[Jeju Update] The Jeju Island government on-looking disaster warning 재앙 예고를 방관하는 제주 도정

* image source: Gangjeong Village People’s Council café site

* The diagram (translated) represents the coral under the naval base planned area:

"…about 2km seawall will be constructed in front of the sea of the Gangjeong village, and the whole planned area for the naval base will be 480,000m2 that is the combined size of the 67soccer playground. And about the half of it will be by reclamation…

Specially, the Seoguipo Sea that includes the planned area for the naval base is designated with five different protection areas such as the UNESCO bio-protection area.” (See in detail)

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Below is the partial translation of the Jeju Domin Ilbo article by Han Jong-Soo on Feb. 10, 2011. The Gangjeong Sea, the planned naval base area is also the paradise for dolphins who visit to that sea in tens of numbers every June to Nov. (see the below video). The below article some reveals the hypocrisy of the Jeju Island authorities that drive for the Jeju Island being one of seven wonders of nature while stand by idly upon disaster warning with the construction of the Jeju naval base.

아래는 2011년 2월 10일 제주 도민 일보 한종수 기자의 글 (클릭)을 부분 번역한 것입니다. 해군 기지 예정지인 강정 바다는 매년 6월 부터 11월 까지 수십마리로 이 바다를 방문하는 돌고래들의 천국이기도 합니다. (아래 비디오를 보실 것)아래의 기사는 제주도가 세계 7대 경관이 되길 추진하면서 제주 해군 기지 건설과 함께 재앙이 경고됨에도 불구, 방관하는 제주도 당국의 위선을 드러냅니다.

It has been recently revealed that about 100 small dolphins called ‘Sanggeungii’ were discovered with their group death inside the seawall of the Saemankeum’ currently being constructed. However it was turned out that the Korea Rural Community Corporation, the operation institute of the Saemankeum seawall has hidden the fact by secretly destroyed them by fire, concerning about that the group death of the ‘Sanggeungii’ would be extended to the matter of water quality.

While the maritime police have requested to the environmental specialists investigation on the cause of the dolphins’ influx channel and cause of their death, concerned voice on environmental damage is being heightened. It has been known that the local fisher men have often discovered the death of one or two dolphins after the development business of the Saemankeum.

Last Feb. 9, the navy has enforced the opening ceremony of the naval field office despite the opposition by the Gangjeong villagers. It meant that it opened the stage of environmental disaster, with the expectation of its execution in earnest on construction on the sea reclamation as in Saemankeum. Even though the naval base would threaten the environmental assets of the Jeju , the Jeju Island authorities are consistent in avoiding their responsibility for it.

It is planned that the naval base is to be constructed with the area size of [more than] 120,000 pyeong (*about 480,000 square meters) centered about coast and the sea area of reclamation would reach to 100,000 pyeong (*about 300,000 square meters), which is the biggest size in the history of the reclamation construction on the public-owned water-adjacent areas in the Jeju Island. Specially the Gangjeong Sea is proud of its clean maritime area and there are habitats of soft coral, a nature memorial, designated by the cultural Heritage Administration of Korea and [protected by the UNESCO].

However the Island authorities are pouring all their administrative energy into ‘the seven wonders of nature,’ which is a commercial event by a civilian group [in Switzeland], taking the Jeju environment as goods. Criticisms that they have been showing ‘wonder[lous]’ obsession to take the title of identifications of biosphere-protected area, Ramsar Convention, world-environment Heritage and world geological park, while overlooking the protection on the Jeju environment, have been raised.

Even though civil organizations have been requesting the Jeju Island authorities to restrain from that, the Jeju Island government is deaf. Mr. Go Yoo-Gi, the director on policy, Jeju Solidarity for Participatory Self-Government and Environment Preservation, saying that “While the Island government has spent billions of wons in the public relationship on the seven wonders of nature in the world, its budget on the geological park is only 30 million won,” expressed his concern about the negligence on the management on the protection on the Jeju environment.”