Gov't loses credit in handling THAAD issue
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Residents of Seongju County, North Gyeongsang Province, protest in front of Seoul Station, Thursday, against the planned deployment of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery in their town. They claim that the electromagnetic waves emitted from the battery’s AN/TPY-2 radar could affect health and agricultural goods. / Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk
By Jun Ji-hye
The controversy regarding the planned deployment of a U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery on Korean soil is showing no signs of slowing down since the government’s announcement earlier this month.
Residents in Seongju County, North Gyeongsang Province, which will host the THAAD unit deployment next year, have been rising up in protest, claiming the electromagnetic waves emitted from the battery’s AN/TPY-2 radar can cause health and environmental damages.
Rival lawmakers have also been exchanging barbs at the National Assembly on related controversies, including the system’s true capability of defending the nation, Seoul’s alleged participation in the U.S. global missile shield program and the deployment’s impact on Seoul-Beijing relations.
In response to such controversies, the Ministry of National Defense, the government body that has led the decision-making process for the deployment, has repeatedly called on the people and politicians to trust the government, saying the system is safe and will enhance national interest.
But the ministry’s response did not seem to reassure critics, who believe the ministry has already lost credit owing to its handling of THAAD issues in the past two years.
Deputy Defense Minister Yoo Jeh-seung announces at the Ministry of National Defense in Seoul on July 13 that a THAAD battery will be placed at Seongju County next year. The sudden announcement shocked local residents. / Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk
Amid the countless media reports and observer speculations in the last two years, the ministry’s only response has been that “No decision has (yet) been made.”
Even after South Korea and the United States officially began their discussions in February on whether to deploy a THAAD unit and rumors began swirling about the deployment’s location, the ministry stuck to its response.
The ministry also refused to provide journalists details about the allies’ discussion, although such additional information would help settle the uncontrollable speculations and controversies.
When Defense Minister Han Min-koo was bombarded with questions at a National Assembly session on July 5, he, again, just said, “No decision has been made.” But just three days later, on July 8, the ministry officially announced that Seoul and Washington have decided to deploy a THAAD unit on Korean soil next year. It also said the location for the battery will be announced within weeks.
But this vague announcement only caused further confusion and resistance among residents in candidate deployment areas that have been mentioned in media, including Pyeongtaek in Gyeonggi Province, Daegu, Waegwan in North Gyeongsang Province, Eumseong in North Chungcheong Province and Wonju in Gangwon Province.
Then just five days later, on July 13, the ministry abruptly announced Seongju County as the location, contrary to the expected announcement date. Seongju residents were shocked, as the area had never been mentioned in media as a possible location.
On the same day, the ministry’s repeated statement that “no decision has been made” was revealed to be a lie, as Kim Kwan-jin, chief of the National Security Office under the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae, told a National Assembly session that he was briefed on an available location for the THAAD by Defense Minister Han at the end of June.
Consequently, the ministry did not abide by its promise to provide residents of the THAAD battery location with a full explanation on the impact of the system before the official announcement.
The ministry also did not make any efforts to ask Seongju residents for consent, instead just focusing on keeping what it claimed was “a military secret.”
Critics say the ministry cannot avoid criticism, having incited conflict among residents keeping its mouth shut. They noted that it should have followed procedures to persuade Seongju residents by, for example, carrying out an environmental check for the THAAD radar’s potential threats to humans or agricultural products.
Rep. Kyeong Dae-soo of the ruling Saenuri Party said during an Assembly session, “The government has done nothing for a year and six months to persuade residents. The public claims that there have been no orders and systems while the government ran about in confusion. The government just worried and unsettled Seongju residents by announcing the location abruptly.”
Rep. Kim Joong-ro of the governing party also criticized the ministry for not having consulted with local residents.
“The ministry just unilaterally notified the residents of the deployment,” he said.
They cited an example of the United States that carried out environmental assessments twice in 2009 and 2012 before deploying a THAAD battery in Guam in 2013. The THAAD unit in Guam, nicknamed “Musudan manglers,” was set up in response to the growing threats from North Korea’s Musudan intermediate-range ballistic missiles, which have an estimated range of some 3,000 to 4,000 kilometers and could theoretically fly as far as Guam.
People there believe the THAAD protects them and their island, and have never complained since its deployment, according to Congresswoman Madeleine Z. Bordallo (D-Guam).
But that is not the case in South Korea.
What Seongju residents seem to think about the battery is the radar would cause cancer and infertility and hurt their Oriental melon called “chamoe.” As the term “THAAD chamoe” begin circulating online, Oriental melon farmers worry that the deployment could bring a setback to their livelihood. Seongju produces some 70 percent of the nation’s Oriental melons.
Critics say such wild speculations also resulted from the government’s failure to convince the people concerning the deployment. They say if the current situation continues, Seoul and Washington may not be able to deploy the THAAD battery by next year as planned, because the residents have vowed to strongly protest the deployment by mobilizing every possible means, including legal action.
Indeed, around 2,000 Seongju residents have already rallied in Seoul, Thursday.
The prolonged protest could also delay the construction of the site, critics said.
In response to the criticism, ministry spokesman Moon Sang-gyun said the ministry will definitely carry out an environmental assessment to verify the impact of the radar and the noise level of the generators before deploying the battery.
“The government will consult with the United States as well as relevant institutes,” Moon said. “We are willing to prove the safety of the system. We will definitely go through the proper procedures before the deployment.”
Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, who was detained for hours in Seongju owing to thousands of angry residents during his July 15 visit, said, “The government could not provide sufficient explanation to the people in advance, as the issue was related to the defense policy. The government will, from now on, listen to opinions from local residents, give full explanations and push for the deployment with the residents.”
On the fears about the “THAAD chamoe,” Rep. Min Kyung-wook of the ruling party, who served as a presidential spokesman, said, “I will eat a chamoe in front of the radar to prove its safety and give it to my mother as well.”