Another revolt on Jeju-do

by Andy Jackson on July 18, 2009

Folks down on Jeju-do like doing things their own way. They even have ‘autonomous’ in their official name.

So it is not as shocking you might think to find locals up in arms over their governor’s plan to set up a naval base on the island:

Jeju Island residents will vote to unseat their mayor, Kim Tae-hwan, for pushing ahead with a plan to establish a naval base on the resort island despite public opposition…

The vote comes after a coalition of 35 civic groups campaigned for the dismissal after Kim signed a memorandum of understanding with the central government in April to house a military facility at Gangjeong Port near Seogwipo by 2014. They claimed the naval base will heighten regional military tension and damage the island’s ecosystem.

Common defense? We don’t need not stinking common defense. Let Gangwon-do worry about defense.

One objection to the naval base not mentioned in the article is that it conflicts with the goal of some locals to make Jeju some kind of “peace island.” There is the Jeju Peace Forum, the Jeju Peace Institute, Jeju National University’s Institute of Peace Studies and the Jeju Peace Museum.

Things seem to have progressed on the issue a bit since protests over this back in twenty-aught-seven.

{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }

1 R. Elgin July 18, 2009 at 3:03 pm: I appreciated this comment from the aforementioned earlier thread about Chejudo:

http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/04/06/jeju-residents-protest-rok-navy-base-construction/#comment-77099

Jeju people have a complex relationship with the mainland. When Korea does something positive like do well in the World Cup in 2002, Jeju people suddenly feel Korean. Otherwise, however, Jeju people feel towards mainlanders the way Koreans feel toward the US and Japan. The Xenophobia runs very deep.
2 Koreansentry July 20, 2009 at 11:06 am: Jeju people are basically Korean offshoots, their three founders or famous ancestors were all originated from Korean peninsula. I have to agree with Jeju’s POV on naval base, it will damage the eco system indirectly & directly as well. However, if Jeju is part of South Korea, they will have to play some part and this includes military service.