[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)

___________________________________________________

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.”

Photo Fwd: Saemangeum tide embankment

Yonhap News
Dec. 23, 2009
Saemangeum tide embankment
'
Dec. 23, GUNSAN, South Korea -- The Saemangeum embankment, pictured from above on Dec. 23. At 33 kilometers long, it is the longest such embankment in the world, and is part of a tidal flat reclamation project. (Yonhap) (Photo courtesy of Gunsan provincial office)'

Text Fwd: Obama urged to expedite int'l flights at Kunsan air base

Yonhap News
2009/12/02 06:30 KST
Obama urged to expedite int'l flights at Kunsan air base
By Hwang Doo-hyong

WASHINGTON, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- A South Korean provincial governor Tuesday called on the U.S. government to take measures to allow international commercial flights to use a U.S. air base to help attract foreign investment.

Gov. Kim Wan-joo of North Jeolla Province delivered a letter to that effect to Rep. Eni Faleomavaega (D-American Samoa) at the office of the congressman, chairman of the House Asia-Pacific subcommittee.

In the letter to be conveyed to President Barack Obama, Kim requested Obama help revise the Status of Forces Agreement governing American deployments in Korea so the U.S. air base at Kunsan could be used for international commercial chartered flights.

The 400-square-kilometer Saemangeum area, including a reclaimed tidal flat, is supposed to be developed into a huge, multi-billion-dollar industrial and tourism complex in the coming decade with both domestic and international investments.

"The existence and function of an international airport for the Saemangeum Project will affect investment promotion activities and the growth of the Jeonbuk (North Jeolla) Province and Korea as a whole, to a considerable degree, and accordingly the foreign residents' welfare in the region," the governor said in the letter.

"I believe that the close cooperation and relationship in between three parties such as the Korean and U.S. government and 8th U.S. Army will be not only a necessary condition but also an ultimate solution factor for the issue posed ahead for the Saemangeum Project success," he said. "In that process, any positive cooperation you can render us will be appreciated."

Negotiations are under way between the two countries for the construction of more runways at Kunsan to accommodate international commercial flights.

Kim, however, said negotiations and ensuing construction should take considerable time, and called on the U.S. to allow use of the base by international commercial flights on an interim basis.

"A SOFA clause allows for up to 10 domestic commercial flights to land at the Kunsan air base every day, and what we want is to revise the clause to include international commercial chartered flights," Kim said. Kunsan air base currently accommodates a few daily domestic flights.

Kim said U.S. military authorities have been lukewarm toward the proposed SOFA revision, citing security concerns.

Kim is set to sign memorandums of understanding with representatives from Windsor Capital & Musa Group and Omni Holdings in New York Thursday for their investment of US$1 billion and $3 billion each in the Saemangeum project.

Saemangeum is supposed to emerge as an attractive investment destination due to its proximity to China, just across the Yellow Sea, with the North Jeolla government expecting to support up to 2,000 businesses, factories, logistics bases, research and development centers, clean production factories and international business complexes to facilitate trade.

Several energy-related companies from Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan have shown interest, South Korean officials said, noting the national and provincial governments will provide tax breaks, cheap land and other incentives to investors.

hdh@yna.co.kr
(END)

Photos Fwd: Kunsan: “Stop the Budget for the Combat Air Show!”

Image Source: Reporter, Park Jae-Soon(icomn@icomn.net)
Chamsori_Jeonbuk Alternative Internet Media, Oct. 29, 2009

[Kunsan USFK Base] “Human-Killing Training is An Air Show?”
Kunsan (Gunsan) Civil Organizations, “Urge the Stop of the Budget Support for the Combat Show
by the United States Forces of Korea”

* The press interview was held in front of the City Hall, Kunsan on Oct. 28, 2009. The banner says:

Stop the Combat Show by the USFK (United States Forces of Korea) Bases
And Compile the Welfare Budget for the Regions Suffered by the USFK Bases!
-The Civil Council for Retaking Back of Our Lands in the Kunsan(Gunsan) USFK Base-

