Korea: What´s Happening on Jeju Island ? Another threat to Peace on an Island that that has already suffered enough in history

"On this hauntingly beautiful island, the post-war world first witnessed the American capacity for unrestrained violence against the indigenous peoples fighting for self-determination and social justice."

Bruce Cummins professor of the University of Chicago

Gangjeong was a small and peaceful village on South Korea’s Jeju Island. On March 7, 2012, the South Korean government and navy began blowing up the Gurumbi Rocks, a fragile volcanic wetland area near the village, to build a naval base. The blasting was expected to use 43 tons of explosives.

What’s happening on Jeju Island now?

While South Korea claims that the base is not intended for use by the United States, the likelihood that the U.S. Navy would utilize the base in any military conflict in the region is obvious, given U.S. operational control over Korea’s military.


This will obviously increase tensions with neighboring countries, including China, Japan and Russia.

In addition, the construction project has not followed proper procedures for getting the consent of village residents, which has devastated the community over the past five years.

Finally, the area had been designated an official conservation area, strictly off-limits to development, for the preservation of the Gurumbi Rocks and several rare marine species, yet this designation was overturned in a couple of days without clear explanations.

Thus villagers, artists, environmental activists and peace activists have come together to resist the destruction of Gangjeong. This video is one Korean songwriter’s attempt to spread the story of Gangjeong to the world. More news and performances about Gangjeong can be found at savejejunow.org

BRUCE CUMMINS ON THE JEJU MASSACRE VISIT HERE :

The so-called "April 3 Cheju Islands Uprising" have been long considered a kind of taboo as media both at home and abroad virtually ignored to look into the truth behind the unprecedented killing-fields, which was triggered in Apr. 3, 1948 or shortly before the U.S. government, under the U.N. flag, unilaterally held the May 10 single election to employ its first president Syngman Rhee.
http://www1.korea-np.co.jp/pk/036th_issue/98040102.htm