppression on the opponents to the Jeju navy base has been heavy, we will not stop our efforts to oppose militarism and make Gangjeong a ground for life and peace, on behalf of future generations and the living creatures in the sea.
We thank for your noble dedication and solidarity.
In peace,
The Anti-navy base committee of Gangjeong Village, Jeju Island, Korea
Photo by Pang Eunmi on June 17/ Gangjeong people in solidarity with the peace activists in Maine, USA for the June 18 protest against christening of the Zumwalt destroyer, BIWPhoto by Pang Eunmi on June 17/ same as above. In front of the villagers’s tent ‘village hall’ in protest to the navy lawsuit of 3 million USD against Gangjeong people