(* unofficial translation)

Image Source: Same as above

“Stop the Waste of the Bloody Tax
Residents’ Health Check=200,000,000 won [about $180,000]
Air Show= 4 billion won [about $3.6million]"
(* unofficial translation)

Image Source: Editorial Team (icomn@icomn.net),
Chamsori_Jeonbuk Alternative Internet Media, Oct. 4, 2008

[Kunsan USFK Base] “Are the Fighter Planes Tourism Goods?”
Urging the Stop of the “Air Show” for the Beautification of the Unilateral Activity
of the United States Forces of Korea.

* Below is the unofficial translation of the some parts in the article above.

__ The Civil Council for Retaking Back of Our Lands in the Kunsan(Gunsan) USFK Base (Executive Co-representative, Fr. Mun, Jung-Hyun) had a statement that “the Air shows were happening every year at the time when the most advanced killing fighter planes were brought in the Kunsan USFK base”… The Air Show is “being processed to beautify the unilateral activities of the United States who intends for the expansion of the bases of the United States Forces of Korea and for her domination strategy in the North East Asia”.

__The Civil Council stated that the damages by the explosive noise were tremendous because even the United States forces overseas were currently having the war exercise, gathering into the Chik-do bombing site(* do means island) from tens of times to hundreds of times a day.

__The Civil Council denounced that “The City of Kunsan beautifies the behavior of the United States Forces of Korea by making propaganda, through this Air Show that the Saemankeum reclamation land will be contributed to the prosperity of the Aerospace industry complex and the international tourism city for 500,000”. The Civil Council kicked out the claim saying that “It can never absolutely be imagined” to contribute to the international tourism city for 500,000 with the fighter planes with the explosive noise, without discerning of day and night, tens of times a day.

'Killed rabbits in hutches'

Image Source: Han Sun Nam, Wind in Peace(peacenomad@hanmail.net),

Chamsori_Jeonbuk Alternative Internet Media, Dec. 2, 2008

'[Kunsan USFK Base] “I Guessed Something Had Happened Yesterday..”
Baby Rabbits Who Were Recently Born in the Farms Near the Base, Again Killed in Group'

* Below is the unofficial translation of the some parts in the article above.

__The case of the deaths of the rabbits in cub is already fifth this time following the similar cases in January, February, July and October. As the precedent similar cases, they were killed this time because their mother rabbit that had brought forth the babies for the two days of yesterday and the day before yesterday
bit off about 90 babies in cub with teeth.

__ Mr. Lee Ho-Kyung saying, “Yesterday, the fighter planes flied with the especially uproarious noise”, emphasized the fighter plane noise was the direct cause of the deaths of the rabbits. Particularly yesterday (1st), the fighter plane noise was serious as to be continued after 10pm in the night.

__ Not only the death of the cub in the group is a problem. According to Mr. Lee Ho-Kyung, even though he copulated the total 20 number of the rabbits this time, only 13 numbers succeeded for pregnancy while the other seven could not be pregnant. The sterility rate reaches to 35%.

* Other Korean articles:

Kunsan branch, SPARK (Solidarity for Peace And Reunification of Korea), Nov. 2, 2009

[10/31] 군산 전투기 에어쇼 반대 피켓팅, 1인 시위
군산 새만금 전시관 앞

[10/31] One Man Picketing Protest against the Air Show of the Fighter Planes,
In front of the Saemankeum Exhibition Hall, Kunsan


Kunsan branch, SPARK, Oct. 28, 2009

군산 전투기 에어쇼 반대 기자회견:
새만금 에어쇼 중단하라!
전투쇼 중단하고 고통받는 지역주민에게 복지예산 편성하라!

Press Interview against the Kunsan Air Show of the Fighter Planes:
Stop the Saemankeum Air Show!
Stop the Combat show, Compile the Welfare Budget for the Local Residents Suffered by It!


