The governor of Jeju Island is not happy that people are arriving from all over South Korea to protest the Navy base construction
Big rally held yesterday in Jeju City
People are coming from all over the nation to Jeju and many are staying. Father Moon (famous activist Catholic priest with beard) has recently arrived and announced he will die in Jeju and wants his body buried under the cement that will cover the rocks along the coastline
Latest report from Jeju Island: On July 1st, on the second day of the big action day gathering in Jeju City. Members of Minkahyup (a very old democracy action/human rights group in Korea) approached the car of Woo Keun-min the Governor of Jeju and showing a banner saying, "Retract your cancellation of the conservation area" [He cancelled the original status of Gangjeong village as a conservation area, this is the phrase that everyone chants to him all the time].
The governor got out of the car and asked the activist, “Where are you from?” and she said, “I came from Seoul.” Then he suddenly declared, “This is a Jeju issue, Don’t worry about this, Jeju people will handle this problem.” She replied back, “The Jeju Naval Base issue is not only a Jeju issue. This is about Korea’s peace and security. Whoever wants peace in Korea must worry about this issue. If you [the governor] do not solve this problem more actively then you will be criticized by all the people in the nation.”
Woo Keun-min answered, “I will handle it well.”
In fact the governor has handled it poorly. When he ran for office he gave Jeju Islanders the impression that he would bring fairness and peace to the contentious Navy base issue. In fact all he has done is become a tool of the big corporations (like Samsung who is the lead base building contractor) and the South Korean Navy.
As Secretary of War Robert Gates leaves office he gives a justification for the expansion of U.S. military presence in the Asia-Pacific region. The Navy base on Jeju is obviously connected to this larger strategy of U.S. control and domination. See it here
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