S. Korea to build naval base on resort island amid opposition

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By Sam Kim
SEOUL, April 27 (Yonhap) -- South Korea said Monday it will construct a new naval
base on its southern resort island of Jeju by 2014.
The 1.2-kilometer-wide base will be designed to accommodate both naval ships and
cruise liners, the Ministry of National Defense said in a statement.
Once built, the base will be the largest naval facility South Korea operates in
its southern region.
The plan to begin the development in December comes amid persisting protest by
residents who argue the base would raise regional military tension and disrupt
their livelihoods.
Jeju is home to about 550,000 people. Its local government has recently cited
polls to insist that a majority of its population has turned sympathetic toward
the plan.
On Monday, it signed a tentative deal with the central government to allow the
construction of the base on the southern part of the island, a one-hour flight
from Seoul.
"We will continue to work with the Jeju government to convince the local
residents the base is in their interest," Lee Jin-won, who oversees the matter at
the defense ministry, said in Seoul.
About 300 residents staged a rally last week near the city of Seogwipo, some of
them shaving their heads, to protest the plan, arguing the government made the
decision unilaterally.
Lee said 99 percent of South Korean transports ply the waters near Jeju, arguing
the base will enhance national security and lead to economic benefits for the
population.
According to his ministry, two 150,000-ton cruise liners will be able to dock
simultaneously once the base is constructed, bringing cash to the local industry,
much of which depends on tourism.
Over 950 billion won (US$715 million) will be spent on the development of the
base, the defense ministry said, guaranteeing the reservation of marine habitats
that local fishermen and tourism workers rely on.
"The plan calls for minimizing environmental damage and contributing to national
security and the local economy," it said.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff has called for the construction of a naval base on Jeju
since 1993. Activists and residents have pressured the Jeju government not to
allow it, contending the area could suffer both environmental and economic damage
while the island could be portrayed as a source of military tension.
samkim@yna.co.kr
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