By Yi Whan-woo
The fall from a seawall and subsequent injury of a Catholic priest during a protest against the construction of a naval base on Jeju Island, Friday, is stirring up allegations of excessive use of force by police.
Father Moon Jeong-hyun fell about five meters from a seawall while struggling against a maritime police officer who was trying to stop him from protesting at Gangjeong, a small fishing and farming village on the country’s resort island.
The priest broke his back and both arms and legs, and is receiving medical attention at a nearby hospital.
“Police are definitely to be blamed as they tried to physically restrain Fr. Moon without any consideration for safety in such a threatening environment,” said a protester from the village. Some people from the village and many activists including some foreigners have been opposing the Navy base construction for months.
The officers from the Seogwipo Maritime Police Station were dispatched to maintain order in the region. They said the priest was careless and injured himself.
“The blasts as a part of the naval base construction are ongoing and it’s our responsibility to keep the protesters away from the site,” an officer said.
“There was no physical force used against the priest. He simply lost his balance.”