[Jeju Update: Aug. 26] A Peace Plane will fly amidst the government’s threat of public security state! Solidarity is needed more than ever!

Update: Fr. Moon was released last night! around 10pm, Aug. 26.
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For more information beyond this blog, check the below

Related blogs
Organizing Notes: LOVE YOU FATHER MOON
Aug. 24 situation
Aug. 25 situation
Aug. 25 situation(Compensated)

Related articles
* [Hankyoreh Editorial] A Jeju naval base referendum, Aug. 27, 2011
* Korea Joongang Daily:Jeju base site protesters challenge law authority
August 27, 2011
* Truthout: Residents of Tourist Haven Fight Plans to Build Naval Base
Friday 26 August 2011 by Nicole Erwin
*Cathnews, India: Police arrest priest in Jeju protest, Aug. 26, 2011
*Japan Focus: Back to the Future: Korean Anti-Base Resistance from Jeju Island to Pyeongtaek by Andrew Yeo
(*via Facebook)

Facebook sites
See Release Mayor Kang and the others who tried to defend him!(Facebook)
(*Thanks to MacGregor Eddy)
See Save Jeju Island 생명 평화 강정 마을
See No Naval Base on Jeju
See Save Prof. Yang and Sung-Hee Choi
(*The last one is outdated and would be closed as the two were released. But some people are continuing to post recent news)

Twitter
Save the Jeju Island(Check the right column)

Chinese media on Gangjeong struggle on Aug. 24 (Click HERE)
Chinese media mentioning a U.S. media report: The Jeju naval base construction aims at China with sword! (Click Here)
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* Image source: via Facebook

"Exclusive cartoon from LATUFF, our free-palestine cartoonist hero. he responded to my request and just sent me this exclusive cartoon in support of villagers resisting US Naval base construction in jeju island, korea. awesome to fortify intl solidarity network through creative resistance : by Iara Lee : activist & film maker."
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People’s campaign and a peace plane on Sept.3


* Web poster on Peace Plane on Sept. 3 (*via Facebook, thanks to Youngsil)
"Peace Flight from Seoul to Gangjeong, make your voices aloud against military base"

The villagers and peace groups, five opposition parties in Jeju has announced people’s campaign called “save the Goorumbee (the rocky coast)” three hours before the arrest of 5people on Aug. 24. The people plan to concentrate on people’s campaign from Aug. 24 to the end of September. The slogan is “The people command! Provisional disposition on the stop of construction!” which is a parody of the governments’ July lawsuit for provisional disposition on the prohibition of access to the construction site by 76 personnel and peace groups.


* Source: Jeju domin Ilbo

The peace groups saying that, “the navy has left a big wound in the heart of the villagers through abuse of various indictments & charges and violation of human rights for last four years,” claimed that it is illogical that they say the Jeju naval base business is a national business while it is to use the worst measure.”

The groups demanded that “the naval base business should be fundamentally reconsidered because it threatens the villagers’ human rights & rights to live and damages the community and environment.”

The peace plane on Sept. 3 is part of that campaign.

Four people are restrained as of Aug. 26: Mayor Kang is in fast in custody cell, protesting against illegal arrest.


Image source: click HERE
Mayor Kang Dong-Kyun carried by police

It is heard that Mayor Kang Dong-Kyun is in fast for three days since his arrest, protesting against illegal arrest and violation of human rights carried against him (See photos by Director Cho Sung-Bong here.) Mayor Gang’s being hospitalized is told to have been turned down by hospital that detested police presence (more details should be known here. But I heard a woman activist who visited mayor Kang cried when she witnessed the moment.)


Mayor Kang at the moment of violent arrest by police on Aug. 24, 2011
(Photo by Director, Cho. For more photos, click here)

An article says the Seogwipo police station restrained three people, mayor Kang Dong-Kyun (54), villager Kim Jong-Hwan(54) and a young activist, Kim Dong-Won(25). The charges against them are obstruction of business (mayor Kang and Mr. Kim Jong-Hwan) and special obstruction of government affairs (Kim Dong-Won). The Jeju local court judge told that the there is a danger that the three might flee if not the restraint warrants. Nonsense!


