By Yi Whan-woo
Rival parties clashed, Thursday, over the government's moves to allow the United States to deploy a THAAD battery here and its shutdown of the Gaeseong Industrial Complex (GIC) on the first day of interpellation sessions at the National Assembly.
"Setting up a defense missile shield against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats is crucial and we need to convince China that a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) is needed for self-defense purposes," Rep. Kim Jae-won of the ruling Saenuri Party said.
He referred to Seoul's move to jointly discuss with Washington the deployment of THAAD, an advanced missile shield, in the wake of Pyongyang's fourth nuclear test on Jan. 6 and suspected test of ballistic missile on Feb. 7.
China, North Korea's largest benefactor, remains reluctant to toughen sanctions against the Kim Jong-un regime while protesting that THAAD can be used to spy on Beijing's military activities.
"I've been told China is so concerned about possible presence of THAAD on the peninsula that it may consider pressing the Kim regime up to a level which can lead to discussions over THAAD deployment no longer necessary," he said. "You can see that THAAD can be used as leverage for China to be active in resolving issues on North Korea's nuclear program."
Lee Cheol-woo, also a Saenuri lawmaker, agreed with Kim Jae-won although he underscored a need to settle public concerns on health and security risks associated with THAAD.
"The villagers living in the neighborhoods cited as the sites for THAAD deployment are worried about possible exposure to strong electromagnetic radiation emitted from THAAD radar as well as environmental pollution," Lee said. "It will be important to settle such concerns before setting up a THAAD battery."
Citing a U.S. Department of Defense report, Rep. Kim Kwang-jin of the MPK, also a member of the National Assembly's National Defense Committee, highlighted technical problems of THAAD.
Released by the U.S. Congress in Jan. 2014, the report was compiled by Michael Gilmore, U.S Department of Defense's director of operational tests and evaluation. It states that "THAAD reliability and maintainability measures are still fluctuating greatly between test events, indicating system immaturity with respect to consistent reliability and maintainability growth."
"And I must say that the government's plan to purchase THAAD is interpreted as a move to exploit our land as a test lab for weapons with full of defects," the MPK lawmaker said.
The parliamentary hearing involved Unification Minister Hong Yong-pyo, who is embroiled in a dispute over his retraction Monday, that the government has "hard evidence" North Korea used wages paid to its workers at the GIC to fund development weapons of mass destruction.
Hong reiterated his previous claim that Office 39, a secretive branch of the North Korean government, has been diverting such wages for Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs, although he refrained from commenting whether the government has obtained related evidence.
"The shutdown of the GIC was an inevitable measure to prevent North Korea's nuclear armament," Rep. Kim Jae-won said. "Instead of accusing the government, the opposition should look back and see who is responsible for making bulk cash being fall into the repressive regime's hand."
The conservative party's lawmaker referred to the fact that the GIC opened in December 2004 under then progressive-minded Kim Dae-jung administration.
Rep. Kim Tae-nyeon of the MPK, refuted at Kim Jae-won and underscored that the GIC had been a symbol of inter-Korean reconciliatory efforts, including economic cooperation.
"Everyone knows that it has been the last remaining site to maintain peace on the peninsula and the government came up with illogical claim that the GIC was a cash cow of Pyongyang' military program," he said.
Rival parties clashed, Thursday, over the government's moves to allow the United States to deploy a THAAD battery here and its shutdown of the Gaeseong Industrial Complex (GIC) on the first day of interpellation sessions at the National Assembly.
"Setting up a defense missile shield against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats is crucial and we need to convince China that a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) is needed for self-defense purposes," Rep. Kim Jae-won of the ruling Saenuri Party said.
He referred to Seoul's move to jointly discuss with Washington the deployment of THAAD, an advanced missile shield, in the wake of Pyongyang's fourth nuclear test on Jan. 6 and suspected test of ballistic missile on Feb. 7.
China, North Korea's largest benefactor, remains reluctant to toughen sanctions against the Kim Jong-un regime while protesting that THAAD can be used to spy on Beijing's military activities.
"I've been told China is so concerned about possible presence of THAAD on the peninsula that it may consider pressing the Kim regime up to a level which can lead to discussions over THAAD deployment no longer necessary," he said. "You can see that THAAD can be used as leverage for China to be active in resolving issues on North Korea's nuclear program."
Lee Cheol-woo, also a Saenuri lawmaker, agreed with Kim Jae-won although he underscored a need to settle public concerns on health and security risks associated with THAAD.
"The villagers living in the neighborhoods cited as the sites for THAAD deployment are worried about possible exposure to strong electromagnetic radiation emitted from THAAD radar as well as environmental pollution," Lee said. "It will be important to settle such concerns before setting up a THAAD battery."
Citing a U.S. Department of Defense report, Rep. Kim Kwang-jin of the MPK, also a member of the National Assembly's National Defense Committee, highlighted technical problems of THAAD.
Released by the U.S. Congress in Jan. 2014, the report was compiled by Michael Gilmore, U.S Department of Defense's director of operational tests and evaluation. It states that "THAAD reliability and maintainability measures are still fluctuating greatly between test events, indicating system immaturity with respect to consistent reliability and maintainability growth."
"And I must say that the government's plan to purchase THAAD is interpreted as a move to exploit our land as a test lab for weapons with full of defects," the MPK lawmaker said.
The parliamentary hearing involved Unification Minister Hong Yong-pyo, who is embroiled in a dispute over his retraction Monday, that the government has "hard evidence" North Korea used wages paid to its workers at the GIC to fund development weapons of mass destruction.
Hong reiterated his previous claim that Office 39, a secretive branch of the North Korean government, has been diverting such wages for Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs, although he refrained from commenting whether the government has obtained related evidence.
"The shutdown of the GIC was an inevitable measure to prevent North Korea's nuclear armament," Rep. Kim Jae-won said. "Instead of accusing the government, the opposition should look back and see who is responsible for making bulk cash being fall into the repressive regime's hand."
The conservative party's lawmaker referred to the fact that the GIC opened in December 2004 under then progressive-minded Kim Dae-jung administration.
Rep. Kim Tae-nyeon of the MPK, refuted at Kim Jae-won and underscored that the GIC had been a symbol of inter-Korean reconciliatory efforts, including economic cooperation.
"Everyone knows that it has been the last remaining site to maintain peace on the peninsula and the government came up with illogical claim that the GIC was a cash cow of Pyongyang' military program," he said.
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