Text Fw:S. Koreans begin legal battle to deter expansion of U.S. air base

* Image source: Pyeongtaek Peace Center 평택 평화 센터

Mr. Kang Sang-Won, Director of the Peyongtaek Peace Center (second from the right) is with the members of the Lawyers' Association for the Democratic Society etc. in front of Seoul Administrative Lawsuit court.

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* Text Fwd from Martin Frid on April 30, 2010

(Thanks, Martin Frid to make me pay attention to this! )

Yonhap News
S. Koreans begin legal battle to deter expansion of U.S. air base
By Kim Eun-jung

SEOUL, April 29 (Yonhap) -- A group of South Koreans filed an administrative suit Thursday against the Korean defense minister, demanding the cancellation of approval for the construction of a second runway at the U.S. air base in Osan, south of Seoul.

In the suit filed with the Seoul Administrative Court, the plaintiffs -- a group of 200 residents of Pyeongtaek who live near Osan Air Base -- accused the Korean government of approving the U.S. air base's runway expansion project without conducting an environmental impact assessment or consulting the local municipal authority or residents.

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*Below is the arbitrary translation of the linked article.

* Image source: same as the below link

Pyeongtaek Peace Center

평택미공군기지 제2활주로건설 승인처분 무효소송
Administrative lawsuit on the cancellation of approval for the construction of a second runway at the U.S. air base in the Pyeongtaek US AFB

평택평화센터
Pyeongtaek Peace Center
2010•04•30 18:00
April 30, 2010

연합방위력증강사업승인처분 무효
For the cancellation of the approval on the CDIP(Combined Defense Improvement Project)

청 구 취 지
Purpose of the Demand for a trial

[이하의] 판결을 구합니다.
We seek for the judgments as the below that:

1. 피고가 2007년 평택 오산공군기지(K-55) 제2활주로 건설계획에 대하여 한 연합방위력증강사업 승인처분은 무효임을 확인한다.
1. It is to confirm that the defendant’s approval disposal of the CDIP regarding the construction plan of the 2nd runway in the Osan AFB (K-55), Pyeongteak, in 2007 is cancelled.

2. 소송비용은 피고가 부담한다.
2. The defendant (Ministry of the National Defense) pays the lawsuit cost.
________________________________________________________________ *Below is the arbitrary translation of the linked article..

* image source: same as the below link.

Pyeongteak Peace Center

주민들의 반발에도 멈추지 않는 활주로 공사
Runway construction that does not stop despite villagers’ repulsion

2010•04•22 09:38 April 22, 2010

2004년 미군기지확장계획으로 평택미공군기지(오산기지)인근에 64만평을 확장하였다.
특별한 사용목적이 없고 각종 안전거리를 위한 부지라며 국방부는 유보지로 분류되었고 그 이유로 환경영향평가도 받지않았다.

Following the US base expansion plan in 2004, [the USFK and Ministry of the National Defense, ROK] have expanded 640,000 pyeong [*about 1,920,000 square meters] near the Pyeongtaek US AFB (Osan base or K-55). The Minister of the National Defense classified it as the reserved area, saying it has no special purpose for use of it and the area is for the various safety distances, and has not taken any environmental impact evaluation for that reasons.

그러나 그 부지엔 활주로 예정부지에 설치되어있는 각종 시설(페트리어트미사일,발칸포,레이다등)을 옮기기위한 사전공사가 진행되고 있다.

However, prior construction to move the various facilities(Patriot missile, Vulcan and radar) that have been installed in the runway planned area is being processed.

주민들의 반발에도, 더군다나 법적조건도 구비하지 않고 공사를 강행하는 주한미군과 이를 방조하는 국방부에 더욱 분통이 쌓일 뿐이다.

We cannot but raise our indignation against the USFK who enforces the construction even without having the legal conditions and the Ministry of National Defense who aids and abets it, despite villagers’ repulsion.
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*Below is the arbitrary translation of the linked article.
Pyeongtaek Peace Center, posted on April 13, 2010

'[홍보활동]송탄미공군기지활주로 건설반대~
지난 10일 평택시민걷기대회가 열린 이충분수공원일대에서 불법적인 송탄미공군기지활주로건설을 반대한다는 현수막을 걸고 홍보활동을 벌였습니다.'

‘No Runway Construction in the Songtan US AFB’
The Pyeongtaek peace activists had the public relationship activities hanging the banner that they oppose illegal construction of the runway in the Songtan US AFB( Osan AFB) when there was the Pyeongtaek citizens’ walking sports meeting in Pyeongtaek.'