Naval Inspection

[Anchor Lead]

A naval inspection was held on waters off Seogwipo, Jeju Island. Japanese naval vessels did not take part in the ceremony over the controversy surrounding the hoisting of the rising sun flag. Meanwhile, President Moon said he would eagerly look into the pardon and reinstatement of Gangjeong Village residents that opposed the construction of a naval base on the island. Nonetheless, several protests opposing the ceremony erupted all over the island.

[Pkg]

Anti-submarine helicopters flew across the skies of Jeju and a fleet of domestic and foreign vessels showed up, led by the South Korean battleship Choi Young. President Moon Jae-in boarded the landing ship Ilchulbong to inspect the fleet. Thirty-nine vessels from Korea and abroad took part in the marine inspection, where President Moon stressed the commitment to peace.

[Soundbite] Pres. Moon Jae-in : "The road to peace will never be easy, but the Republic of Korea will take that road to the end."

He reassured the residents of Gangjeong Village that the new naval base on the island will be made into the base of peace, not the base of war. The villagers had long opposed the construction in Jeju.

[Soundbite] Pres. Moon Jae-in : "I deeply feel the pain of Jeju Island residents over the construction of the naval base."

The president met with the Gangjeong Village residents after the ceremony. They demanded that the fellow residents who were indicted for participating in protests be pardoned and their rights reinstated.

[Soundbite] Kang Hee-bong(Chair, Gangjeong Village Assn.) : "Our only crime was resisting to protect the land we had inherited from our ancestors. We just want to be happy now."

President Moon promised that he would review this issue as soon as their trials are set. However, some residents and civic groups were involved in clashes all over the island in fierce protest against the Moon Jae-in government. They claimed that the government that speaks of peace went ahead with the ceremony marking the beginning of the base construction in Jeju.