People’s Solidarity of Participatory Democracy (PSPD), a member organisation of FORUM-ASIA, published a statement opposing the establishment of a naval military base on the southern part of Jeju Island, condemning the local government for ignoring the citizens’ wish to maintain Jeju as a “peace island.”
Off the coast of the Korean peninsula lies the island of Jeju, a small volcanic island that is a popular tourist destination, known for its beautiful natural scenery. The peace and security of this island is being threatened as the governor of Jeju Island along with the Ministry of National Defence announced in April this year its plans to establish a naval military base on the southern part of the island by 2014. While supporters argue that the establishment of the naval base will benefit the local economy by creating new jobs and bringing military funding, many residents of the island doubt that this initiative will result in anything more than the militarisation of the region.

People’s Solidarity of Participatory Democracy (PSPD), a member organisation of FORUM-ASIA, published a statement entitled “Korea’s Peace Activists in Opposition to the Establishment of Naval Base in Jeju” condemning the government for ignoring the local citizens’ wish to maintain Jeju as a “peace island.” According to a government report, one tenth of the island's population was slaughtered during the 3 April Popular Uprising of 1948, three years after Korea's independence from Japan's colonial rule, when tens of thousands of Jeju residents protested division and occupation of Korea by U.S forces.¹ It is possible that the establishment of the naval base will bring Korea closer to military involvement in US activities.²

PSPD also condemns the local government for not properly assessing citizens’ opinions regarding the naval base by not providing sufficient information prior to the surveys. Civil society strongly opposes establishing a military base on the island as it will not only threaten the peace and security of the Korean peninsula but the entire Northeast Asian region as well.

For more detailed information regarding PSPD’s response to the establishment of the Jeju naval base, please see the following website: http://eng.peoplepower21.org/article/article_view.php?article_id=19676.

¹ http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/Interview/2007/06/22/75/
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² http://eng.peoplepower21.org/article/article_view.php?article_id=19790