Uncle Kim Jong-Hwan(54). He is called as the father of the dog, Joongduk which is named after the name of the coast. He has been one of the most, most dedicated lovers of his hometown and the dog.
(*photo by Director Cho, for more photos, click Here)

Nicole Erwin cites Mr.Kim Jong-Hwan's words in the Truthout. She has met him in July, this year:

Kim Jong Hwan, a local fisherman and protester, was among those named in the injunction.

"I'm not afraid because I didn't do anything wrong. I am a resident here. I have a right to be here. I live here and that is my right, as a resident and as a villager, so I am not afraid to be arrested. That is why I refuse the call from the Seogwipo stations," said Kim.

Kim Dong-Won(25, right) is a young man of very kind heart and artistic talent.
(Photo by unknown)

Kang Gi-Tak, lawyer of the three saying that, “It is unreasonable to say that such activities of simply climbing up and down crane for short moment are to display power. Therefore theirs should not be charged as of ‘obstruction of business,” claimed that, “Because the arrest itself against mayor Kang is illegal, the charge of ‘special obstruction of government affair’ against Mr. Kim Dong-Won should not be established neither.” (Mr. Kim Dong-Won was with Mayor Kang and had been held in police car with him nearly for 10 hours when the villagers were standoff with police on Aug. 24 & 25)

Lawyer Kang also saying that “ Since the navy was partly inducing their activities by enforcing illegal construction in the situation when it has publicly announced that it would wait for the court decision on the government’s filing for provisional disposition [against 76 personnel & groups], [the prosecutors’ claim that the three] might commit repeated crime is one-sided and unilateral,” added that he would file for a review on the legality of confinement of them.

It is known that Fr. Moon Jung-Hyun was also restrained.

"Interview with Fr. Moon just before transferred to Dongbu police station from Seogwipo: Villagers' voice : "public authority is arrogant. . .they ignore villagers. . .love you, father~" (*Via FaceBook, Informed thanks to Regina)




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The government’s self-defeating measure of establishing public security situation

There is also news that the supreme prosecutors’ agency concluded with its opinion that it would strictly respond with measures of restraint against what they call habitual obstruction of business and of the similar against what they call obstruction of business and obstruction of government affairs, related to resistance against naval base in its public security meeting composed of personnel from the Minister of National Defense, Supreme Police Agency, Ministry of Employment and Labor and Defense Security Command at 3pm, Aug. 26. It also plans to charge those through civilian cases with the lawsuits on fines beside criminal cases. Such public security meetings were held in 2008 when more than million people gathered for the candle protest against the import of U. S. beef and in 2009 when there was Ssangyong workers' hard-fought resistance.

The government has already filed lawsuits against 14villagers for the fines of 280,000,000 won in the mid-July, this year, aiming to weaken the villagers’ fight will and to divide the villagers and activists.

There is also news (via Facebook) as below

[Emergency Update] Several Staffs from the Asia Wide Campaign Against U.S. and Japanese Aggression and Domination of Asia (AWC) were stopped at the Jeju International Airport(CJU). Those are the representatives from Japan. Mr. Sakuda (46),his son (6) and AWC Staff Nagaya(52) were given the decision of denial from the port of authority in Jeju. Officials said that Department of Justice delivered d...irect order to the Jeju Airport Office of Immigration and Custom to stop them. AWC and KCTU(Korean Confederation of Trade Unions) are scheduled to have the forum in Gangjeong village at Aug 27th. That forum is about having conference against naval base and the expansion of military forces in the southern asia area.


To what degree, the Lee government is displaying such shameful measure to dispel the international? Crazy.. It was not their first time to deny the entry of international peace activists. The Lee Myung-Bak government has also interrupted some key South Korean activists’ visits to other countries, sometimes forcing them to be turned back without being able to join the events in the visited countries. What a violation of human rights!

Paco has good words(Via Facebook on Aug. 27)

"Well, as you can see the good news is that because of the events of the 24th this has become a national issue. It's on all the main networks and press big and small are covering it. No one can pretend it doesn't exist any longer. Unfortunately, most of them are covering it badly. Surprisingly one major network, MBS, did a pretty good job. KBS on the other hand should be renamed "Navy TV". Their broadcast was the worst compilation of one sided naval propaganda. And the protests were barely show but mostly edited to make us look violent. In the future let's give more interviews to MBS and boycott and ignore KBS!"

