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March 15, 2012

Activists Protest Plans for Jeju Island Base as Demolitions Begin 
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In South Korea news, demolitions have begun to prepare construction of a
naval base on Jeju island, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site in South
Korea. The South Korean Navy and Samsung Corporation are dynamiting the
coastline with 400,000 tons of explosives. Local villagers have been
fighting the construction for the past five years. This week in New York
City, activists held a protest outside the South Korean consulate that
included a mock funeral procession for Jeju island's marine life.

Sukjong Hong: "Today we held an action here at the South Korean
consulate. We've been trying to meet with them, actually, for weeks and
they've denied a meeting and so we decided we've used all our means at
hand and we should just come here. And instead of just bringing
ourselves, we actually brought the sea life of Jeju island, which is
currently being threatened with construction by a naval base. Allies
from all around New York, including Occupy Wall Street, The Raging
Grannies, Filipino organizations, and Korean peace organizations all
gathered here, and we really wanted to, in essence, hold a funeral
ceremony in protest to mourn the loss of life and to show the South
Korean consulate that we are not going to be stopped."



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