Goto Masafumi (Catholic Justice and Peace Hiroshima Committee)
Visits to Jeju
I have had two recent opportunities to visit Jeju Island. The first was last December to meet with other religious groups there, and the second was in April of this year to prepare for a visit of the Japan Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace, which took place on Jeju Island at the end of May.
I had visited the beautiful scenic spots of Jeju about seven years ago, but this time I could see that they were preparing to build a naval base on the island. When I arrived at the site, I heard for the first time the cry: “Don’t Kill Gangjeong Gureombi” and I couldn’t help recalling the fifth of the Ten Commandments. In Seogwipo, the second largest city of Jeju, there is a village called Gangjeong where there is a special giant rock “Gureombi” made of volcanic lava. Sadly enough, accurately speaking, there was such a rock, but due to the dynamite used to destroy the rocks for building the naval base, the “Gureombi” was be obliterated by the end of May.
The Island of Jeju
I have had two recent opportunities to visit Jeju Island. The first was last December to meet with other religious groups there, and the second was in April of this year to prepare for a visit of the Japan Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace, which took place on Jeju Island at the end of May.
I had visited the beautiful scenic spots of Jeju about seven years ago, but this time I could see that they were preparing to build a naval base on the island. When I arrived at the site, I heard for the first time the cry: “Don’t Kill Gangjeong Gureombi” and I couldn’t help recalling the fifth of the Ten Commandments. In Seogwipo, the second largest city of Jeju, there is a village called Gangjeong where there is a special giant rock “Gureombi” made of volcanic lava. Sadly enough, accurately speaking, there was such a rock, but due to the dynamite used to destroy the rocks for building the naval base, the “Gureombi” was be obliterated by the end of May.
In the middle of the island rises Mt. Hanra, a 1950-meter volcano which produces a variety of beautiful displays with its lava. Since the beginning of this century Jeju Island has enjoyed a high international reputation and UNESCO has accredited it several times. In 2002 it was recognized as a Biosphere Reserve, an oceanic system of sustainable natural resources. In 2007 the island was registered as a World Natural Heritage, distinguished for its topography and geological ecosystem. In 2010 it was named a Geopark or “natural park.”
Nomination in 2011 as one of the Seven Wonders of the World
It is true that UNESCO has not designated the whole island, but when one visits Jeju, the volcanic island as a whole gives the impression that it could well merit being recognized as a world site of natural beauty.
Actually, Gangjeong Gureombi, where the Korean government is building the naval base, was first included in the UNESCO designation but was later withdrawn arbitrarily.
T
he Gureombi rock touching the sea is 150 meters wide and 1.2 kilometers long. It is a unique rock that provides a habitat for an almost disappearing species of crab. The construction of the military base is creating a situation that will wipe out the happy life of the habitants of Jeju Island who have inherited the natural beauty of the mountains and the ocean since ancient times.
The History of Jeju
Jeju maintained its independence, despite having been under the rule of several royal dynasties, again it was invaded by Mongolia for about 100 years and later by Japan for 36 years. Beginning in 1920 the Japanese Imperial Army ordered the military conscription of Koreans and started constructing of a big military base on Jeju. Around 1935 the Japanese completed the building of the Artor military airport on the west side of Jeju. At the outbreak of the China-Japan War in 1937 Japanese fighter planes took off from this airport to bombard Nanking in China about 700 kilometers away. The airport housed 20 large hangars where Red Dragon training planes were stored. In 2002 the remains of this airport were named a modern cultural heritage by Korea.
Hardships and Confusion in Japan after the Defeat
Immediately after the Japanese defeat in the war about 60,000 Japanese soldiers were left on Jeju and, at their withdrawal from the island, the former inhabitants then living on the Korean Peninsula and in Japan returned amid great confusion. Many of them had to face the harsh realities of a difficult life. Japan was mainly responsible for the confusion and hardships, and it is no exaggeration to say that it played an important role in the outbreak of the April 3rd Incident.
The April 3rd Incident
The April 3rd Incident (Sasam Sakeon, in the Korean language) was a very cruel event that occurred right after the liberation of Korea from the Japanese imperialists (as Korean historians usually say) In Korea and on Jeju as well, it was only recently that people were finally free to talk about the matter. That cruel incident is closely related to the present construction of the naval military base.
On March 1, 1947, as a result of police firing shots during a public demonstration against the oppression of the Bukseo youth organization (an organization using rightist groups) on Jeju, a unilateral government was elected. On April 3, 1948, an armed unit of Jeju’s South Korean Labor Party took arms under the slogan “We oppose the unilateral government.” Organized combat against the government ended in June 1946, but in the meantime, up to September 21, 1954, when the ban on entering Mt. Hanra was lifted, many Jeju residents became victims of armed clashes between army and police on one side and the 500 insurgents of the Bukseo organization on the other during the process of popular suppression.
