Solidarity & Prayers for All in Jeju & Their Peace Plane Supporters

The movement to support Gangjeong villagers — who are asking the South Korean government to follow democratic process (a village-based referendum) to determine whether the villagers assent to the seizure of their farmland and destruction of their coastline to make way for a naval base — is a faith-based movement.

As participant Sung-Hee Choi declares, this movement is about love and action based in love for the voiceless — the soft coral, sea creatures, dolphins and humans under threat — by those who mistake violence for strength.

Sung-Hee Choi's post on today's festival for peace: "Peace Plane arrives in Jeju Island"

Background on the Peace Plane (the Korean Catholic church is a beacon to people of all faith traditions or none - these people are about love, faith, & hope in action...):

Catholics organize ‘Peace Plane’ campaign for Jeju

By Yu Sun-hui　
The Hankyoreh

Following the “Hope Buses” urging the cancellation of layoff plans at Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction (HHIC), a “Peace Plane” trip is now being organized to oppose the building of a naval base in Jeju Island’s Gangjeong Village.

The Catholic Human Rights Committee (CHRC) announced Sunday that it had reserved a 170-seat TW765 aircraft departing for Jeju from Gimpo Airport at noon on Sept. 3. The committee explained that it was carrying out a “Peace Plane” event to the Gangjeong Gureombi rocks on the shore of Jeju Island for a pilgrimage to Seogwipo’s Gangjeong Village, the site of the planned naval base construction.

The day’s events are to include a “Jeju Olle No. 7 Course” trip at 4 p.m., followed by a “peace concert” by the Gureombi rocks beginning at 7pm. The trip will be taking place during a period of “focused Gangjeong Village visits” between Aug. 27 and Sept. 4, with other peace movement events scheduled for the same period. The “Punk Peace Vagabond Crew” is scheduled to engage in activities to publicize the peace pilgrimage in Jeju between Aug. 29 and Sept. 2, and will be accepting citizen participation requests separately from the Peace Plane event.

In Seoul, an “820 Hope Emergency Rally” was held Saturday evening on Seoul Plaza, with some five thousand opposition party, Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, and civic and social group members gathering to call for a peaceful resolution to the HHIC layoff situation.

Prayers from the April, 2010 Peace Missal to keep Jeju a "Peace Island"

SPARK & Pax Christi Int: Call for Solidarity & Action for Jeju Island, South Korea

• Please contact the Embassy of South Korea in your country and ask them to stop the construction of the Navy base for U.S. warships on Jeju Island.

• Organize a prayer vigil.

• Write a letter of solidarity to Bishop Peter Kan-U-Il, president of the Bishops Conference of South Korea. e-mail: catholic-cheju@hanmail.net

• Learn more at Savejejuisland.org

For information, you can contact Regina Pyon in Korea: reginapy@hanmail.net

Solidarity for Peace and Reunification of Korea (SPARK) is a member organisation of Pax Christi International