Eumseong residents on edge over THAAD

By Jun Ji-hye

Residents in Eumseong, North Chungcheong Province, and politicians there are reacting angrily to rumors that their hometown has been selected as the site for a U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) unit.

Adding fuel are news reports that the Army’s missile command, stationed in the town, is seeking to purchase land there.

The residents believe that the land purchase is a prior step toward the deployment of the THAAD unit, though the command explained that the purchased land will be used as a training ground for its troops.

When Korea and the United States agreed in February to launch official talks on whether to allow the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) to deploy a THAAD battery on the Korean Peninsula, they said Seoul would provide the site and relevant facilities for the deployment, while Washington would bear expenses of operating the battery.

Where to deploy THAAD has been a hot potato due to the electromagnetic waves emitted by the battery’s AN/TPY-2 radar, which are known to carry potential safety and environmental threats.

Eumseong has been recently mentioned as a possible location for THAAD in various news reports.

Other candidate locations mentioned so far included Pyeongtaek in Gyeonggi Province; Daegu; Waegwan in North Gyeongsang Province; Wonju in Gangwon Province; and Gunsan in North Jeolla Province, where USFK units were and are stationed.

The news about the command’s move to purchase the site in Eumseong comes amid growing expectation that the allies will accelerate their ongoing talks on the deployment as North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile threats are growing.

Last week, the North claimed that it successfully launched an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM), believed to have a range of 3,000 to 4,000 kilometers. The missile can strike any target in Japan and, in theory, reach Guam, home to U.S. naval and air bases.

Lee Gwang-jin, a member of the provincial council of the North Chungcheong Province, said during a council meeting that the region is opposed to the deployment due to concerns that it could cause possible hazards to the residents’ safety and health, and that the region would become a main target in the event of a war.

“After the media reports, the residents have fallen into utter confusion,” he said. “The government should express its clear position and take measures to reassure them.”

The Eumseong Council also adopted a resolution unanimously last week, opposing the deployment. The resolution was sent to the government and relevant institutes, according to a council official.

Sources added that religious groups in the region were also against the deployment.

Meanwhile, Defense Minister Han Min-koo told a National Assembly session, Wednesday, that the allies would reach a conclusion regarding the deployment within the year, reaffirming the need to deploy the missile defense system to better deter threats from the reclusive state.

“THAAD will help the nation enhance its capability of responding to the North’s missiles,” he said.

But the minister added that no decision has been made regarding where to deploy the battery.

A ministry official said on the condition of anonymity that allies are reviewing all possibilities regarding the location.

“We will announce a decision at an appropriate time and give a full explanation to residents living nearby,” the official said.