Regis Tremblay·Jan 15, 2013
This a brief overview of the struggle to prevent the construction of a massive naval base in the tiny village of Gangjeong, on Jeju Island, S. Korea. In order to understand why the villagers have been opposing the construction 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for five years and risking bodily harm and imprisonment, one must understand the broader context.
Beginning on April 3rd, 1948 the U.S. Military Government in Korea approved the massacre of as many as 80,000 Jeju Islanders who were resisting the occupation by the U.S. Army and the viscous, dictatorial regime of Syngman Rhee. They were labeled “communists,” when in fact they were fighting for self-determination, freedom, and human rights.
The people opposing the construction of this massive base that will accommodate America’s global military expansion are the survivors and descendants of that horrific massacre and once again find themselves in the cross hairs of another war between the United States and China.
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