1. Many people have been suffering from the pandemic. Please tell us what difficulties Jeju Island is currently faced with.

(00:08-01:04)

Amid the global crisis, Jeju is also experiencing economic difficulties. Jeju’s tourism revenue accounts for 70% of its gross regional domestic product. This tourism industry is on the verge of bankruptcy, as of now. The construction industry is also threatened by a bankruptcy crisis, and consumer sentiment has been greatly weakened. Small and medium businesses even plead that they have no hope. This shows the difficulties of the island’s economy. Another problem involves children. In Jeju, you can see playgrounds everywhere just outside your home. Children, forced to stay indoors, have been under considerable stress. It is a serious problem.


2. What efforts do you think the local government should make to overcome this crisis?

(01:12-03:17)

There are so many things that the local government should do. To resolve the current difficulties in Jeju, we need to expand the local budget for the 2021 fiscal year. I have recently requested Jeju Governor Won Hee-ryong to do so. The provincial budget is more than 6 trillion won. The provincial government’s stance is that it is difficult to cover that 6 trillion won with revenues greatly reduced. However, the provincial council insists that the government secure an expansionary budget even by borrowing if necessary. And the local government needs to find a creative breakthrough to overcome the hurdles in times of need. But they have yet to break the current deadlock. Jeju is South Korea’s first province to have launched the New Deal policy, or the Green New Deal. That is how the Carbon-free Island 2030 project started. We need to give it now a final touch. Of the national budget, President Moon stated that 140 trillion won will be spent on New Deal projects. We have to secure at least 4-5 trillion won of those funds. The local council and administration are working together through a related Task Force. We should also suggest measures for the success of the local New Deal project.

3. What would be other major agendas in Jeju aside from those concerning economic issues?

(03:17-03:24)

There are a lot of issues that need to be urgently addressed. Many of them have revolved around conflicts. The first is to revise the Jeju 4·3 Special Act. The Jeju 4·3 Special Act should be revised to appease the pent-up sorrows of Jeju residents, by stipulating indemnification and compensation, human rights, and the restoration of honor. People who knew nothing about the left or the right were unexpectedly killed. This doesn’t make any sense. Therefore, the Jeju 4·3 Special Act was enacted in 2000.

Under the Kim Dae-jung administration, former Rep. Choo Mi-ae, who is the incumbent justice minister, proposed the special act. In the social mood we could not demand indemnification or compensation. We couldn’t even talk about the restoration of honor to the victims. Now, human rights come first in this country. But this time, the 20th National Assembly kept delaying the vote and the act failed to be revised. To make it in the 21st National Assembly, I visited 16 cities and provinces in Korea. During my visits, I asked local lawmakers to join me in adopting a resolution calling for the revision. The resolution of Jeju 4·3 will help resolve many other small and big incidents where human rights were exterminated, such as the No Gun Ri massacre, the Yeosu-Suncheon incident, and the Busan-Masan Democratic Protests. These cases have not received due attention. So far, 14 cities and provinces have agreed to resolve the cases of unjust human rights violation.

There are only 3 local councils left. Tomorrow morning, I’m visiting the National Assembly again to meet with Rep. Kim Tae-nyeon, floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, and will urge the party to resolve the issue at the earliest time possible. Additionally, we have the second Jeju airport issue. Jeju residents question if the provincial council is against the second Jeju airport project. What we pursue in the council is to resolve the conflict. Whichever would be okay, be it the second airport construction or the current airport expansion. But first of all, we suggest that the locals stop arguing or fighting amongst themselves. We don’t want to see any more fights between the residents. Therefore, we formed a special committee for conflict resolution. In consultation with the provincial government and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, we will have to think more about whether to hold a poll or a referendum.

