Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin and Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs Minister Kwon Do-youp issued a joint statement on Aug. 31, urging Korean people and Jeju residents for cooperation for a prompt promotion of the Jeju naval base construction at the coastal village of Gangjeong in Seogwipo on Jeju Island for the sake of local development and national security.
“We stress once again that this military-commerical joint venture is an important project not only for the national interest, but also to defend transport routes in the South Sea and for the development of Gangjeong Village,” it read. “The project should be normalized as soon as possible and we will do our best to resolve conflicts by gathering demands and opinions from Jeju and Gangjeong residents.”
The statement also said, “The government hopes that as the naval project proceeds smoothly, it would help benefit the nation as well as the people of Jeju. At a time when the conflict among residents in Gangjeong village deepens, we strongly urge outside organizations to stop any activities to oppose the project.”
Two ministers made the joint statement two days after the Jeju District Court granted an injunction to the Navy and the central government to forbid any interference with the base construction.
Construction of the 530,000-square-meter (131-acre) base at a cost of 977.6 billion won ($913 million), which is about 30 percent complete, has ground to a halt as protesters from the island and mainland have physically blocked workers from entering the site.
Opposition to the base has been mounting since the central government announced the plan in June 2007 and construction has been stalled for several months.
The ministers also said that the government is working on developing a “comprehensive” plan to help the island “enter a new development phase” with the construction of the naval base.