Fr. Moon and mayor Kang
(photo by Director Cho in July, 2011. The banner reads 'no naval base!)


Mayor Kang Dong-Kyun(left) and Mr. Kim Jong-Hwan(right) help movie critic Yang Yoon-Mo to walk when Yang was released with the court decision of probation after nearly 70days' prison fast on June 1, 2011.


Villagers and activists: A man in the white jacket is Mr. Kim Jong-Hwan
Photo by Director Cho

[Jeju Update: More on Aug. 25] Oppression will bring more resistance

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For more information beyond this blog, check the below

Facebook sites
See Release Mayor Kang and the others who tried to defend him!(Facebook)
(*Thanks to MacGregor Eddy)
See Save Jeju Island 생명 평화 강정 마을
See No Naval Base on Jeju
See Save Prof. Yang and Sung-Hee Choi
(*The last one is outdated and would be closed as the two were released. But some people are continuing to post recent news)

Twitter
Save the Jeju Island(Check the right column)

What mainstream media says?
See Hankyoreh, Aug. 26: Construction, protests and arrests intensify Jeju naval base standoff : With more police and civic involvement, stakes have risen for the base that is unpopular with local residents
See Kyunghyang Daily, Aug. 25: Alternative Plans Needed in Jeju Naval Base Conflict
See Korea Times, Aug. 25: 5 demonstrators taken into custody; senior police officer replaced (* via Matthew Hoey)
See UCA News, Aug. 25: Anglicans join opposition to naval base
See KBS video with narration on Aug. 25 (Sorry, Korean, but the video is worth to see.)
(*via Regina Pyon)
You may also see NewYork Times article on Aug. 25: Book on Samsung divides Korea
(*Samsung is the main construction company for the Jeju naval base construction: Thanks for the info. to M. Hoey and B. Gagnon)

Thanks for coverage on two days' resistance
Organizing Notes on Aug. 24 and Aug. 25
Ten Thousand Things on Aug. 24 &. 25 and on Catholic movement
DMZ Hawai'i on Aug. 24
No Rest for the Awake: Minagahet Chamorro on Aug. 24

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The detained or restrained in the custody cell now (source: Facebook)



Fr. Moon was arrested on Aug. 25(in invesigation)

"When we got to Dong Bu police station in Jeju City, we learned that Father Moon ...was also transfered there, so we met with him too. He was also arrested for "Obstruction of Justice" when he jumped on top of the police van that Village Leader Kang was in. It's amazing that he could get up there!"

"제주시에 있는 동부경찰서 근처에 다달았을 때 오늘 오후 서귀포 경찰서 앞에서 시위하던 중 연행되셨던 문정현 신부님 역시 동부서에서 뵐 수 있었습니다. 강회장님이 탄 경찰 차 위로 올라서면서 공무집행방해죄로 연행되셨지요. 연세 지긋하신 문신부님이 차 위로 올라서시다니... 대단하십니다!"


Kim Dong-Won and Kim Jong-Hwan were arrested on Aug. 24 (in restraint)

"We met Dongwon (Left) and Uncle Jonghwan (Right) who were arrested and are curre...ntly being held at the Dong Bu police station in Jeju City. We wanted to also meet Village Leader Kang but he was very tired and fell asleep. They are charged with "unlawful interference" or "obstruction of justice", but I'm pretty sure that the police were the ones obstructing justice."

어제 오후 서귀포 경찰서로 연행되어 현재 제주시 동부경찰서 유치장에 있는 동원(왼쪽)씨와 종환삼촌(오른쪽)을 뵙고 왔습니다. 강회장님도 뵙고 싶었지만 병원에서 막 돌아오셔서 깊이 잠드신 터라 뵙질 못했습니다. 세 분 모두 공무집행방해로 연행된 상태이지만, 이들을 연행해 간 경찰들이야말로 정의에 반하는 이들입니다."



Mayor Kang Dong-Kyun was arrested on Aug. 24 (in restraint)

Photo by Cho Sung-Bong 조성봉 감독님 사진들(See more poignant photos here)
He was in three years' probation and much worried for possible heavy imprisonment. A facebook site was created to save him and others. Check here. Thanks very much, MacGregor!
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Resistance and solidarity will be stronger!