Chamsori_Jeonbuk Alternative Internet Media, Oct. 29, 2009

[속보] [미군기지] 에어쇼 폭음으로 토끼 집단폐사:
시민단체 '우려대로 소음피해만 주는 전투기 훈련쇼'
2009-10-29 11:38:26 박재순 기자(icomn@icomn.net)

[Urgent] [Kunsan USFK Base] Rabbits Killed in Group Due to the Explosive Noise in the Air Show:
Civil Organizations, “As Concerned, The Fighter Plane Training Show Only Contributes to the Noise Damage”
Oct. 29, 2009, by Reporter, Park Jae-Soon (icomn@icomn.net)


* Related blogs

http://space4peace.blogspot.com/2009/11/screaming-eagles-coming-home-to-roost.html
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
SCREAMING EAGLES COMING HOME TO ROOST

http://nobasestorieskorea.blogspot.com/2009/10/text-fwd-fr-moon-resistance-at-kunsan.html
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
[Bruce Gagnon블로그 번역] FR. MOON & RESISTANCE AT KUNSAN AFB

http://nobasestorieskorea.blogspot.com/2009/09/kunsan-peace-march-sept-12-2009.html
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Kunsan Peace March, Sept. 12, 2009

[국문 번역] Text Fwd: FR. MOON & RESISTANCE AT KUNSAN AFB

Planes inside hangers at Kunsan AFB
군산 공군 기지 격납고의 비행기들

Screaming planes overhead
소음을 지르며 머리 위를 날아가는 비행기들

Drying fish at the end of the Kunsan AFB runway
군산 활주로 끝 생선 말리는 곳, [새만금]

* 국문 번역은 영문 밑에 있음.

Bruce Gagnon blog
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
FR. MOON & RESISTANCE AT KUNSAN AFB

Father Moon is a 73 year-old retired Catholic priest who move to Gunsan 10 years ago in order to build resistance around the expansion of the US Air Force Base in the city. The base, called Kunsan AFB, served as a Japanese airfield during the time of their colonization of Korea. Gunsan is located along the southwest coast of South Korea, as close to China as one can get.

Today the base hosts 58 F-16's and will soon see two Apache helicopter units move here from another base farther north. F-15's from Idaho and also here on temporary duty and 16 Patriot missile batteries are located on the base as part of the US Missile Defense expansion in this region.

Fr. Moon has a long gray flowing beard and walks with a cane. He has a bad knee after being roughed up by the national police at one of the many protests he has attended over the years. He has spent a couple of years in prison, like so many of the most dedicated South Korean activists have, but he sheds no tears over his time in jail. He remarks with a laugh that he liked being in jail because he could read so many books. I gave him one of mine and signed it with the words, "For your jail reading library."

These days Fr. Moon is spending alot of time away from his work against expansion of Kunsan AFB because he feels the need to stand with the suffering widows in the Yongsan neighborhood of Seoul. He is largely responsible for bringing many Catholic priests and nuns into that struggle and for helping to encourage many other progressive organizations to get involved.

I asked Fr. Moon to give me some words for other activists and this is what he said:

It is one Earth - we must have peace amongst all the villages of the Earth - we must show solidarity with all who are suffering, open our hearts to people like those at Yongsan. We must show concern, participation, and solidarity.

The US Air Force is now building three new eight story barracks on the Kunsan base. Six villages of 547 households will be lost to the base expansion by 2013. It is obvious that big plans are being made here. I asked Fr. Moon who the enemy is for such a massive base expansion. He answered: China.

Along the outer fence line of the base I could see one housing area for the American base families who are essentially moving onto the land that was once lived on by fishermen and rice farmers. Visible as we drove around the base was the "Haven Baptist Church". My first thought when I saw the church is the growing fundamentilization of those in the military today. They are being told they are on a mission from God to bring true religion to the world. Knowing that God is on their side makes it easier to kill anyone who gets in the way.

