Save Jeju Island

April 30, 2013
7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Fulton 511, Boston College

Presenters: Jeong Young-Hee, Chairwoman of the Woman Villagers' Committee to Stop the Naval Base Project; Noam Chomsky, MIT Institute Professor & Professor of Linguistics (Emeritus); Sukjong Hong, Open City Creative Non-Fiction Fellow and Independent Artist/Activist.

Jeju Island off the coast of South Korea and popular site for newly weds and tourists was declared the 'Island of World Peace' by former South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun.Jeju has more UNESCO World Natural Heritage sites than any other single location and is designated as a Global Biosphere Reserve. Recently it was one of the first four world-wide winners to be declared in the 'New7Wonders of Nature' global initiative. Its residents have a storied history and culture including suffering a horrific massacre prior to the outbreak of the Korean War when southern Korea was controlled by an occupying U.S. military government.

Today the South Korean government is building a naval base at the village of Gangjeong on Jeju with the capacity to serve domestic and US guided missile-equipped Aegis Destroyers, submarines and aircraft carriers, which some say will be part of the US ballistic missile defense system targeted at China.Gangjeong villagers have been resisting the construction since 2007 and have recently attracted world-wide support from anti-bases, environmental, human rights, and religious leaders and organizations.(see www.savejejunow.org)

Learn more about this important struggle.