Ann Wright speaks in the Gangjeong village in the evening of Aug. 25
Photo by Lee Mi-Ri, Jeju Sori, Aug. 26, 2011 (* Via Regina Pyon)




photo by Lee Mi-Ri, Jeju Sori, Aug, 25, 2011

Villagers and peace activists having a press interview after the arrest of 5 people including Gangjeong village mayor, Kang Dong-Kyun on Aug. 24 and Fr. Moon on Aug. 25 in the key spot to stop naval base construction in the Gangjeong village, Jeju Island. You see Ann Wright and Hyun Ae-Ja, a former National Assembly woman, who has chained herself on the spot near a month to stop construction. You can see Ann Wright's interview with Newscham Here(Korean: * thanks to Regina Pyon for info. on it)

See the Pan-Island Committee's statement(Sorry, only Korean available, now)
범도민 대책위 성명서(여기 클릭)



See Bruce Gagnon's Organizing Notes on Aug. 25

'The South Korean police arrested renowned Catholic Father Moon Jung-Hyun as well yesterday after he climbed on top of the police car that was taking the mayor to jail. Mayor Kang of Gangjeong village is still in jail. At a press conference this afternoon villagers and supporters said, "The arrest of Mayor Kang will bring greater resistance, arrest of Fr. Moon will bring higher wave of peace. . ." This weekend an airplane full of Catholics (paid for by the Jeju Island Bishop) will come from the mainland to stand with the villagers.'

See also Catholic movement to save the Jeju here, thanks to Ten Thousand Things!

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See also Sung-Hee Choi's final testimony on Aug. 5

CAMPAIGN FOR THE ACCOUNTABILITY OF AMERICAN BASES - CAAB
(: Thanks very much, Lindis Percy and Okinawa Outreach blog)
(: Thanks very much, M.S., for Japanese translation)

[URGENT: Aug. 25] Three got the restaint warrant! Fr. Moon was arrested, too! The village needs help!

In Update: Please spread news! See also Anne Wright's report at the bottom of this blog.

See Aug. 24 situation
See Facebook
See Twitter(Check the right column here)
See photos HERE(Thinkunit) and (Coconeck) and HERE(Director Cho)
See Jeju Naval Base and Security dilemma by Cheong Wooksik, Peace Network
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http://cafe.daum.net/peacekj/JWOn/70

From the time of arrest of mayor Kang to the time of arrest of Fr. Moon (Aug. 24 to 25) by Doongree

In the beginning of the video, wife of mayor Kang cries against the policemen, "What has my husband done? He has just wanted to save his hometown!"



At 2pm: Three got the prosecutors' decision of restraint. Fr. Moon was arrested
(Based on the SPARK report in Korean language)

A peace activist and a villager were released but mayor Kang Dong-Kyun, a villager and an activist were carried to the Dongbou police station by the prosecutor decision of restraint against them. When Fr. Moon Jung-Hyun blocked the police car carrying the three, the police immediately arrested Fr. Moon. Fr. Moon is now investigated in the Seogwipo police station. It is told that his cloth was torn and cane was broken during forceful arrest! In the village, people are struggling hard to block the construction as well.


Fr. Moon blocking a police car that carried the three restrained
http://yfrog.com/user/thinkunit/photos

Fr. Moon with a peace activist, around 12pm, before his arrest
http://twitpic.com/photos/coconek


Otherwise, the Supreme Police Agency laid off the chief of the Seogwipo Police station reasoning he under-reacted such as doing negotiation with villagers regarding the matter on the release of five yesterday. It is expected that the police would react with more violent and oppressive measure in the future. It is pressing that all the peace power throughout the Jeju Island and nationwide should gather energy, stop the input of state power, and pressure the government to solve the naval base issue in reasonable and peaceful way. International help and solidarity would be more important than ever!


12:00pm (Based on the SPARK report in Korean language)

It is clear that the Seogwipo police have not kept the promise with Moon Dae-Rim, chairman of the Island Council, to release all the five last night. The police are saying they are in the position not being able to release them as the security dept. of the Supreme Public Prosecutors’ office has not ordered them to release them because he mattered the incident of the Seogwipo police chief being detained by villagers for a while last night. There is news that the Democratic Party is strongly demanding the lay-off of the chiefs of the Jeju National Police Agency and Seogwipo police, charging their excessive input of state power. In front of the Seogwipo Police station, about 100 people are continuing sit-in.

