 |
National Police Agency Commissioner Cho Hyun-oh said the police will not carry out any large-scale crackdowns on demonstrators opposing the construction of a naval base in a village in Jeju Island. “There won’t be arrests of any considerable number of villagers simultaneously with the use of large-scale police force,” Cho said in an interview with Yonhap News.
He said the number of protestors in Gangjeong Village has not risen beyond 300, which he said does not warrant a massive dispatch of riot police.
His remarks came as concerns are growing among the villagers and civic activists over the possibility that the police will mobilize large numbers of riot police to crack down on the protesting villagers.
Protesters barricaded themselves in the site for seven hours Saturday to block police from arresting five of their number on charges of obstruction of official duty.
The incident escalated as Cho immediately replaced the local police chief for giving in to pressure from protesters and ordered riot police to sternly deal with the “illegal protests.”
Once completed in 2014, the new base will be home to about 20 naval vessels and two 150,000-ton cruisers.
About 14 percent of the construction work has been completed, but the project has been stalled since June.
Village residents and anti-base activists argue the base could set off a regional arms race and damage the scenic resort island’s environment, while the defense ministry says a new base will strengthen national security by increasing military mobility.
![[INTERVIEW] South Korea needs to make decision on sending lethal aid to Ukraine : CNAS CEO](https://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/thumbnailV2/a2180e54d7664819812514cc3d605dd5.jpg/dims/resize/178/optimize)
![[INTERVIEW] Foreign-born entertainers seek to revolutionize local industry](https://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/thumbnailV2/4a6b2bd3d23044d699dee3c5bb956863.jpg/dims/resize/178/optimize)
![[INTERVIEW] Ahn Jae-hong on playing underdog basketball coach in 'Rebound'](https://img.koreatimes.co.kr/upload/thumbnailV2/fe381342632c46bfa6d3245cb475676e.jpg/dims/resize/178/optimize)
