Military getting closer to picking Lotte golf club
By Jun Ji-hye
The militaries of South Korea and the United States are expected to announce an alternative site for a U.S. anti-missile system this week, according to sources, Sunday. A golf course, away from the initially designated location, is emerging as a likely alternative.
"Evaluations of three alternative candidate sites for the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) in Seongju County, North Gyeongsang Province are virtually complete," said a military source.
"The decision will be announced this month after the military briefs residents on the decision."
In July, the defense ministry selected the Korean Air Force's air defense base in Seongsan-ri as the site for the THAAD battery, but Seoul and Washington have reviewed a new site in response to strong protests from residents there who said the location was too close to residential areas and raised health concerns over electromagnetic waves emitted by the system's radar.
The three alternative candidate sites are a golf course owned by Lotte Group in Chojeon-myeon, Mt. Yeomsok in Geumsu-myeon and Mt. Kkachi in Suryun-myeon.
Sources noted that the allies have virtually reached the conclusion that the golf club is an optimal site for THAAD, even better than Seongsan-ri.
The announcement is expected to be made after parliamentary inspections of the Ministry of National Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, respectively.
The Lotte golf course is located at an altitude of 680 meters above sea level, which is higher than the Seongsan air defense base, located at an altitude of 380 meters. The golf course is also 18 kilometers away from any residential areas in Seongju. From the ministry's point of view, those conditions were apparently better to ease the residents' concerns over the safety of the radar.
In addition, the infrastructure and accessibility of the golf course is better than other mountains, because a road from the town to the golf course has already been built.
But the ministry has already been facing fresh protests from residents of Gimcheon County, which is close to the Lotte golf course. A sacred ground for Won Buddhism is also located 500 meters away from the club, which could cause protests from the religious group.
The ministry also needs to negotiate with Lotte Group about the land purchase. The group possesses the 960,000 square-meter 18-hole golf course and the 820,000 square-meter adjacent forest there. The group purchased the 820,000 square-meter forest land earlier to construct nine additional holes.
If the firm agrees to sell the land, the ministry is expected to pay about 100 billion won. Opposition lawmakers point out that the use of the state budget is subject to National Assembly approval. 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 been expressing their disagreement with the deployment.
Mindful of this, the ministry is reportedly considering an exchange of land with the golf club giving it an equivalent area from military holdings.
By Jun Ji-hye
The militaries of South Korea and the United States are expected to announce an alternative site for a U.S. anti-missile system this week, according to sources, Sunday. A golf course, away from the initially designated location, is emerging as a likely alternative.
"Evaluations of three alternative candidate sites for the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) in Seongju County, North Gyeongsang Province are virtually complete," said a military source.
"The decision will be announced this month after the military briefs residents on the decision."
In July, the defense ministry selected the Korean Air Force's air defense base in Seongsan-ri as the site for the THAAD battery, but Seoul and Washington have reviewed a new site in response to strong protests from residents there who said the location was too close to residential areas and raised health concerns over electromagnetic waves emitted by the system's radar.
The three alternative candidate sites are a golf course owned by Lotte Group in Chojeon-myeon, Mt. Yeomsok in Geumsu-myeon and Mt. Kkachi in Suryun-myeon.
Sources noted that the allies have virtually reached the conclusion that the golf club is an optimal site for THAAD, even better than Seongsan-ri.
The announcement is expected to be made after parliamentary inspections of the Ministry of National Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, respectively.
The Lotte golf course is located at an altitude of 680 meters above sea level, which is higher than the Seongsan air defense base, located at an altitude of 380 meters. The golf course is also 18 kilometers away from any residential areas in Seongju. From the ministry's point of view, those conditions were apparently better to ease the residents' concerns over the safety of the radar.
In addition, the infrastructure and accessibility of the golf course is better than other mountains, because a road from the town to the golf course has already been built.
But the ministry has already been facing fresh protests from residents of Gimcheon County, which is close to the Lotte golf course. A sacred ground for Won Buddhism is also located 500 meters away from the club, which could cause protests from the religious group.
The ministry also needs to negotiate with Lotte Group about the land purchase. The group possesses the 960,000 square-meter 18-hole golf course and the 820,000 square-meter adjacent forest there. The group purchased the 820,000 square-meter forest land earlier to construct nine additional holes.
If the firm agrees to sell the land, the ministry is expected to pay about 100 billion won. Opposition lawmakers point out that the use of the state budget is subject to National Assembly approval. 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 been expressing their disagreement with the deployment.
Mindful of this, the ministry is reportedly considering an exchange of land with the golf club giving it an equivalent area from military holdings.
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