Otherwise, the navy started to assemble the crane for the purpose of resume construction to relocate tetra-pods and caisson covers that had been left in the construction site. Against this, about 20 people are protesting demanding stop of construction. The police troops have now been all withdrawn from the village.

Otherwise, the small committee for the investigation on the Jeju naval base business under the budget committee composed of the ruling and opposition parties on Aug. 24 bears a serious problem. Three among the Grand National Party (ruling party) members, including Gwon Kyung-Suk, chairman of the small committee, originate from military and it should not be silenced that a National Assembly man belonging to no party and originating as an army general is mentioned to play a role of non-bargaining body recommended by the chairman of the budget committee. It would be difficult to hold a fair investigation on the naval base if the small committee is composed primarily by military-affiliated. Not only that, it would be difficult to control or settle on the police input of state power that guarantees the navy’s forceful construction. The navy’s behavior to make propaganda on the naval base business drawing the national defense reporters and to resume construction despite bringing conflict with villagers yesterday might be related to the composition of the small investigation committee in which military-affiliated were primarily considered.

To have a small committee primarily composed of the military-originated members is nothing but to make the works by the National Assembly that had been made after hard efforts to be inactive. The military-originated personnel should be excluded from that small committee to be fair.


As of 10:00am, Aug. 25: The five were not released and people are in anger. In front of Seogwipo police station, more police were mobilized against people. It is worried that construction would be resumed in the village today while people are keeping the police station site. The village is also in watch.









http://yfrog.com/h3wdmuoj (All photos by Thinkunit)

As of 3:30am, Aug. 25, the five were not released yet, unlike police promise that they would be released before midnight. The police has delivered investigation result to a prosecutor in Jeju and the latter is told to decide the matter of release of five at 9am, after approval of chief of the Jeju Prosecutors' Office and security director of Supreme Public Prosecutors' Office . The prosecutor is told that he matters the process of arrest in which people resisted, as 'seriously damaging state power.' It is worried whether the prosecutors intend to expand the accident as 'security affair.'

People are angered because mayor was not doing any activities that the police call as ‘obstruction of business.’ Mayor was just talking with the construction company personnel when he saw they were building the power crane.

The people say the arrest was ‘intentional.’

About 50 villagers and activists are holding street protest in front of Seogwipo police station. see the below photos



(Source: Jeju Sori)


(source: Jeju Domin Ilbo)


(source: http://yfrog.com/kfufjnmj)


As of 12:00am, Aug. 25, the police have not released five yet. The villagers who could not wait for the release of five on the spot, went to the Seogwipo police station to protest . It is worried that the police might close a key spot farm road where Hyun Ae-Ja, a former national assembly woman chained herself from possible police attack and others have been keeping from construction, a SPARK peace activist says. It is known that the mayor was carried to the Seogwipo medical center to get the hospital cure because his ribs were hurt during forceful arrest.

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Ann Wright's report (Via Facebook)

Yesterday, August 24, 2011, sirens wailed for citizens to come to the main gate of the Naval Base in Kang Jeong Village on Jeju Island, South Korea where the Korean Navy wants to continue construction of a naval base for 18 ships and a 2 submarines in an area that will destroy a pristine shoreline and endanger marine life. Local villagers and activists from the mainland of South Korea have struggled for five years to prevent the construction of the base.

Sirens signal an emergency-the mayor and four activists are arrested

The siren sounds like a tsunami warning signaling an emergency. And that is what it is-an emergency with 5 activists arrested, including the mayor of the village of Kang Jeong at a huge construction crane on the base. The crane had been brought onto the naval base several years ago in the middle of the night in the Navy’s attempt to escape the wrath of the villagers. It is a huge crane weighing 250 tons and it was brought over a bridge that can hold only 50 tons. The mayor of the village is intent on not allowing the illegal crane to be operated. He wants it dismantled and taken away. The mayor, the peace camp cook and three activists who came racing to the aid of the mayor were also arrested.

