GANGJEONG VILLAGE MAYOR FACING HARD TIME

Gangjeong village Mayor Kang (directly behind me in dark jacket) when I visited Jeju Island the first time

Report from Jeju Island on pending court sentencing:

The latest news is that the Jeju district public prosecutor´s office demanded a penalty of two years and six months imprisonment for Kang Dong-Kyun (54), Gangjeong village mayor who has been arrested and imprisoned for his protest against the Navy’s base construction, under the charge of obstruction of business. The prosecutor made this request in his written letter submitted to the court judge on Nov. 22, 2011.

The court decision on the 12 defendants including the three of mayor Kang Dong-Kyun, villager Kim Jong-Hwan (54) and activist, Kim Dong-Won (25) who have been imprisoned since Aug. 24 will be at 1:30pm, Nov. 23.

It is told that the prosecutor has also demanded the penalty for defendants Dr. Song Kang-Ho, (religious resistance leader) and Mr. Go Gwon-Il, (chairman of the villagers’ committee to stop the naval base), of two year imprisonment; six defendants Mr. Jung Kyung-Bo (villager), Rev. Jeon Jin-Taek, Mr. Kim Bong-Hyun (activist), Mr. Chae Jong-Dae (villager), Mr. Kim Hyuk-Nam (Democratic labor party) and Mr. Lee Jong-Hwa (activist) of one year and six months imprisonment; and Mr. Kim Young-Sam (chairman of the village young people’s association) of six months.

Otherwise, mayor Kang Dong-Kyun has claimed he is ‘not guilty.’ He said in his final statement, “If there is any crime of the Gangjeong villagers, it is a crime of their aspiration to inherit their beautiful 400 year history’s hometown to their descendants. What else? To protest against the illegal naval base construction should not be the crime.” Mayor Kang had been in one year and six month probation since August, 2010.