'No THAAD, No Trump': 1st anti-US rally under Moon presidency staged in Seoul
/ Yonhap
By Park Si-soo
Thousands of protesters marched near the U.S. embassy in Seoul on Saturday, accusing U.S. President Donald Trump of “forcing” South Korea to deploy the controversial American missile defense system China opposes.
The protest came as South Korea’s new president Moon Jae-In heads to Washington next week for his first summit with Trump amid soaring tensions over Pyongyang’s nuclear ambitions.
Around 4,000 people participated in the first anti-U.S. rally under Moon’s presidency. It was also the largest protest since South Korea and the United States agreed to deploy the system, known as the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD).
Protesters marched with placards that read: “Trump, stop forcing (South Korea) to deploy THAAD” and “No THAAD, No Trump.”
The crowd included residents from the southeastern county of Seongju where the system is being deployed.
The system’s deployment was approved by Moon’s predecessor, the ousted conservative president Park Geun-hye, despite China’s strong opposition. Beijing has consistently opposed the system, saying it threatens China’s security and will do nothing to ease tension on the Korean peninsula. As Seoul did nothing to stop the deployment, China has reacted with fury, imposing a series of measures of economic retaliation against the South.
Though parts of the system are already in place, Moon this month suspended further deployment.
Officially, the delay is to allow for a new, comprehensive environmental impact assessment, but analysts say the move is a strategic delay by Moon to handle the tricky diplomatic situation he inherited.