The massacre started right after President Lee, Seong Man declared martial law on November 17. The population of the island at the time was 280,000 and it is recorded that nearly 30,000 were killed, most of them women. The mass slaughter, as the American military recorded it, included senior citizens and small children.
Background of the Massacre
For a long time the residents of Jeju were unjustly labeled “Reds.” They were certainly led by the South Korean Labor Party, but the common historical interpretation is that they were mainly acting in accord with their own interests. The public sentiment was to remain free of the oppressive military regime. This situation is reflected in the general strike of private and public officers on March 10, 1947, which arose as an outburst of rage at killings by the police on March 1st that year, and in dissatisfaction with the results of the general elections in 200 electoral districts on May 10, 1948, when the only two elected by Jeju were considered invalid. On the same day, a year later, new elections were held there thanks to agitation by the citizens of Jeju.
South Koreans’ Evaluation of the April 3rd Incident
The above incident was always considered taboo by consecutive Korean governments until President Kim, Dae-jung ordered an examination of the true facts. On October 31, 2003, President Roh, Moo-hyun officially recognized the incident as a massive crime occasioned by public authorities and made official apologies to the residents of Jeju.
Statement of Bishop Kang, Woo-il
Bishop Kang, Woo-il, who took office as Bishop of Jeju Diocese in 2002, stated clearly in public:
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It is a common responsibility of all Koreans to have let their brothers of Jeju Island be killed by national authorities in tragic and inhuman ways.
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We must ask forgiveness of the victims who were brutally treated by the military with indiscriminate and violent means.
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It is my belief that as a sign of forgiveness, we should accept reality as it is, without concealing the historical facts, and transmit it to future generations.
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In addition, we must vow not to allow public authorities ever to commit similar inhuman crimes in the future.
It is to be hoped that such a statement will provide a model for us to act in confronting history. Pope John Paul II during his visit to Hiroshima in 1981 made a Peace Appeal in which he repeatedly stressed that “To remember the past is to commit oneself to the future.”
Historical Record of the Construction of the Naval Base
1993 – The Korean Navy proposes building the base.
2005 – The residents of Hwasun oppose its being built in that port.
2007
- In February the National Defense Department demands approval for constructing the base on Jeju Island.
- In April a provisional general gathering of 80 selected members of the village decide to allow constructionof the base.
-In May Jeju agrees to build the naval base and President Roh, Moo-hyun makes the request for the construction.
-In August the general Assembly of Gangjeong village declares their opposition. 2010 – In February construction starts but is delayed indefinitely.
- In November the governor of Woo, Keun-Min officially announces the acceptance of the naval base.
2011 – In August interference with the construction is prohibited throughout Jeju.
2012 – In March the demolition of Gureombi with dynamite begins.
- In April Fr Mun, Jung-hyun is severely injured, falling off the breakwater while jostling with the police.
All through this process it is easy to observe the lack of appropriate democratic means. In 2005, Jeju was proclaimed a “Peace Island” but, when President Roh, Moo-Hyun urged construction of the naval base, Bishop Kang, Woo-il sent an official message in May 2007, asking to reconsider the project in the light of the April 3rd Incident.
Objectives of the Construction of the Naval Base in Jeju
American global strategy to contain the rising military power of China and Russia is the main purpose for building the base. Actually, in case of an emergency, Korea and the U.S.A. have a military agreement, the Mutual Defense Treaty of 1954, by which the U.S. military will take command in case of a military conflict. (Cf. JP Newsletter of January 2012)
The Catholic Church leading mutual cooperation with the people of Gangjeong
The committee of Gangjeong, under the tenacious leadership of its chairman, Kang, Dong-kyun, has opposed the naval base for 6 consecutive years by sit-ins, hunger strikes, and demonstrations in Seoul. Meanwhile, citizens have been jailed, removed, or fined, and the Catholic Church, with Bishop Kang in the frontline as President of the Korean Bishops’ Conference, has assisted them all the way. Even if the base is forcibly built, this assistance by the Church will certainly be remembered and will be taken as a clear realization of the kingdom of God.
Are Jeju and Okinawa Twins?
What a coincidence it is that the natural beauty, history, and strategic geographical position of both Okinawa and Jeju are so similar! Although a simple comparison is taboo, the more one knows about each, the more deeply they can be understood.
Leadership and Stewardship
During the last 6 months, tracing the work at the naval base, I came to realize the invaluable presence of Bishop Kang of Jeju Diocese and chairman Kan, Dong-kyun of Gangjeong village. Their delicate courage and leadership, their service of stewardship, walking together with the suffering people, have been a source of awareness and encouragement. Without any doubt the network has widened.
Questioning ourselves
We in Japan tend to erase the past, giving the excuse that those are things of the past that were decided from 
above and putting the blame on society. We continue to live our lives without confronting past history and our national responsibility. If we consider the evangelization of society to be an important task of the Church, we are forced to confront history and society.