We went to a red-colored marshland yesterday at one end of the 4 kilometer base runway which is located next to the sea. Here fishermen and their wives were drying small fish on netting raised off the ground on saw-horses. Just above our heads roared 4 F-16's and one F-15 as they took off from the base. We had to cover our ears and I could feel the vibrations of the plane inside my body. Think of living with this everyday of your life.

Once a year one of the planes crash.

Fr. Moon told me that police call him the "gangster". They do that because he refuses to give in to the corruption of policy and spirit inside his nation. The people of South Korea are being told to submit to US military authority and to the corporate driven consumer culture that now rules South Korea. But he is unrelenting in his resistance and for that he is seen by the "authorities" as an outlaw. It was an honor to meet this outlaw and to call him a friend. He is a role model for all self-respecting people.

posted by Bruce Gagnon


* Related blogs

http://nobasestorieskorea.blogspot.com/2009/11/text-fwd-screaming-eagles-coming-home.html
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
[Bruce Gagnon blog] SCREAMING EAGLES COMING HOME TO ROOST

http://nobasestorieskorea.blogspot.com/2009/10/photos-fwd-kunsan-stop-budget-for-war.html
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Photos Fwd: Kunsan: “Stop the Budget for the War Air Show!”

http://nobasestorieskorea.blogspot.com/2009/09/kunsan-peace-march-sept-12-2009.html
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Kunsan Peace March, Sept. 12, 2009



브루스 개그논 블로그
2009년 10월 21일
문신부님과 군산 공군 기지의 저항

문신부님은 73세의 은퇴하신 카톨릭 신부로 10년 전에 시의 미군 기지 확장 일대 주변에 저항을 조직하기 위해 군산으로 옮겼읍니다. 군산 공군 기지로 불리는 그 기지는 일본이 Korea를 식민화했을 때 일본의 비행장으로 쓰였읍니다. 군산은 남한의 남서 해안을 따라 중국에 가능한 한 가까운 곳에 위치해 있는 곳입니다.

오늘날 그 기지는 58개의 F-16기를 지니고 있으며 더 북쪽의 또 다른 기지로부터 두 개의 아파치 헬리콥터 부대가 이동해오는 것을 곧 보게 될 것입니다. 아이다호로부터 F-15기들이 역시 임시로 이 곳에 올 것이고 16개의 패트리어트 포대가 이 지역내 미국 미사일 방어망 확장의 일부분으로 이 곳에 위치합니다.

문신부님은 흩날리는 긴 회색 수염을 갖고 있으며 지팡이에 의지해 걷습니다. 그는 수년간 그가 참석했던 많은 시위의 하나에서 경찰에 의해 거칠게 밀린 후로 무릎이 상했읍니다. 그는 가장 헌신적인 많은 남한의 활동가들처럼 감옥에서 2년간을 보냈으나 그가 감옥에 있었던 시간에 대해 눈물 한방울 흘리지 않습니다. 그는 그가 너무나 많은 책을 읽을 수 있었기에 감옥에서 보냈던 시간을 좋아했다고 웃으며 말합니다. 저는 그에게 “도서를 읽는 당신의 감옥 [기간]을 위해”라는 말과 함께 서명한 제 책을 한 권 주었읍니다.

최근 그는 서울 용산 동네의 고통받는 과부들과 함께 있을 필요를 느껴 많은 시간을 군산 공군 기지 확장을 막는 그의 일로부터 떠나 있읍니다. 그는 많은 카톨릭 신부님들과 수녀님들을 그 투쟁에 끌어들이고 많은 다른 진보적인 단체들이 참여하도록 격려하는 것을 도우는 데 크게 기여했읍니다.