Governor Won has emphasized cleanliness and coexistence as the vision for the future of Jeju. But rather than just saying that we have to keep the island clean, some specific measures should be suggested as to what the locals should do to keep it clean and how they should orientate themselves. On Oct. 25, Governor Won made the Songak Declaration, which many residents have welcomed. They agree that we have to keep the island clean and Governor Won is right. However, despite the need to create a roadmap on how to achieve this goal, the roadmap has yet to be presented, thus leaving many residents anxious.

4. Jeju has a beautiful natural environment and is symbolized as an island of peace. As a venue for diverse international conferences, what role do you think Jeju can play in establishing peace on the Korean Peninsula and in East Asia?

(07:50-09:29)

Jeju Island is a world-recognized tourist destination and has been designated as an “island of world peace” and a Free International City. What we seek is peace. To advance Jeju into a symbolic island of human rights in East Asia and in the world beyond, I believe that local authorities should work hard. Now, we have to solve this in a broader framework, not in a fixed administrative framework. We really have to encompass all the issues and stand out in the world.

This has been emphasized internationally by the president several times. Talks have also been held. Jeju residents hope that Kim Jong Un visits the island for talks. That is what the locals have wished for. If any such event does take place in Jeju, and since making profits does not necessarily require building a factory these days, the successful promotion of human rights and the island of peace will be enough to turn the island into a strong economic region. I hope the local public employees will focus on the idea and think outside the box.

5. You earlier discussed the Jeju New Deal plan. Could you explain a little more about the plan, particularly its orientation and core agendas?

(09:44-13:35)

Currently, the New Deal plan in the digital sector involves no conflict between regions or between residents. It can be implemented. But the Green New Deal may cause conflicts between residents. Suppose a wind turbine is to be set up in a village, a solar panel is to be installed next to a villager’s field. There will be much room for conflict. Before the plan starts, a certain framework needs to be clarified. It should suggest some boundaries that locals would view positively. Conflict resolution determines the success or failure of a project these days. Whatever the project, if it is pursued within a framework, residents will not argue about it as long as it keeps to within the boundaries set by that frame. Otherwise, there is a possibility of continued disputes,so a clear framework has to be made. Not many locals know much about Carbon-Free Island 2030. The local government has to educate them about the Carbon-Free Island 2030 project.

The government has to promote the New Deal project. To do so, we should invite conglomerates and small and medium enterprises to join the project. This will help Jeju be reborn as an exemplary area for the New Deal project. In Jeju, the New Deal project is implemented by the administration. The administration handles planning and all of its other tasks. I told Governor Won that the administration should be the sole implementer but the provincial council would also like to participate. The governor agreed on our request during the policy meeting, and now the TF team has been formed. The provincial council and administration will co-lead the Green New Deal project through the TF team. Before the council joined the project, the president announced that 140 trillion won will be invested for the New Deal project. But the local administration requested only 245 billion won, thinking that would be enough. So, I disagreed, asking for the government to explain its thinking. I insisted that we have to at least request 6 trillion won. Finally, the TF team decided to ask the national government for 6.1 trillion won.

Recently, Governor Won told the president and ministers that the New Deal is a necessary project for Jeju. He requested and obtained 24 billion won as research funds for the production of hydrogen from electricity. What I want the local administration to do is to utilize this project as the starting point for a shift to hydrogen as a fuel source. I expressed to the governor my hope for turning Jeju into a production base. Related government employees and the provincial council are working hard toward this goal.

6. The last question is about the construction of the second Jeju airport. If you have anything to add, please share it with us.

(14:52-14:59)

I don’t have much to add. Wouldn’t it be a big part of our local history? Nearly 6 trillion won will be invested for construction of the second Jeju airport. It is something that Jeju residents should welcome with open arms. If their opinions had been heard in advance, they would have welcomed it. But they were suddenly told that the location would be Seongsan. That is what the locals didn’t understand.

If the government had explained the reason for the location and its conditions, and if it specifically had compared different districts as candidates, and if the location had been finalized that way, opposition could have been avoided. Currently, those who oppose the project strongly oppose it. To avoid this, the government should have sought the consent of the locals in advance. That is the most important thing.