1. Extinction Rebellion South Korea seeks help from rebels around the world!

The construction of a new airport is being pushed ahead in Korea. It will cause additional emissions and massive ecocide. In March 2021, six rebels staged a peaceful but relentless act of civil disobedience at the headquarters of the then-ruling Democratic Party and protested the railroading of the Special Act on the Construction of the New Airport. The rebels chained themselves to the entrance and chanted slogans condemning the blatant act. The six rebels were forcefully arrested and fined 20 Million KRW (approximately USD 16,000) for housebreaking and violating the law on demonstration and assembly.

The rebels have requested a formal trial to contest the fines and make a case for the legitimacy of their action whose goal was to safeguard the life-supporting system on earth. We urge rebels and supporters abroad to please undersign and leave a message to show support (including demands for acquittal). Also, please share this petition as widely as possible.

2. The activists' action to protest the construction of new airport is more than justifiable:

• The construction of the Gadeokdo Airport will destroy the ecosystem of the area and accelerate the climate crisis. Gadeokdo Island, the designated site for the new airport, is located in the southwestern tip of the Korean peninsula. The island is a treasure trove of valuable ecosystems on which many life-forms depend. Gadeokdo Island is home to many species such as wildcats, kites, hawks, snakes, otters, and endangered species like Eremias argus. Porpoises, a designated endangered species, roam the surrounding seas. And colonies of camellia and East Asian eurya thrive in the Mt. Guksu Forest in the island. We have the responsibility to defend life on this island yet the government plans to level down Mt. Guksu to secure visibility for take-off and landing. And the rocks and soil from Mt. Guksu will be used to fill the sea for runway construction. The coastal tidal flat in Nulchaman Bay that is home to countless lives and an important carbon sink is planned to be reclaimed to build an “Air City,” a residential and commercial complex. The construction of the new airport as well as the Air City will devastate these precious forests, tidal flats, and coastal ecosystems at a time when defending earth’s life-support system is most needed
  
• The way in which the Special Law for the Construction of the Gadeokdo New Airport was passed was undeniably undemocratic. The then-ruling Democratic Party of Korea railroaded the special law by using its absolute majority in the National Assembly in the absence of any meaningful public hearing or debate. There had been reports suggesting the new airport would not only destroy life but would also be untenable from an economical point of view, but the Democratic Party pushed ahead with the special law and exempted the airport construction plan from preliminary feasibility study. It was the same Democratic Party that announced the "Green New Deal" in 2020 and declared that it would achieve "carbon neutrality" by 2050 led the whole process.
  
• The alleged benefits of Gadeokdo New Airport are all false and the airport, if built, would be the most unjust and disastrous. It is a risky gamble on many fronts, including safety, construction, operation, environment, and economy. We refuse to be fooled by the lies that a reckless construction project would revive the local economy. It will only serve the interests of landowners and corporations at the expense of the common interest. The Korean government is trying to host the Busan Expo in 2030, and building a new airport is in line with that effort. Ecocide for an expo? It is simply unacceptable.
  

3. South Korea is a well-known “climate villain” and we need more direct actions to counter the villainous acts of the government and corporations. We urge the Korean judiciary to acquit the activists involved in the above-mentioned direct action.

• South Korea is a climate villain. While small in size, it was ranked 8th in global carbon dioxide emissions (2020), 3rd in overseas coal investment  (2021), and 4th in carbon dioxide emissions per person (2020) while 60th out of 63 countries in the International Climate Change Response Index (German Watch, New Climate Institute, Climate Action Network International). Yet South Korea continues to build coal-fired power plants at home and abroad.
  
• The world is changing in the time of climate crisis. Singapore's Changi Airport, Asia's top hub, has shelved a plan to expand its terminal, and Britain's plan to build more runways at Heathrow Airport has been ruled illegal for violating government obligation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In April 2021, France parliament passed a bill banning flights between cities that are linked by a high-speed train journey less than two and a half hours. Along with this trend, many climate justice activists around the world, including XR comrades, have been acquitted for their direct actions of civil disobedience.
  
• Article 10 of the Constitution of the Republic of Korea states, "All citizens shall be assured of human worth and dignity and have the right to the pursuit of happiness. It shall be the duty of the State to confirm and guarantee the fundamental and inviolable human rights of individuals." The construction of the new airport on Gadeokdo is sure to cause ecological destruction and will worsen the climate crisis, which indubitably violates the civil right to pursue happiness with dignity. Instead of adjudicating, based on current laws, whether the rebels’ action is illegal or not, should prioritize citizens' right to free speech and action as prescribed by the Constitution. In the era of the climate crisis, citizens are justified in resisting plans like building a new airport that would negatively impact the crisis. We call for the acquittal of Korean Extinction Rebellion activists, who are fined 20 Million KRW for housebreaking and violating the Assembly and Demonstration Act. We urge the South Korean court to acknowledge that peaceful direct action to protect the planetary life-supporting system is a legitimate form of political participation in a democratic society.