Hunger Striker on Jeju Island Opposing New Airfield

Catholic Father Mun meets with Jeju Island hunger striker Kim Kyeongbae as he reaches his 35th day without food.  Kim is a farmer and opposes the new Jeju Island 2nd airport project on a part of the island near the new Navy base.  Many believe that the proposed new airport would also serve as an Air Force facility and be used in conjunction with the new Navy base in Gangjeong village.

Joyakgol (who recently came to Maine for our peace walk in Bath) provides us with the following update about the hunger strike and growing movement on Jeju Island, South Korea to oppose a 2nd airport.

Kim Kyeongbae is the vice president of the Seongsan-eup residents committee against the second airport in Jeju. He is a farmer and backhoe driver from Nansan-ri, which is one of the four villages that will be wiped out by the second airport project. He will have to be displaced from his home if the Seongsan-eup airport project begins the construction.

Recently, the Jeju provincial government made a report that the majority of Jeju Islanders want the second airport and sent it to the central government. It was regarded as Jeju Governor Won's OK sign to the central government with the project.

But the report was based on a 'rigged' opinion poll so most of the Jeju people cannot accept it, and got angry against the governor. The vice-president of the residents committee began a hunger strike in front of the Jeju provincial government building. And today is the 35th day.