By Kang Seung-woo
Three sites have been shortlisted as candidates for hosting a U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery, according to military sources, Monday.
The candidate locations are Pyeongtaek in Gyeonggi Province, Waegwan in North Gyeongsang Province and Gunsan in North Jeolla Province — all of which already house U.S. military bases — said the sources,.
Eumseong County in North Chungcheong Province, which was rumored to have been selected as the site for the advanced missile interceptor until recently, is not being considered, they added.
The militaries of South Korea and the U.S. are accelerating their talks on deploying the THAAD battery here despite fierce protests in the candidate cities.
Citing a government source, the local daily Chosun Ilbo reported Monday that the negotiations are in the final stages, saying the site for the THAAD battery will be announced in a month or two.
However, the defense ministry said the allies still remain undecided over when to announce the results of the discussions.
“The THAAD deployment is being discussed by the two nations’ joint working group, and based on the results of their discussions, a final decision will be made at the South Korea-U.S.-alliance level,” defense ministry spokesman Moon Sang-gyun said in a briefing. “As for the date of the announcement, nothing has been decided.”
However, a military source said the two countries have agreed to deploy the THAAD battery at Pyeongtaek, Waegwan or Gunsan. The spokesman refused to comment on this.
“The two nations are finalizing their working-level decision on where to deploy a THAAD battery,” a source said. “They have agreed not to put off making an official announcement.”
Since North Korea launched a long-range rocket in February, the allies have held negotiations on the deployment in order to effectively deal with Pyongyang’s evolving missile threats.
However, where to deploy THAAD has been a hot-button issue because the electromagnetic waves emitted by its radar are known to carry potential safety and environmental threats.
Due to the collateral damage, residents in Eumseong County recently vented their anger at the defense ministry and the government as news reports that the Army’s missile command, stationed in the town, was seeking to purchase land there, igniting speculation that this was a preliminary step toward deploying the system there. Later, the command explained that the purchased land will be used for training by its troops.
In addition, the county launched a task force Monday to stage protests against deploying THAAD there.
“Although Eumseong was not mentioned in the news report, we cannot be relieved until a final decision on the site is made,” said Lee Hwa-young, the task force chief.
Last week, Defense Minister Han Min-koo told the National Assembly that the allies would wrap up THAAD discussions within this month, raising speculations that they could come up with an official decision at the Security Consultation Meeting scheduled for October in Washington.
However, amid growing domestic and overseas opposition, the government has decided to move up the announcement, according to the source.