Hearing the emergency siren, 60 people quickly arrived to block the main gate of the base with trucks, cars and their own bodies. Others raced to the back entrance to the base to block it. Many were local farmers who had come directly from their fields of tangerine trees and from hot houses where they grow vegetables. They had jumped on their motor scooters to answer the emergency call, not bothering to change from their farm work clothes and wide brimmed work hats and rubber boots. Text messages were flying explaining the situation and directing people to go to the gates of the base. Tweets were alerting solidarity activists around the world to the emergency. An international peace camp had been held here last week and those activists would want to know about the situation.

At the main gate, ten citizens locked chains around their necks and around each other and sat directly in front of a police line that had been placed in front of the gate. One citizen locked a chain around his neck and directly onto a truck that was blocking the entrance to the base.

Crowd stops police car and surround the police

Four of those arrested had been moved from the naval base to the local jail by the time the entrances were blocked. Only the mayor remained inside the base. After several hours, the crowd spotted a police car attempting to leave the base by another entrance and inside was the mayor. The crowd chased the police car on foot, caught it and put their bodies in the way so the driver could not move forward. Cars and trucks quickly followed successfully blocking the police car.

About 60 police reinforcements with batons and shields but no weapons pushed their way past the activists and formed a protective ring around the police car. The police appeared to be new recruits who were doing their obligatory government service. They were very young and looked very scared.

Very quickly the citizens encircled the police and the police car and sat down. From time to time, the police would attempt to move the crowd out of the way, but the citizens would stand up and move directly in front of the police shields. Women, old and young alike, were on the front lines refusing to let the police move and pushing back furiously.

Remarkably, the police did not use their batons on the demonstrators. One person told me that the police on the island are very aware of the history of Jeju Island in which over 30,000 persons, many of whom wanted their country unified after World War II, were massacred by the right wing government of Sighman Rhee that considered them communist sympathizers. Anyone found farther inland that 2 miles were considered guerillas and were hunted down in a scorched earth policy by military and right wing youth brought in from the mainland of Korea.

Many of the police who live on the island had relatives that were killed in what is called the April 3 massacre that lasted over 18 months (1947-48). The small island police force does not want to be seen as heavy handed. Because of this attitude, the national government last month heavy-handedly sent 1,500 mainland police to Jeju Island to use water cannons and tear gas against those challenging the construction of the naval base.

The stalemate of citizens encircling and trapping the police lasted for 5 hours and took on a community event atmosphere. The fiery wife of the mayor stood on the top of a vehicle urged the crowd to protect her husband and then dived into the police line from on top of the vehicle! A huge sound system on the top of another van blasted favorite protest songs including one that told the story of the April 3 massacre. The nightly 8pm candlelight vigil was held in the road with candles placed in front of the police line. Friends sat in small groups talking about the next steps in preventing further construction of the naval base.

Activists chain themselves to a van

Another scene was unfolding back at the main gate. As the police rushed from the main gate up the road to protect the police car carrying the mayor, the way was left open for a protest van to move onto the entrance of the bridge just past the main gate, blocking one of the main roads on the island. Citizens with chains surged to the vehicle and locked themselves onto the undercarriage of the van. A smaller group of police then surrounded the van, but after several hours of watching the group chained to the van, they got tired and sat down along the sides of the bridge.

Police Doublecross

By midnight a deal had been struck. The mayor and four others would be released after making an appearance at the Seogwipo Police Station/jail. The crowds slowly opened so the police and the police car could leave. Not all the citizens agreed to the deal thinking that once the mayor left in the police car, their leverage was gone.

And they were right. 50 citizens slept all the rest of the night on the sidewalk outside the jail waiting for the appearance of the Mayor and the other activists-to no avail! The police violated their agreement and at 2pm all are still in jail.

Another Emergency

In the meantime, another emergency siren blared this morning, calling people to the construction site again. A crane operator was moving some heavy equipment. Citizens raced to the site and laid down in front of the crain where they still are.

Here goes the siren again-another emergency in the lives of the citizens of Kang Jeong to save their lovely land.

Paco Michelson had a comment to Anne Wright's in the same site:

Just some minor points, I'm not good at estimating numbers really but I think there were about 200-300 riot police and then some extra plain clothes officers, maybe around 30. They were not all surrounding the car but most of them were. Also the struggle last about 10 hours if you count the first struggle to arrest Mayor Kang. ..Also another reason the police didn't attack us to much because there was lots of mainstream press. We may not be so lucky in the future.

