THAAD stalemate deepening
A placard that reads “Peace, not THAAD” is hung at an intersection of Seongju and Gimcheon, North Gyeongsang Province, Tuesday. / Yonhap
By Jun Ji-hye
The government’s plan to deploy a U.S. anti-missile system here is slipping into chaos as it is stuck in not-in-my-backyard (NIMBY) opposition.
The initial plan for the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery in Seongju County, North Gyeongsang Province, by next year has hit another snag after the county chief officially asked the defense ministry to pick an alternative site within the county.
The ministry accepted the request, but it remains to be seen whether the selection of an alternative site can proceed smoothly because of several variables.
In reviewing the alternative site, the ministry will have to consider protests from residents living in neighboring towns and may have to buy private land for the deployment.
This is casting a dark cloud over the government’s plan for the deployment of the THAAD battery by the end of next year.
South Korea and the U.S. announced last month that the battery will be placed in Seongsan-ri, which is currently home to the Air Force’s air defense artillery unit that operates a Hawk ground-to-air missile battery.
Since then, local residents have risen up in protest out of concerns over possible health effects from electromagnetic waves emitted by the AN/TPY-2 radar. They cited that the Seongsan artillery unit is only 1.5 kilometers away from a residential area.
Kim Hang-gon, the county head, held a news conference, Monday, announcing the county’s intention to accept the deployment if the battery goes to a different site farther from population centers.
The Ministry of National Defense said it will begin to evaluate candidate locations which are being mentioned for an alternative site for THAAD as soon as possible. Candidate sites being mentioned include a country club owned by Lotte Group located in Chojeon Township of the county, Mt. Yeomsok in Geumsu Township and Mt. Kkachi in Suryun Township.
The ministry’s acceptance of the county’s request seems to have resolved the mounting conflict in Seongju to some extent, but at the same time is causing fresh protests from residents living in Gimcheon County as residents there are close to the Lotte Skyhill Country Club, which has been mentioned as the most prominent alternative site.
The Lotte golf club has emerged as an alternative location to host THAAD as it is located at an altitude of 680 meters above sea level, which is higher than the Seongsan artillery unit, located at an altitude of 380 meters. The golf course is also located 18 kilometers away from any residential areas, while the Seongsan artillery unit is only 1.5 kilometers away. Those conditions seem to be better to resolve controversy over the safety of the radar.
Right after Kim’s news conference, Gimcheon residents formed a protest committee that is planning to stage a large-scale rally Wednesday with around 10,000 residents.
Gimcheon City Council also issued a statement, saying, “The Lotte golf club is very close to Gimcheon, which means Gimcheon will suffer the damage of the THAAD deployment. We are opposed to the deployment at the golf club.”
Even if the government picked the most suitable alternative site and successfully managed protests from residents, another problem would be waiting as the golf club as well as the areas of Mt. Yeomsok and Mt. Kkachi are all privately owned lands, meaning that the government needs to use the state budget to purchase those lands and build a base for an artillery unit.
The use of the state budget would be subject to National Assembly approval, according to some opposition lawmakers. Once the issue is brought up in the Assembly, nobody can be sure how long it will take for lawmakers to complete deliberations, given that opposition parties have already been expressing their disagreement with the deployment.
Defense Minister Han Min-Koo told lawmakers, Monday, “The ministry will make the right decision after reviewing all relevant factors. Our goal is to deploy the battery by the end of next year.”