[Jeju Update][Voice of Gangjeong] Naval base issue should not be processed/ The rocks cried bitterly [강정의 목소리] 해군기지문제 이대로는 안된다/ 바위는 엉엉 울었다

* Image source: From the blog of Boreum Doraegi, Nov. 17, 2010 (titled, 'The rocks cried bitterly')
보름 도래기 블로그, '바위는 엉엉 울었다.', 제주도, 2010년 11월 17일(클릭)
The yellow flag reads,
'No naval base'

The green sign reads,
" It is never a place for a naval base. [Navy], immediately go away!'

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* The below is an arbitrary translation of a writing by Go Gwon-Il, Gangjeong village, Jeju Island
* 아래는 서귀포 일간 신문에 나온 고권일 선생님의 글을 자의적으로 번역한 것입니다. 국문 원문을 보시려면 여기 클릭
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해군기지문제 이대로는 안된다
[NGO 칼럼] 고권일 / 생명평화의섬 제주사랑 강정마을지킴이 실무위원
2010년 11월 20일 (토)
Seogwipo Daily Newspaper 서귀포 일간 신문
Naval Base issue should not be processed as it is currently being done
: [NGO column] Go Gwon-Il/ Gangjeong Village, Jeju Island
Nov. 20( Saturday), 2010

The [Jeju Island] governor, Woo Geun-Min has stepped forward by actively driving for a naval base [in Gangjeong]. He concluded that the issue of the Gangjeong naval base is the matter that could be solved if only an appropriate compensation follows to it. Will the Gangjeong villagers’ bloody-bruised heart be possibly solved by that? And could the Island people who watch it be persuaded by that?

There are six [South Korean] people’ duties. Those are: The Duty for defense, duty for tax, duty for education, duty for labor, duty for nature-protection, and duty for public welfare. Have the Gangjeong villagers disregarded or breached any one of them? All of them have been in the military*, received an elementary education; and have lived by paying tax without fail as if to feel that if they don’t even once, the sky would be fallen down toward them, while sweating by making paddy fields as their friends. They got punishment from 1 & half years’ prison term with three years’ probation at most to the fine of 2,000,000 won (* about $ 1,800) at least, only for the reason that they had staged the opposition movement against naval base [plan], for the protection of nature environment and for the public welfare of the whole region’s villagers. They had to hear even scolding that they were lack of patriotism toward nation during a reciting of the court decision statement. Since the Republic of Korea is swarmed with many statesmen who have been exempted or avoided the military service, the treatment for the Gangjeong villagers are felt so sad.

* Every man in South Korea except for some exceptions are obliged to take military service for two and half years.

Even though the Constitution should be the basis of all the laws and the supreme law, the statesmen often tend to oppress people’s rights by making front of the security-related laws and development law. They emphasize only the security of nation while turning away from the danger of the naval base, if it is constructed, that would only jeopardize the political situation of the North East Asia and provoke arms race. It is the time when serious agonies and discussions of whether the way to succeed in an endless arms race is the only way to secure the security of nation.

One more thing that we should earnestly agonize is that thanks to the blessed nature of the Jeju Island, the Island has gotten the honorable name of the so called the world natural heritage; listed as the world geological park ; and there has been the efforts to include it as one of the seven world wonders. Such efforts would become a firm stepping stone that the Jeju Island could be spotlighted as a global tourism site and would be provided with an advantageous point that it could invite all kinds of world institutions. There is a possibility waiting that we can establish an international peace network that carries out the function as an Island of Peace in name and reality together. However, [what we should remind is that] the result of such effort would bear the new possibility of military neutral zone and nature protection.

It is the time to harden self-examination and resolution by all the Island people for the future of the Jeju Island. I desperately hope all the Gangjeong villagers’ efforts would be followed with a great victory and their painful heart could be cured.
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* Attention
For the document on the absolute preservation areas in Gangjeong, see:

Saturday, November 6, 2010
[Jeju Resource][Translation]: Why the annulment on the cancellation of the absolute preservation area has to be done?
[제주] 왜 절대 보전 지역 해제를 취소해야 하는가?
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* The poem was seen in the same Boreum Doraegi blog, Nov. 17, 2010 (titled, 'The rocks cried bitterly').
I translate it, here as well.
* Thanks very much for Bruce Gagnon, to loading the below poem in his blog.
* 보름 도래기 블로그, 제주도, 2010년 11월 17일, ('바위는 엉엉 울었다.')
아래는 위 보름도래기 블로그에서 보여진 시입니다. 여기 같이 번역합니다(클릭).
* 브루스 개그논, 아래의 시를 자신의 블로그에 실어주셔 매우 감사합니다 (클릭)

바위는 엉엉 울었다.
The rocks cried bitterly.

강정 주민, 민성 아빠 씀
by Minsung's dad, a Gangjeong villager


동이 틀 무렵 중덕 바다를 찾았다.
I went to the Joongduk Sea around the dawn.

범섬넘어 지평선엔 아직도 고기잡이 배 몇척이 불을 밝히고 있었다.
Several fishing boats were still lighting up on the horizon beyond the Beom Island.

동이 트기 시작하자 고깃배 불빛은 서서히 육안에서 사라져갔다.
As soon as the Sun rises up, the lights of the fishing boats began to disapear from my eyes.

바다는 물 안개를 피워 올렸다.
The sea raised up water fog.

태양은 서서히 아주 서서히 넓디 넓은 중덕의 바위를 비추어 갔다.
The Sun began to slowly, very slowly brighten the broad rocks of the Joongduk coast.

바위도 기지개를 펴며 태양을 맞이 하려 하였다.
The rocks were to welcome the Sun stretching their arms.

나도 눈을 뜨고 천지를 보았다.
I opened my eyes and looked at the sky and earth, too.

곳곳에 세워진 노란 깃발을 보았다.
I saw the yellow flags standing here and there.

용솟음 치는 민초의 몸부림을 그러나 찢기고 헤어져 글귀조차 읽을수 없었다.
The struggle of the spurting grassroots. But I could not read even the letters since they were torn and worn out [by the strong winds in the Jeju Island].

바위는 갈망하다 절망하는 강정주민들에 절규를 아는지 바위는 몸부림 치며 울고있었다.
As if they know or not the cry of the Gangjeong villagers who have been craving then frustrated, the rocks were crying twisting their bodies.

바위는 몸부림치며 울고 있었다.
The rocks were crying twisting their bodies.

강정바닷가 길게 늘어진 한 뭉탱이의 바위와 바다는 부둥켜 안고 소리내어 울고 있었다.
The rocks that were lined up in long length and sea, hugging each other, were crying bitterly.

바람도 소리내어 울었으며 그곳에 살아 숨쉬는 모든 생명체도 통곡하며 엉엉 울었다.
Even the wind cried with sound and every living creature who was breathing there was bitterly crying.

그리고 나또한 소리내며 엉엉 울었다.
And I cried bitterly, too.

바위는 소의 울음소리보다 더 크게 울었다.
The rocks cried louder than cow’s.

수억년이 흘러 용암석으로 변한 자신의 존재를 생각하면서 서러워서 바위는 엉엉 울었다.
The rocks cried bitterly recalling their existence that has changed into the molten for one hundred million years.

소리내어 엉 엉 울었다.
They cried bitterly.

2010.11.9
Nov. 9, 2010

-민성아빠씀-
- by Minsung's dad-