저는 문신부님께 다른 활동가들을 위해 한마디 하시라 했고 이 것이 그가 한 말입니다:

하나의 지구입니다-우리는 지구의 모든 마을들간 평화를 가져야 합니다-고통받는 모든 이들과 연대하고 용산의 분들과 같은 사람들에게 우리의 마음을 열어야 합니다. 우리는 관심, 참여 그리고 연대를 보여야 합니다.

미 공군은 현재 세 개의 8층 짜리 새로운 병영건물들을 짓고 있읍니다. 547가구의 6개 마을이 기지 확장으로 2013년까지 없어질 것입니다. 큰 계획이 이 곳에서 만들어지고 있는 것이 분명합니다. 저는 문 목사님께 그렇게 거대한 기지 확장을 하도록 하게 하는 적이 누구냐고 물었읍니다, 그는 대답했읍니다. 중국이라고.

기지 외곽 철조망선을 따라 저는 근본적으로 어부들과 쌀농사 농부들이 한때 살았던 땅으로 옮기는 미군 기지 가족들이 사는 한 주택 지역을 볼 수 있었읍니다. 우리가 기지 주변을 운전할 때 “ Heaven Baptist Church 천국 세례 교회”가 눈에 띄었읍니다 . 제가 그 교회를 보았을 때 처음 든 생각은 오늘날 군대에서 자라고 있는 근본주의 입니다, 그들은 신으로부터 세계에 진정한 종교를 가져오는 임무를 행하고 있다고 들어집니다. 신이 그들의 편에 있다고 아는 것은 그들의 길을 막는 어떠한 이도 쉽게 죽이게 할 것입니다.

우리는 어제 4 킬로미터되는 기지의 활주로 끝에 있고 바다 바로 옆에 있는 붉은 갯벌로 갔읍니다. 여기서 어부들과 그들의 아내들은 지상으로부터 톱질된 나무들로 받쳐진 그물망위에서 작은 생선들을 말리고 있었읍니다. 우리 머리 바로 위에서는 4개의 F-16기들과 한대의 F-15가 그들이 기지를 이륙할 때마다 굉음을 질렀읍니다. 우리는 우리의 귀를 막아야 했고 저는 제 몸안에서 비행기 진동을 느낄 수 있었읍니다. 여러분의 삶을 매일 이렇게 사는 것을 생각해 보세요.

매년 그 중 한 대의 비행기가 추락합니다.

문신부님은 경찰이 그를 “깡패”라 부른다고 저에게 말했읍니다. [경찰은] 그가 그의 나라 안의 정책과 영혼의 타락에 굴복하는 것을 거절하기 때문에 그를 그렇게 부릅니다. 남한의 사람들은 현재 남한을 지배하는 미군 당국과 기업이 주도하는 소비주의에 굴복하라고 듣습니다. 그러나 그는 그의 저항을 굽히지 않으며 그것 때문에 “당국”으로부터 무법자로 보입니다. 이 무법자를 만나고 그를 친구라 부른 것은 영광이었읍니다. 그는 자존심이 강한 모든 이들의 한 역활 모델입니다.


* 관련 블로그들

http://nobasestorieskorea.blogspot.com/2009/11/text-fwd-screaming-eagles-coming-home.html
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
[Bruce Gagnon blog] SCREAMING EAGLES COMING HOME TO ROOST
[브루스 개그논 블로그] 소음지르는 독수리 비행기들 (EAGLES), [미국] 국내에 보금자리를 치러 오다.
2009년 11월 3일

http://nobasestorieskorea.blogspot.com/2009/10/photos-fwd-kunsan-stop-budget-for-war.html
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Photos Fwd: Kunsan: “Stop the Budget for the Combat Air Show!”
사진 전송: 군산: “전투 쇼를 위한 예산 지원 반대!”
2009년 10월 29일

http://nobasestorieskorea.blogspot.com/2009/09/kunsan-peace-march-sept-12-2009.html
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Kunsan Peace March, Sept. 12, 2009
2009년 9월 12일 군산 평화 대행진
209년 9월 13일