A-Infos (en) France, OCL CA #339 - AN ANTI-AIRPORT STRUGGLE IN KOREA (ca, de, fr, it, pt, tr)[machine translation]

On the island of Jeju, in the south of Korea, since 2015 the South 
Korean government has wanted to build a second airport, a Large 
Unnecessary Imposed Project. In search of a second wind, the local 
opposition movement resists the State a bit like Notre Dame des 
Landes... ---- Jeju, a remarkable geography, a painful history ---- 
Located in the strait of Korea 85 kilometers from the continent, between 
Japan and Korea, Jeju today has nearly 700,000 inhabitants over an area 
of approximately 1,800 square km. With a subtropical climate, the island 
of volcanic origin still has remarkable biodiversity and contrasting 
relief, with an extinct volcano at its center peaking at 2000 m, which 
has played a role in its recent history (see insert).

The island has the status of a special autonomous province, supposed to 
promote its economic development, but the capital invested in Jeju comes 
from the capital Seoul and the possible profits, drawn from tourism... 
return there, without benefiting the local populations.

In 2007, the US army imposed a naval base on the southern coast of Jeju 
near Gangjeong (the Korea Strait is strategic for US containment of 
China) against the advice of the population, although invited to 
participate "democratically» at public information meetings (in France, 
we are well aware of the participatory democracy of the state-EDF on 
nuclear power...). During the protests, there were numerous arrests, 
with trials and heavy fines; Fortunately, significant financial 
solidarity is expressed throughout the country. This experience of the 
populations on the uselessness of public pseudo-consultation meetings 
(construction begins in 2011 and ends in 2016) will lead them to boycott 
the official public meetings around the new airport project.

In November 2015, Seoul announced the airport project to the people of 
Jeju. In fact, tourist numbers are exploding: 5 million/year in 2000, 15 
million in 2024, and the government is targeting 40 million in a few 
decades. A poll in Jeju in 2016 gave 68.5% for and 16% against the 
project. The file progressed slowly until October 2017.

Kim Kyum Bae, a small farmer, then led a hunger strike for 42 days to 
protest against the project. The governor of Jeju, who wants to defuse 
the affair, goes to his bedside but shows such contempt towards him 
(like Macron?) that he sets things on fire. Tent camps are set up in 
front of the governor's headquarters in Jeju and also in Seoul; 
politicians who attempt visits are met with refusal from demonstrators. 
The diagnosis for choosing the location of the airport was rejected by 
the Minister of the Environment, then by the opposition movement in 
2019, then in 2021 for ecological reasons (a survey then gave 44 for the 
airport , 47% against).

In 2020, a televised debate confronted the governor and the leader of 
the opponents of the project. Secretly the governor commissioned a 
specialized foreign company to audit the project, a company which gave 
him a negative assessment. The leaked file is revealed live during the 
debate but the politician, informed, dodges the negative assessment of 
the report.
In 2021, an official consultation of the population of Jeju on the 
airport project gives 51 °/° against and 43 °/° for the project. The 
governor, who nevertheless promised abandonment from a majority and a 
single point more against the project, reneges on his promise based on 
the result of a second simultaneous survey, this time of the sole 
population living in the area. immediate approval of the project which 
favored it with 70°/° in favor, against only 30°/° in refusal. It is 
known that a good survey depends on the question asked, the area chosen, 
the moment, and if it is still bad... we can sit on it.

In 2022, the anti-airport movement grouped around a platform, Jeju Gachi 
(the values of Jeju) presents a candidate for the election of governor 
of Jeju, to give more visibility to the fight against the airport. It is 
supported by civil aviation specialists and former members of the Seoul 
government. But the different left-wing parties have fluctuating 
positions, there is no support for a single candidate and the scores are 
unfavorable.

In 2023, the diagnosis of the project's implementation, already refused 
twice, is validated by the Minister of the Environment despite the 
negative opinion of specialists, the famous "experts". A new poll 
confirms the negative polarization of opinion: 41% for, 53    against.

After the referendum and the cold shower of maintaining the project, 
citizen mobilization suffered a drop in enthusiasm. Jeju does not have a 
social fabric of activists that allows it to hold out over the long term 
in the face of a government that has time and the media on its side.

The third diagnosis of the project's implementation was to provoke an 
official rejection, based on the negative opinion of recognized 
specialists, but the government approved it against all expectations... 
The Jeju Gachi opposition pole did not succeed in unite the various 
local collectives, geographically centered on their villages around the 
island, nor the small left-wing or green parties. For the moment 
construction has not started, no company is officially in charge of the 
project (as could be the multinational Vinci in Notre Dame des Landes, 
offering a prime target).
Politicians, in Korea as in France, have demonstrated that they will not 
keep any commitment following a referendum, nor any case of technical 
coherence following a consultation of experts, going against the 
interests of the investors. For the moment, the project is stagnating. 
The Korean situation is much more complex, particularly because of the 
international context (the airport probably interests the USA), but the 
two struggles have many similarities; small mobilized farmers, rejection 
of the lure of participatory democracy, politicians and pseudo 
consultations.

Article written thanks to the patient collaboration of two comrades from 
Jeju, passing through the Ambazada to learn the history of the 
anti-airport struggle - ZAD NDDL - Vend. March 8, 2024.

A LITTLE HISTORY
Korea located at the crossroads of three empires (China, Japan, Russia) 
underwent Japanese occupation, ranging from protectorate - encouraged by 
the USA to counter Russia - until colonial annexation (1910) for almost 
40 years, which ended centuries-long feudal rule under the Joseon 
dynasty. For its military needs, Japan created a non-existent road and 
rail network in this territory with its rugged terrain and launched 
industrialization to have weapons production.

After the Japanese defeat of 1945, the US army installed a Korean 
dictator who came in its vans (Stalin's army was not far away, nor was 
Mao's...). On the island of Jeju on March 1, 48 - the traditional date 
of protest against the Japanese presence - a demonstration came under 
fire from the Korean police (who were still serving Japan a short time 
before); on April 3, the revolt destroyed several police stations, cops 
were killed. The motivation is the reunification of the country. The 
repression is brutal: 30,000 deaths (10% of the population), prison, 
torture... On the continent a massive protest strike is repressed. The 
American army hunted down opponents on Jeju Island until 1953 (anyone 
captured more than a few kilometers from the coast, in the mountains, 
was considered an outlaw and a communist). This American repression 
remains in the collective memory and many elderly people think it is 
impossible to resist the State...

There will be other revolts on the continent, notably student and 
popular in Gwangju in 1980, repressed in blood with army tanks and the 
American blessing of Democrat Carter... Of course the North Korean 
Stalinist dictatorship does not facilitate the building of popular 
resistance. The (South) Korean regime democratized at the turn of the 
1990s, establishing an American-style two-party system like Republicans 
versus Democrats, with a dose of corruption regularly denounced. There 
are small left-wing parties with diverse positions: social democrats 
from the Justice Party (6 deputies in 2024), left-wing nationalists from 
the Progressive Party, the Labor Party and a small Green party with no 
elected representatives. This fragmentation complicates any attempt at 
unitary recomposition within the framework of a struggle.

http://oclibertaire.lautre.net/spip.php?article4146
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