In preparation for the expected war ships, the bay is undergoing dredging and deepening. Cement trucks barrel through the scenic coastal highway where hikers and bikers typically come for solitude and meditation. The ocean life in the area is slowly dying away and along with it, the livelihood of many village residents.
But the protest is about more than the obvious environmental issues. The residents of this island have a history of first rejecting the original division of Korea, and secondly working for peace and re-unification. The peaceful stance of the island has been in terms of human life and suffering, but the residents of Gang Jeong village are not willing to give up.
They continue to pay dearly. Many Koreans, including some of the local residents, have accepted the propaganda of fear. They believe that the unique location of Jeju half way between Japan and Korea, as well of its proximity to China make it a crucial defense sight for northern Asia. This is a view that has been jointly promoted by South Korea and the United States. This has costs divisions within families with some family members attending demonstrations in front of the base construction sight while others condemn their actions as being unpatriotic.
I recently spent 2 days among the protesters. Many have been attending daily for years. Each day of protest starts with a Catholic Mass at 11:00. During mass some of the demonstrators sit in front of each of the two main gates to the base. Near the end of Mass troops of police arrive to clear the demonstrators so that the trucks carrying construction materials can enter or exit the construction site. There are two battalions of police, one male and one female. They physically lift the protestors, most sitting in chairs, set them aside, and allow the trucks to pass. The female police officers are assigned to the nuns and other women in the group. Once the trucks have passed, the police retreat and the protestors return to their posts.
Following Mass the demonstrators join hands in front of the base and sing and dance until lunch is served in the make-shift sanctuary turned mess hall. After lunch the crowd disperses.
Besides the daily demonstration, there is a book store and a peace center in the village where supporters can gather or collect information. Demonstrators come from around the world to support the protest. Some stay for a short period of time, as we did, others stay for years. Koreans from the mainland have also joined in the protest. Some have given up jobs and careers to spend years supporting the villagers. Many vow to continue to the end. One man has lived in a tent at the edge of the construction site for the past year, hoping that his presence there will help prevent expansion of the base. Meanwhile researchers review the plans for the base and measure the environmental impact to the area. Their predictions are grim.
Jeju is the island of the divers. It is a place with a unique culture based on the strength of women, particularly women of the sea. The economy is based on the products of the sea, such as seafood, as well as on tourism. Both will be severely impacted by the presence of the large military base and the traffic of war ships and airplanes. The village of Gang Jeong will be impacted most of all.
Although the base is officially a South Korean naval base, it is strongly supported by the United States which has a new emphasis on presence in Asia.
For more information:
http://www.savejejunow.org (English/Mandarin/Japanese)
http://www.facebook.com/Savejeju (English/Korean)
http://www.facebook.com/groups/nonavalbase (English)
http://twitter.com/SavejejuNow (English)
http://cafe.daum.net/peacekj
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