In 2005, Jeju was christened the ‘Island of World Peace’, by way of apology for a brutal historical massacre there. But just seven years later, the South Korean government has blasted the island’s sacred Gureombi rocks to make way for the construction of a naval base. A fierce campaign of nonviolent action has risen up in opposition.
Bulldozers are already swallowing up farmland as construction work begins in the small fishing village of Gangjeong on Jeju – a pristine volcanic island off the coast of southwestern Korea, whose beautiful beaches and subtropical climate make it a top destination for honeymooners and holidaymakers. If completed, the base will host 8,000 marines and up to 20 destroyer submarines. Conservative pundits say the country needs the base to counter the ‘national security threat’ posed by North Korea. But activists suspect wider geopolitical forces are at work. Gangjeong artist Choi Sung-Hee says it’s all about China and the US. The base may serve as ‘a port of call for the US ballistic missile defence system’, according to the Save Jeju Island campaign, making their home the unwilling focal point of China-US military tension.
