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GANGJEONG –– The military claims that Gangjeong, a small fishing and farming village on Jeju Island, was designated as the site for a naval base as the majority of the villagers supported the plan in a democratic vote in 2007.
Lt. Col. Song Moo-jin, who oversaw the naval site selection process, and many other defense officials describe Gangjeong’s designation as a naval base was the “most democratic process in the history of the country’s defense projects.”
However, testimonies of Gangjeong residents, including that of village chief Kang Dong-kyun, and transcripts of town meetings reveal that such a claim is false.
The deep roots of the conflict can be traced back to April 26, 2007.
“People claim that the decisive factor for the approval of the base was a Gangjeong general assembly, but that meeting was illegally held,” Kang claimed. “Everything was passed, not by votes, but by clapping.”
Of some 1,900 villagers, only 87 gathered that day to discuss possible benefits of hosting of a naval site, which neighboring candidate towns including Wimi and Hwasun had protested against for several years.
Many of those opposed to the base were unable to attend the meeting as it was held in a stealthy manner with the notice made only for four days instead of the seven mandated in the town regulations.
“That was highway robbery,” a villager said as he recalled that day. “They were no better than communists.”
Even Kang Hee-sang, an ardent advocate of the plan, admits few villagers expected their town to be named as home to a naval base.
“We held a general meeting on April 26 in order to hear views on the hosting of a naval base,” he said. “Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined that our village be selected.”
Kang, a secretary general at the Committee for the Gangjeong Naval Base, claims that only he and the military were aware the decision could be nullified if opponents filed an injunction.
“As I told Song, whose rank was major at that time, everything will be in vain if an injunction is filed within 180 days, his face became pale and asked me not to share that information with anyone.”
A transcript of the town’s meeting on April 25, 2007, a day before it passed a resolution supporting the hosting of a naval base, gives a glimpse of what really happened and why many villagers have been fighting against it for four years.
“Why don’t we hold another general meeting tomorrow morning as there are many villagers who do not know about the issue,” Yim Soon-ja asked then village leader Yoon, but her suggestion was disregarded.
Jeong Ok-bae raised a question on whether the village would be able to refuse hosting the naval base if the village’s demands were not met, Yoon replied, “That is possible.”
On Aug. 10, 2007, roughly 100 days after the controversial vote, Gangjeong residents impeached then-village leader Yoon for submitting the village’s bid for a naval base without properly extracting a consensus.
Ten days later, the town officially reversed its position in a referendum where 680 voted against hosting the naval base with only 36 supporting its earlier position.
But Jeju and the Navy refused to acknowledge the outcome of the referendum, nor advised it to submit an injunction.
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