[Urgent]Gangjeong is in attack! Five including Gangjeong mayor were arrested on Aug. 24!

See Aug. 25 situation
See Facebook
See Twitter(Check the right column here)
See photos HERE and HERE
See photo and video HERE at the arrest moment of Gangjeong village mayor Kang Dong Kyun, around 2pm(Aug.24). The policemen were like hyenas, the filmmaker says.
See video of policemen attacking Fr. Moon Jung-Hyun(Aug. 24)
See video on the people's cultural solidarity event while they are waiting for the release of five during the night(Facebook)(Aug. 24)
See Other videos(Facebook)(Aug.24)
See Jeju Naval Base and Security dilemma by Cheong Wooksik, Peace Network (Aug.22)
See Bruce Gagnon's Organizing Notes(Aug.24)
See DMZ Hawai'i (Aug. 24)

"Follow #gangjung on Twitter and try to relay as much information as possible. This is taking place at the moment. Contact media if possible. Repost pictures and videos as you find them."(M. Hoey)

From Ann Wright via Kyle Kajihiro on Aug. 24

"I’m in Kang Jeong Village on Jeju Island, South Korea and the sirens are blaring for citizens to come to the main gate of the Naval Base where construction is about to begin in an area that will destroy pristine lava fields and endanger marine life.

The siren sounds like a tsunami siren in Hawaii signaling an emergency. And that is what it is-4 activists were arrested two hours ago, including the Mayor of Kang Jeong, the cook at the camp and a member of SPARK and now 60 people have blocked front of the main gate of the base and many others at another gate.

Ten activists have locked chains around their necks and around each other and are sitting directly in front of a line of police at the gate. More arrests to follow no doubt.

will send more later.

Ann"
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UPDATE

As of 12:00am, Aug. 25, the police have not released five yet. The villagers who could not wait for the release of five on the spot, went to the Seogwipo police station to protest . It is worried that the police might close a key spot farm road where Hyun Ae-Ja, a former national assembly woman chained herself from possible police attack and others have been keeping from construction, a SPARK peace activist says. It is known that the mayor was carried to the Seogwipo medical center to get the hospital cure because his ribs were hurt during forceful arrest.

As of 10:30pm: after negotiation, Fr.Go Byung-Soo got the police promise that the police would release five after short investigation and they would carry mayor in general car not police car. There were villagers’ complaint that mayor should not be gotten with investigation but as the police promise was known to media and Fr. Go & other 10 villagers accompanied police car to make sure of it, the negotiation was carried.


http://yfrog.com/h8b1ahfj
The wife of mayor Kang cries on the top of police car, demanding release of five.


http://yfrog.com/z/khdjhbyj


http://yfrog.com/h8zuymnj


9pm: Villagers are raising candles and continue to keep the site. The standoff with police has been seven hours by now since the arrest of mayor Kang and other 4 people around 2pm.


8:20pm a village woman sitting in protest, "Release all the five!" The villagers and activists are still standoff with police




8pm More people are gathering
http://yfrog.com/gyv07uyyj


Injured by police violence
http://twitpic.com/6aixdp


6:50pm police is violently attacking people, Right Now!


Villagers blocking a police car when it attempted to escape to another road
http://yfrog.com/kj6rcqcj








6:10pm Fr. MoonJung-Hyun has once been in danger when he blocked police car on the top of it. The policemen was pushing away him on the top of car. In the above photo, Fr. Moon is sitting very tired after it.
http://yfrog.com/kjcggnmj


6:oo Gangjeong villagers blocking police car where mayor is held. Some people chained themselves with construction equipment
http://yfrog.com/kj6rcqcj

http://yfrog.com/kj6rcqcj



5: 29pm

전경병력 계속동원!! 본격연행 시작!!
5:20pm Police are continuously mobilized! More arrest started!
http://yfrog.com/kle5hnrj






5:10pm People chaining them selves strongly protest against the arrest of five including Gangjeong vilage mayor Kang Dong-Kyun
http://yfrog.com/gyg1yqlj







Right after arrest of five, some villagers and activists chained themselves to construction equipment (Source: Jeju Sori)

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Mayor Kang Dong-Kyun just before his arrest
http://twitpic.com/6ahpcj