 The prospective outlook of a strategic naval base to be constructed on the southern resort island of Jeju over the next five years. / Courtesy of Navy |
By Jung Sung-ki
Staff Reporter
The South Korean government approved the long-delayed plan to build a strategic naval base on the southern resort island of Jeju, Monday.
The Ministry of National Defense, the Ministry of Land, Transportation and Maritime Affairs and the Jeju provincial government signed a memorandum of understanding on the construction of the Jeju base, which will be able to accommodate cruise liners as well as warships.
The project, initiated in 2002, has been suspended several times due to opposition from locals, often led by progressive civic groups. Opponents claim that the construction would tarnish the image of the island, designated as ``The Island of World Peace'' by the government in 2005.
A five-year construction will begin by December after reclamation work and a feasibility study on environmental effects, the defense ministry said in a news release. About 950 billion won will be spent to build the 530,000-square-meter base adjacent to Gangjeong village in the southern part of the island, it said.
The base will be used as an up-to-date commercial port able to accommodate two150,000-ton cruise liners, it added.
The port will be able to harbor some 20 sophisticated warships, serving as the homeport of the Navy's ``strategic mobile squadron,'' to be inaugurated by 2015, Navy officials said.
The mobile squadron, which will be rapidly deployed in regional conflict, will consist of 4,500-ton KDX-II destroyers, 7,600-ton Aegis-equipped KDX-III destroyers, Type-214 1,800-ton submarines, anti-submarine Lynx helicopters and frigates among others, they said.
The squadron is expected to play a key role in managing possible conflicts with Japan and China, they added.
In line with the plan, the Air Force also plans to build a base for a search-and-rescue unit to help facilitate the Navy's operations in the southern waters.
``Jeju has long been considered a tactical, strategic point to secure southern sea lanes for transporting energy supplies and to conduct mobile operations in the case of an emergency in the region,'' a Navy spokesman said.
``Following the construction, the Navy will be able to successfully conduct long-range operations to protect our commercial vessels in blue waters, including the Malacca Strait, as well as carry out full-scale operations around the Korean Peninsula,'' he said.
The defense ministry had initially wanted to build the base in the southwestern village of Hwaseon or southeastern Wimi, but the decision was modified because of objections from locals.
Supporters of the plan have insisted the naval port will bring economic benefits to local people by inducing a great amount of direct investment into the region from the construction of infrastructure for sailors.
However, opponents have argued that the base cannot suggest clear evidence of future economic growth, citing American troops stationed in Okinawa, where the local economy is stagnant.
Some anti-U.S. civic groups have also raised suspicions of the project being related to the country's joining the U.S.-led global ballistic missile defense (BMD) system, arguing the plan will make Jeju vulnerable to international terrorism and becoming a potential military target of anti-U.S. militants.
The Korean Navy admits that U.S. aircraft carriers may visit the port, but made it clear that it has no plan to join the BMD and make the port a permanent station for U.S. forces.
gallantjung@koreatimes.co.kr
